Why You Need to be Great at Telling Clients What’s NewMarch 2, 2016Are you sure your veterinary clients are aware that your practice now offers digital radiography, laser therapy and a new medication for their itchy dog? Even if they do, are you sure they know why it matters to them? You’d think veterinary practices would naturally tell clients about a new service or piece of equipment. And, we often think we’re doing a good job of spreading the news. But a lot of what’s obvious to us remains unknown to our clients. Far too many veterinary practices miss significant revenue because their clients don’t know about new services they offer. Information creates interest in the minds of pet parents who want the best care for their pets. Plus, imagine the time and stress you could save if a client already understood the value of digital radiography before their pet needed it. Clients who understand the value of your equipment and services before they need them, are likely to accept your recommendations with enthusiasm. The fact that you have up-to-date equipment shows your high level of concern for patient care. But those resources have a cost attached to them. And, …
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5 Improvements Any Veterinary Practice Can MakeFebruary 24, 2016Every day, there are hundreds of tasks that must be completed to keep a veterinary hospital operating smoothly. These tasks are shared amongst all the team members and departments. Keeping everything going smoothly and cohesively can be a challenge, even for the most well run hospital. Despite that challenge, you and your team are doing an overall great job! However, there is always room for improvement. As a veterinary practice management consultant, I regularly observe a number of factors that still need some TLC. Sometimes practices are not even aware of these factors as it is hard to see the forest for the trees when you are so tangled up in the day-to-day activities. So what can you improve? Check out these 5 areas. Improvement No. 1: Enhance Staff Training and Support One of the biggest areas for improvement is related to your veterinary staff. While unfortunate, it is common practice in this industry to hire someone, toss them in with little training and expect them to swim. Then, when they sink, the hospital leaders are frustrated. When the new employee fails, it has negatively impacted them, the hospital and …
How Does Adding Vet School Seats Impact the Veterinary Workforce?February 17, 2016In one of my former roles of advising foreign governments and agencies on small-business development, I would always begin with three basic prerequisites that I feel are most important and need to be answered before starting a new business. First, can you physically do it? Second, can you make money doing it? And third, can you sustain it in a competitive market? The continued push to expand the number of veterinary schools (and, thereby, the number of seats available to veterinary students) certainly has me wondering whether all of these basic prerequisites are being considered in the planning process and before commitments are made to pursue the necessary approvals and begin the accreditation process. There is no doubt that the necessary resources, both in terms of capital and expertise, to build new veterinary colleges can be acquired anywhere in America. Based on current information about the willingness of veterinary college applicants to pay for a veterinary degree, new colleges can probably be profitable, more so if they are state-funded. The third prerequisite, however, offers a more daunting hurdle, as is frequently the case. The market for veterinary education faces …
5 Things We Love and Sometimes Hate in the Veterinary PracticeFebruary 11, 2016Love is in the air. Lots of it. But you wouldn’t know it by following the news. Presidential primaries, Syrian refugees, Parisian atrocities, Putin’s posturing, domestic xenophobia. It’s enough to make you question whether there’s any room in our frigid human hearts for snow cones and bunny rabbits, much less Valentine’s Day. Thankfully, though, I’ve amassed plenty of evidence to the contrary. After a tumultuous first year in my own veterinay practice, I’ve learned a lot of tough lessons the hard way. I’ve also managed to be excited, uplifted and even awed by the many ways in which practice ownership, and veterinary practice in general, can inspire the best in us. Unfortunately, it also can awaken the worst. But just because we want to strangle the occasional human doesn’t mean we have to behave like serial killers. I’m finally beginning to understand that becoming a veterinary professional doesn’t automatically mean that the world will bend to my will. Nor does buying the practice increase my control of the world around me; ironically, quite the opposite in my case. We still have to deal with people who …
8 Ways to Improve the Dental Discharge ExperienceFebruary 4, 2016Originally published in the February 2016 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today! A client arrives at 6 p.m. to pick up her dog, who had a dental treatment today. The veterinary technician who performed the procedure has gone home, and the doctor who extracted five teeth is running 30 minutes late for evening exams. After waiting 25 minutes in the lobby, the client speaks with the doctor for five minutes before he rushes off to his last appointment. A veterinary assistant brings the dog to the checkout desk and hands the client her dog’s medication and home-care instructions. This poor experience could influence the client’s decision to accept professional dental care in the future. Here’s how to create a five-star discharge experience. 1) Schedule the dental procedure on the day of diagnosis. Most dental disease is diagnosed during preventive checkups. If you have computers in exam rooms, the technician can book the dental procedure now. If the client will check out at the front desk, the receptionist should schedule the procedure first, and then collect payment for today’s services. Today’s bill …
