Learn About Continuing EducationJune 10, 2009 When it’s time for veterinarians and staff members to log required continuing education hours, they have multiple options and even more opportunities for professional development in their areas of interest. Large national and regional conferences are wonderful places to acquire a lot of CE in a short time while networking with peers. But for those who can’t get away from the practice, there are other options as well. Short Hops Most state veterinary medical associations schedule annual conferences that may be close to home. In larger states, local associations bring the information even closer, often with evening sessions. Variety may be somewhat limited, but if your interest fits the agenda, you can spend an evening or a day or two absorbing some good education. Click here for a directory of links to state veterinary groups. Across Town Local referral practices can be a good place for CE. Emergency and specialty practices often host monthly events for their referring community, bringing in experts from sponsor companies or spotlighting their emergency clinicians and specialists. These are often evening or afternoon sessions that can easily fit the schedule of the veterinary team. John Thompson, CEO …
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Praising Our DVM Authors And IconsJune 10, 2009 The world fell in love with veterinarians as they read James Herriot novels, but today things are different. In fact, life in the fast lane and in cities worldwide finds many pet owners seeking help at larger veterinary hospitals with multiple associates who often refer them for specialty care at mega-practices. The contemporary sick-pet story no longer has the quaint James Herriot-style feeling. Pet owners who encounter high-tech veterinary medicine have a quite different experience. But the human-animal bond remains the same. The bond is the mortar, grout and glue that holds together the foundation of our profession. Modern veterinary authors are stepping up to tell today’s story. We can wistfully look back to the good old days, but we must read the new DVM authors, inspired by Herriot, who write about our evolving profession. We need to acquaint ourselves with the newest generation of veterinary authors who address their books to the public, such as Nancy Kay, Nick Trout, Tami Shearer, Debra Eldredge, Robin Downing, Shannon Nakaya, Elizabeth Hodgkins, Baxter Black, Marty Becker, Robert M. Miller, yours truly and many others too numerous to mention here. Our clients have the opportunity to witness the …
Developing Your Clinic’s WebsiteJune 9, 2009 When Rick Wall, DVM, graduated from veterinary school three decades ago, he had no idea that blogs and tweets would occupy his consciousness alongside spays and neuters. Now that he’s six months into the redevelopment of his four practices’ Web presence, the Woodlands, Texas, practitioner says, “I’m fascinated by this whole process. When I first started, we didn’t even have computers. Now we’re talking about a blog on our site, posting things regularly, linking to Facebook and YouTube.” As a group, veterinarians have been slow to embrace the potential marketing benefits of a fully developed website, Internet consultants say. “We still have a ways to go before veterinarians take this seriously,” notes Mark Feltz, DVM, whose company VetNetwork.com designs websites and marketing plans for practitioners. “There are practices with $2 million to $3 million facilities, with clients who pay hundreds of dollars per transaction,” Dr. Feltz says. “You can’t have it look like your fourth-grade daughter designed your website.” A clinic’s website is its front door to the world, a vital extension to word-of-mouth marketing, Internet experts say. “When people are looking for a veterinarian and get a recommendation from …
Surviving Recession Bonus: Lenders Like VetsMay 7, 2009 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. James “Chip” Mahan, CEO of Live Oak Bank in Wilmington, N.C., has good feelings about the veterinary field. “I don’t know of any other industry that made more in 2008 than in 2007 outside of veterinary medicine,” Mahan says. “Although veterinary loan applications were slow at the end of 2008, there has been an uptick in the first quarter of 2009. There are some exciting changes that help the profession, such as the elimination of the 3 1/2-point origination fee with the Small Business Administration.” Veterinarians who are rejected for a business loan tend to check out banks more savvy about the industry, Mahan says. “A lot of bankers are scared about who they lend to now and are tightening their underwriting standards,” he says. “But many of our competitors know veterinarians are a great profession to lend to.” Mark Edwards, president of BB&T Corp., an Atlanta-based lender, says fewer veterinarians are looking for start-up loans. “Those who are located in areas where the housing market was hit the hardest are feeling the greatest pain,” Edwards says. “Some veterinarians have needed extra …
Uses Of Therapeutic Laser ExpandApril 17, 2009Uses of Therapeutic Laser ExpandUses of Therapeutic Laser ExpandBy Dennis Arp03-10-2009education-series Eye protection must be worn when administering treatment. Here, an aide keeps a patient from looking at the laser. Because her therapeutic laser operates outside the visible light spectrum, Robin Downing, DVM, has to trust what her eyes can't see. Luckily for her and for the patients in her pain-management referral practice, the consistently positive reactions are as clear as day. "We see results we have not been able to achieve any other way," says Downing, Dipl. American Academy of Pain Management, CVA, CCRP. "The time for broad application of this healing technology is here." Dr. Downing, owner and hospital director of The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management LLC in Windsor, Colo., isn't alone in her embrace of laser therapy. For a growing number of veterinary practitioners, the technology is no longer just the wavelength of the future. It's a here-and-now tool for managing chronic and acute pain. For Downing, the appeal of the therapeutic laser became clear during her canine rehabilitation training at the University of Tennessee in 2005. She studied the science behind laser therapy–how it helps increase endorphin release while decreasing inflammation and "normalizing" …
