The Pitfalls Of A Practical ProfessionMarch 28, 2012 My parents are both educated as architects. However, neither one of them practices architecture except when the stray job materializes or when willing-to-impose daughters like me ask them to design their new house. It’s not that they’re not impressively talented with awards and accolades to show for their progressively green brand of minimalist architecture. Neither have they lapsed into early retirement. Rather, it’s more to do with how the rug’s been pulled out from under their profession’s foundation over the past 30 years. Let that be a lesson to our profession. Indulge me as I explain how: In the ’80s, the architecture profession underwent a transformation with the rise of the technical, specialized architect. This new breed was distinct from the traditional architect, formerly schooled in overseeing the conception and construction of a structure from start to finish in a holistic sort of way (think Antoni Gaudí, Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Kahn, among other 20th century luminaries). The advent of this highly specialized architect, fueled in part by the computerization of the profession via AutoCAD, was attended by a concurrent decline in the perceived need to educate architects broadly as artists, craftsmen, theoreticians, engineers …
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Lucrative Tools For Boosting BusinessMarch 27, 2012 It’s time to rethink the way we conduct business in our veterinary practices. Times have changed and practice owners and managers must seek new ways to meet the needs of pet owners, while at the same time ensuring that their businesses remain profitable. One of the most critical elements of this change is the creation and active dissemination of a written financial policy that defines a practice’s payment options. Only 52 percent of veterinarians report actually having a written financial policy1, and we have done ourselves no favors by making the discussion of payment as difficult and uncomfortable as possible—in most cases leaving our front desk people the miserable job of trying to obtain a payment or deposit from a pet owner with little or no funds. They must then scurry off to get someone “higher up” to handle the situation, which eats up time and energy. Even if that policy has been written, many employees and clients have no idea what it is, although they know it has been disregarded often enough to realize it has little meaning. Consider how much simpler things would be if payment options and expectations were …
Unwanted Horses And Hungry HumansMarch 22, 2012 A friend recently wrote: “Horse meat ... why would anyone in their right mind want to eat it??? Very important issue. … Boo on Canada.” Attached was a link to a video. My friend’s attitude and this video made me imagine a possible win-win solution to end some of our world’s misery. I love and respect horses. As former president of the American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians and the current president of the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics, I have carefully examined the sad situation that has inadvertently developed for unwanted horses since the ban on slaughter took effect five years ago. My empathy and grief for these horses spurred me to organize a two-hour equine ethics session at the American Veterinary Medical Association last July. My guest speaker, Dr. Robert M. Miller, an equine behaviorist as well as cartoonist and philosopher, spoke of major equine ethics problems from many viewpoints. Dr. Miller discussed horses’ roles as beloved companion animals, private sport horses, race horses, work horses—all the way down the human-animal bond scale to being livestock. Wild horses have it worse, because they forage on …
Surgical Lasers Aren’t Just For Teaching HospitalsMarch 22, 2012 Fourteen years ago, when cell phones resembled barbells and personal computers were still an option, Kenneth Bartels was hunkered down in the heart of Oklahoma State University’s veterinary teaching hospital, becoming an expert on an extraordinary technology that now literally is veterinary surgery’s cutting edge: carbon dioxide and diode lasers. “Laser surgery is noted for an ability to minimize hemorrhage and seal nerves and lymphatics through photothermal activity,” said Bartels, DVM, director of the Surgical Laser Laboratory at OSU’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. “This implies there is decreased inflammation and less pain. The surgical laser is a tool that can be used to great advantage with the appropriate understanding and training.” And the education is out there: Dr. Bartels said laser theory is now incorporated into Oklahoma State University's veterinary clinical curriculum, along with wet labs for student chapters of the American Animal Hospital Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners. For small-animal surgery, carbon dioxide lasers are used in cat onychectomies, several phases of brachycephalic airway syndrome surgeries, spays and neuters, tumor removals and surface incisions. In equine medicine, the fiber-delivered diode laser is used with …
Good Marriage...Good MedicineMarch 16, 2012 Kristen Lawmaster, DVM, never wanted to open her own clinic. So when she and her husband, Todd Lawmaster, also a DVM, acquired the Parkview Veterinary Hospital in Monterey, Calif., two years ago, she had no plans to actually work there. Not only did she not share her husband's entrepreneurial passion, she also assumed it would be a disaster. "Everyone warned against us working together," Dr. Lawmaster said. "I was still in my other job and I kept thinking to myself that there was no way I was going to work with him because everyone said how awful it is for spouses to work together." It wasn't long, however, before she changed her mind. "The draw became too much because he was getting all this brand new equipment and I was working in an old, decrepit hospital," she said. She now shares her husband's love of a more progressive, preventive form of veterinary medicine--if not his be-your-own-boss mentality--and has been working side-by-side with him ever since. They join a number of spouses who successfully manage a two-veterinarian household. "It's is a fairly common thing." said Amy Carr, DVM, Dipl. ACVECC. "About 10 percent of my …
