A life lesson in veterinary careJanuary 4, 2019Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic in Worcester, Mass., is the nation’s first on-the-job veterinary clinic at a high school developed in collaboration with a veterinary school.
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How to be great at delegatingDecember 18, 2018Delegation is an art form that is very valuable, yet sadly underutilized. Many high achievers are guilty of thinking “I might as well just do it myself” or “They won’t do it right.” Those who have tried delegating and lament that it doesn’t work for them probably weren’t doing it properly.
Are you leading or following your practice?December 11, 2018You rush from one intense exam to the next, going home exhausted at the end of the day. This firefighter approach to running your practice may have you following, rather than leading your business. As you begin a new year, reclaim the leadership role of your practice and take actions that move your business forward.
Professionalism—Own it!December 11, 2018Your veterinary clients deserve and expect to be greeted and cared for by professional veterinary team members. In addition, veterinary teams expect to work with courteous, thoughtful, and professional coworkers.
CT or MRI? When to use each and whyDecember 10, 2018The dilemma over whether to use CT or MRI is fairly common. While there are many cases that could be imaged via either modality, experts say there are specific instances where one is preferred over the other.
Ten ways to improve your clinic's cash flowDecember 6, 2018Cash flow in veterinary practices is challenged by several factors, but broken down, it’s simple: how much comes in versus how much goes out. Here are 10 ways your practice can immediately take control of its cash flow.
Beware of boilerplate employment contractsDecember 6, 2018If you are a practice owner in need of an employment contract for a new associate, you may reflexively turn to the internet to see if you can find a “model” document. Or you may obtain one from a colleague or veterinary association. But adopting “boilerplate” employment contracts without the assistance of counsel can be deleterious to the health of your business.
Caught in the crossfireNovember 19, 2018Opioids are the first line of treatment for animals with acutely painful conditions and surgeries. They are important in providing pain management with minimal and manageable cardiovascular and respiratory side effects. Veterinarians rely heavily on opioids for pain control and reduction of inhalation anesthetic dosages in veterinary anesthesia, incorporating drugs such as morphine, hydromorphone, buprenorphine, and fentanyl in sedation, anesthesia, and pain control in the perioperative period.
iVET360 2018 report analyzes key veterinary clinic marketing metricsOctober 8, 2018 iVET360 veterinary services company released its annual Veterinary Marketing Benchmark Report, revealing statistics and trends in veterinary marketing for 2018. In the report, the company analyzed the marketing metrics of 1,000 accredited hospitals and covered approximately 27,000 data points to highlight crucial new information for practices regarding their marketing efforts. Topics covered in the report include introducing Nextdoor as a marketing tool, stressing the importance of Google (specifically highlighting the power of Google Ads—a tool only being used by 10 percent of hospitals), proper SEO usage, all things Google My Business, and the average number of reviews a practice has across their most dependable social channels. "Along with providing marketing assistance to veterinary hospitals, our goal is to lead the way and educate the industry on the most current and relevant marketing methods," said Justin Vandeberghe, managing director of creative services at iVET360. "Hospitals often contact us looking for industry benchmarks while asking us what they should be doing, and this report outlines what that average veterinary hospital hopes to achieve." Veterinary practices can download the report and receive a complimentary digital report of their business (within 24 hours) by contacting iVET360 and providing their …
Tips for improving medication compliance among cat ownersSeptember 28, 2018When dispensing medication for in-home treatment of feline patients, owner compliance is a concern due to the unique challenges of administering medication to cats, according to Kindred Biosciences Inc. "Cats have natural behaviors that may make medication administration challenging, and this can be complicated in ill cats that are also anorexic, nauseated, or vomiting," said Christina Fernandez, DVM, MRCVS, DACVECC, professional services veterinarian with Kindred. "Palatability is also a huge factor, and most cats are finicky when it comes to food." To improve compliance, Dr. Fernandez shares five tips veterinarians can focus on: Communication Written information Frequency of veterinary visits Veterinarian continuity Selection of medications Communication is essential, said Fernandez. Veterinarians or veterinary nurses can demonstrate to cat owners how to administer a medication while still in the office. This helps avoid complications and promotes active discussion with the client. If possible, written instructions can be provided. "Follow-up calls from the veterinary clinic staff can help increase owner compliance," said Fernandez. "This can facilitate identification of issues to be addressed with the clinical state of the patient and concerns with the treatment plan while offering an opportunity to set up a follow-up appointment if one isn't already on the books." …
