- The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association has named Maria Morgan, MBA, CVPM, the first recipient of the Kelly Clay Innovation Award.
- Morgan co-founded Passpaw, a cloud-based platform that simplifies international pet travel compliance for veterinary practices.
- The platform organizes country-specific requirements, validates documentation, prioritizes tasks, and supports communication between veterinary teams and clients.
- The Kelly Clay Innovation Award recognizes practical innovations that improve veterinary practice management and patient care.
- As the inaugural recipient, Morgan will receive a $2,500 cash award, a one-year VHMA membership, complimentary registration to the 2026 VHMA Annual Meeting and Conference, and access to the association’s professional network.
The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) has selected Maria Morgan, MBA, CVPM, co-founder of Passpaw, as the inaugural recipient of the Kelly Clay Innovation Award in recognition of her work developing technology to simplify international pet travel compliance for veterinary practices.
Passpaw is a cloud-based platform designed to help veterinary teams manage the increasingly complex requirements associated with international pet travel while reducing administrative workload and improving the client experience.
Addressing the challenges of pet travel compliance
Morgan developed the idea for Passpaw after managing growing demand for pet travel services at Quail Animal Hospital in Irvine, California. As international travel requirements became more complex during the COVID-19 pandemic, she identified the need for a more efficient way to organize country-specific regulations, health certificates, USDA requirements, and client communications.
Launched in 2024, Passpaw helps veterinary teams organize travel requirements, validate documentation, prioritize tasks, and keep clients informed throughout the process.
Recognizing innovation in veterinary practice management
Established in 2025, the Kelly Clay Innovation Award honors the legacy of veterinary practice management advocate Kelly Clay and recognizes ideas that improve veterinary practice management and advance patient care.
As the inaugural award recipient, Morgan will receive a $2,500 cash prize, a one-year VHMA membership, complimentary registration to the 2026 VHMA Annual Meeting and Conference, and access to the association’s network of more than 5,000 veterinary management professionals.
Information sourced from the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association’s press release.