Short Sales And Finding Future FinancingMarch 6, 2012 One of the lasting effects of the real estate bubble and Great Recession is the growing number of professionals caught in the real estate devaluation of residential properties. In the past, home appreciation seemed to make any home mortgage safe for both the bank and owner, but the last few years have led to instances where the borrower can find herself 50 percent underwater on her home loan. In some instances, this has led a borrower to decide that the best option is to a sell the home, with the bank’s permission, for less than what is owed. The amount of loan left after the sale is commonly known as a “deficiency balance,” which may or may not be forgiven by the bank. A Look at Short Sales To understand how a short sale is perceived by a bank, a borrower must first understand that a typical bank considers a mortgage loan a contractual commitment by the borrower to repay the debt borrowed, regardless of what the house is worth. Even if circumstances make this nearly impossible for the borrower, the first reaction of a banker is to look upon a short sale as a …
Hey Boss, Listen Up!February 24, 2012 As I make my way across the country, I’m always asked by at least one person, “How do I get my boss to listen?” The “boss” could be any number of people: the veterinary practice owner, the attending veterinarian on staff, the supervisor or lead for your position, the practice manager, the board of directors—you name it. It’s hard to see all these wonderful support staffers come to my talks, only to feel that they can’t bring ideas back and make them a reality because of their bosses’ attitudes. “How do I get my boss to listen?” they’ll ask. Let’s take a look at this. When you have a new idea, a solution to a problem, or a new product that you believe will help the practice, you are excited and that makes sense! But it doesn’t take any more than a stern glance from the boss to dash your hopes and snuff out your enthusiasm. So take a step back, and take a look at why you are excited about the idea. Will it help the patients? Will it help the clients? Will it help the support staff? Will it help grow revenue in the practice? …
From Tears To Happiness In One Phone CallFebruary 20, 2012 Dr. M was heartbroken. Possibly on the verge of tears. And she called me, of all people, to find some comfort… Ms. Greenback walked into Dr. M’s practice and interrupted a conversation she was having with a long-standing client. Ms. Greenback declared: “I’m looking for a new vet…” Since she had just opened her practice, Dr. M was excited about the opportunity to shine and impress a new potential client. That is, until Ms. Greenback finished her sentence: “I’m looking for a new vet to euthanize my sick dog.” This was against everything Dr. M believed in. She did not approve the concept of convenience euthanasia simply because a pet becomes, well, an inconvenience. So what followed was a desperate attempt at reasoning with the client. Why euthanize? “Why don’t we start with a physical exam, and maybe blood work, to find out if we can’t help your dog?” Maybe the dog’s problem was treatable. But the client didn’t want to hear it. “Look Doc, I just can’t afford all your fancy testing. If I paid for it, then I wouldn’t be able to feed all the other dogs I’ve rescued over the …
Negotiation FatigueFebruary 17, 2012 Anyone involved in presenting financial estimates, or treatment plans, to clients in the veterinary practice has been exposed to “negotiation fatigue.” You’ll recognize the circumstances—you develop an estimate of the charges involved in whatever the veterinarian feels needs to be done with that pet and walk in to explain the fees. The client winces, comments about how expensive veterinary care is, and proceeds to ask, “Well, do we have to do everything on that list?” You freeze, trying to figure out how to respond. A veterinary professional that I recently came across explained an interesting concept; to provide the best medicine the client seeks, not necessarily the best medicine that is recommended by the veterinarian. While I understand that this flies in the face of all the advice we’ve been given to offer only the best medicine, we all understand that in reality, we often have to come down a notch or two to also fit the client’s financial restrictions. We know that sometimes Plan A will be rejected, and we need to have a Plan B and Plan C readily available so that we can provide at least some medical care to that pet. You’ll figure …
From Drill Bits To Practice PhilosophyFebruary 13, 2012 Finding the right drill bit for a very special job was not an easy task. At first, I visited the usual suspects: Home Depot and Lowes. Nothing. Then I went to Sears. Here is how the experience went. Since I didn’t find the right size drill bit on my own, I spotted a Sears employee between the “paint” and the “tools” sections. Me: Hello, do you work in paint? Her: What? Me: Do you work in paint? Her: Yep. Me: So is your colleague the only one in Tools? Her: What? Me: Your colleague over there looks pretty busy, is he the only one in Tools? Her: I’m in Tools, too. Me: OK great. Could you please help me find a longer drill bit than this 3/32nd bit? After I showed her the size I needed—same diameter, just longer—she walked with the energy of a snail with myasthenia gravis over to the drill bit display and handed me a long 3/16th drill bit (i.e. much bigger). And she proudly declared: “There you go, that one’s longer!” I was speechless. What would you have told her? This …