CE Meets R&RApril 17, 2009 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Sometimes you have to take a trip to realize your practice isn’t going anywhere. That revelation hit home for Al Schwartz , DVM, owner-operator of Moorpark Veterinary Hospital in Southern California, during a cruise that combined vacation travel with continuing education. He realized his business had stagnated because he had the wrong person in the role of practice manager. “Change is always scary,” Dr. Schwartz says. “I was very grateful to get the management insight to make the necessary change, otherwise the practice would have continued to suffer.” Schwartz has attended two Seminars at Sea programs–one cruise to Australia and New Zealand last year, and the other in the Caribbean in 2002. In both cases, he says, he learned a lot from the scheduled programs, “But there was also a lot of learning that went on outside the lecture halls.” Creating a relaxed atmosphere that fosters weeklong learning is the whole idea behind seminars that mix CE with R&R, says Thomas E. Catanzaro, DVM, MHA, FACHE, Diplomate, American College of Heathcare Executives, and sponsor of Seminars at Sea. Before and after the …
Lasers Financially Therapeutic, TooApril 17, 2009 Capital equipment with a five-figure price tag isn’t a likely candidate for an impulse buy. Which is why Don Nunn, DVM, pondered, contemplated and considered for, oh, almost two whole hours before he added a Class IV laser to his arsenal of therapies. “I wasn’t looking for it, but it caught my attention in the exhibit hall,” Dr. Nunn says of his introduction to laser therapy at a veterinary conference in January. “Now I’m using it every single day.” Nunn, owner-operator of Integrity Animal Hospital in Kingsland, Ga., echoes sentiments voiced by many of his laser- using contemporaries. The primary “wow” factor is the therapy’s impact on the lives of patients and clients. “The feedback I get lets me know it’s nothing short of miraculous,” Nunn says. “It just adds another dimension to the management of pain.” Nunn and others also enjoy the benefits of wow factor No. 2: The therapeutic laser can have a powerful effect on the economics of a practice. Nunn purchased LiteCure’s Companion Therapy Laser for his two-doctor small-animal practice without shopping around or doing a cost-benefit analysis. The case made by the LiteCure …
How Your Staff Helps Maintain a Happy HolidaysApril 17, 2009Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Veterinarians have long been the primary source of client education regarding holiday hazards, but in recent years practice staff has assumed an increasingly important role for many reasons: Receptionists, technicians, groomers and other staff members tend to spend more time with clients than do practitioners, who are usually too busy tending to the immediate medical needs of their patients to discuss potential holiday hazards. Often more aware of potential holiday hazards as a result of casual conversation with clients, staff are in a better position to offer immediate advice and education. Clients often feel more comfortable asking questions of staff members rather than "bothering" the veterinarian. Office staff can more efficiently distribute flyers, newsletters and other educational materials to clients who visit the clinic for routine pet care. "Even though holiday hazards are important, the topic often isn't at the top of our have-to-talk-about list," said Wayne Hunthausen, DVM, owner of Animal Behavior Consultations in Westwood, Kan. "There is so much information that [practitioners] must provide to people now, information that is usually more pertinent than holiday hazards, such as heart worms, fleas, …
Design Your Practice With Patients In MindApril 17, 2009 Veterinary practice construction has come a long way, from cold, stainless steel bars and concrete floors to welcoming places of comfort and compassion. Regardless of the species or special focus, veterinarians and staff can work more efficiently and patients can rest more comfortably with some guidance by those with years of experience in the veterinary and design-architecture fields. Specialty practices, from cat-only to equine-only, or procedure-specific clinics such as surgical or emergency practices, share common issues that can be improved in any animal facility, as long as the entire staff and a willing designer are allowed to voice their opinions. The blunt dissection of architecture and veterinary facilities can be separated into designing new or remodeling current (and usually in-use) structures. The difference ends there. A more finite dissection determines the specific needs and uses the future practice will have. Consider Consumers A smart practice owner asks consumers and staff (the staff including the veterinarian as well as the client) what they would like to see in a practice. Often, those in the veterinary field forget that there is another world at the reception desk, or outside the front door. In addition, patient care is …
Prep Your Staff For Critical CareApril 17, 2009 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. For your staff members, emergency medicine is a fragile blend of critical care and client care. With every case, they must balance the immediate medical needs of the pet with the strong emotional needs of the pet owner. From the location of certain drugs or equipment to the protocols that are followed, it is essential that emergency procedures are consistent, almost second nature, so that your staff can handle the unpredictable character of a distraught client. Assign Roles and Responsibilities "What works best for us is to assign a certain job to each person involved in an emergency," said Allison Gross, DVM, an emergency and surgery clinician at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C. "For example, I try to have one person in charge of intubating and breathing for a patient, one person in charge of getting venous access, one person getting the drugs and fluids we will need, and one person recording everything." Dr. Gross said the team tries to schedule these positions at the beginning of a shift, but often they are assigned on the spot as an emergency comes in. Off-the-cuff …