Eau Gallie Veterinary Hospital's Sign Game is GreatFebruary 2, 2016If you have a sign outside your clinic, why not take advantage of it? Eau Gallie Veterinary Hospital in Melbourne, Fla., has, with these fun and hilarious signs. Here's an oldie but goodie. #VetHumor #SapyAndNeuter #TBT Posted by Eau Gallie Veterinary Hospital on Thursday, January 21, 2016 Since its #tbt I figured I'd repost this 🙂 Posted by Eau Gallie Veterinary Hospital on Thursday, January 7, 2016 We'd like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday, from our EGVH family to yours ❤ Posted by Eau Gallie Veterinary Hospital on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 Grooming available 🙂 Posted by Eau Gallie Veterinary Hospital on Monday, June 8, 2015 Is feels like it's been months since I changed the marquee Posted by Eau Gallie Veterinary Hospital on Monday, May 18, 2015 Happy Tuesday! (Don't forget to share) Posted by Eau Gallie Veterinary Hospital on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 It's been a month since we last changed our sign, I …
Has Your Veterinary Practice Gone Green?January 28, 2016How important is environmental sustainability to your veterinary hospital? Don't know what environmental sustainability is? According to Small Biz Connect: “Environmental sustainability involves making decisions and taking action that are in the interests of protecting the natural world, with particular emphasis on preserving the capability of the environment to support human life. It is an important topic at the present time, as people are realizing the full impact that businesses and individuals can have on the environment.” It’s better not to delay in becoming more environmentally friendly. Delays may be causing considerable erosion of the bottom line. There are more than enough issues in our profession these days to capture our attention. But don’t allow that to overshadow potential benefits of “going green.” Need some motivation? Want to know where to begin? Take a look at what you can learn from interviews with leaders of Dove Lewis Emergency Hospital of Portland, Ore. and Two Rivers Veterinary Hospital in Wells Fargo, N.D. The following are insightful answers to …
Shopping for Software?January 28, 2016Originally published in the November 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today! A veterinarian’s office can get chaotic with animals and pet owners demanding the staff’s attention, so the last thing you need is complicated software that slows things down because of confusing functionality and that stumps the workers using it. Face it, the true value of any software is determined by the staff’s ability to use it effectively. Mike Erickson, vice president and general manager of Idexx Information Management, says the Westbrook, Maine, company provides software spanning from diagnostics to an array of information management systems such as Cornerstone. All are geared toward helping veterinary practices advance the health and well-being of pets. “Idexx offers an extensive array of training options,” he said. “Cornerstone offers online training through the Idexx Learning Center, free of charge. It features video snippets and end-to-end, role-based training.” Onsite and remote training and coaching on all aspects of the software and practice workflow are …
Is Crisis Control Going Too Far?January 26, 2016Originally published in the January 2016 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today! I’ve been practicing veterinary medicine in Florida for more than 20 years. Though it’s arguably the most litigious state in the country vis-a-vis medical malpractice claims, I’ve never been sued. Not even close. In fact, I can’t name one colleague who’s been successfully sued. I know of two who have had complaints lodged against their licenses and of a specialist group that was unsuccessfully sued twice (once by a referring veterinarian/client, no less!). But none that I know of ever lost much more than some sleep, a couple of days of work, and maybe a little faith in humanity. I don’t mean to minimize this experience. I know one of the veterinarians sued in the above example and I understand how much it can hurt to be targeted by an owner’s desire for retribution, misplaced or not. What’s more, for decades now, it’s been clear to our profession’s legal counsel that we veterinarians are a marked lot. These veterinarians represent only the first wave of veterinary medicine’s tort-ridden …
6 Exam Codes Every Veterinary Practice NeedsJanuary 18, 2016Originally published in the January 2016 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today! When clients check out after appointments, every type of consultation is coded under “office call” in your veterinary practice management software. Your first exam is with an 8-week-old puppy who will be due for care again in three weeks. Your second exam is a cat with renal disease who needs to return in three months. Your third exam is a dog with an ear infection who you want to see again in two weeks. How will you ensure that all three patients return at the appropriate intervals if the same exam code is used? Worse yet, charging a flat exam fee could result in lower practice income. Here are six exam codes that every practice needs. Update your practice management software so reminders are accurate, patients get needed follow-up care and future revenue is guaranteed. 1) Pediatric Preventive Care Exam This exam code is for puppies and kittens and issues reminders every three to four weeks based on your standards of care. For example, the pediatric …
