Telemedicine from the frontline: A practicing veterinarian's perspectiveMay 3, 2019Over the last decade, countless interactions with clients and patients have convinced me veterinarians must embrace telemedicine, both to remain relevant as care providers in an increasingly digital world and to compete successfully in today's on-demand economy. Given the change in generational demographics, today's clients view their pets as family members and insist on immediate gratification. To survive, we must adapt, otherwise pet parents will rely on Dr. Google, rather than wait to consult their family veterinarian for advice and guidance. It was an incident with a friend and client that convinced me veterinarians, as well as pet owners and patients, can benefit enormously from the integration of telemedicine. A tale of teletriage Four years ago, I received an evening call from a family friend whose dog Bodhi, a mixed breed, two-year-old neutered male Labrador, suffered what seemed to be a mild seizure. While my friend was in transit to a nearby emergency animal hospital, I advised him the episode wasn't as serious as he feared and he could wait until the next morning to bring Bodhi to my practice. That experience of utilizing the most basic form of telemedicine—the telephone—sparked the idea of bringing the benefits of a …
SPONSORED CONTENTThis new food helps puppies with digestive issuesHill's Prescription Diet i/d Kitten helps ease digestive upsets with food specialized for kittens, including our ActivBiome+ Digestion formula. + Learn More
How a fixer-upper practice might be just what the veterinarian orderedMay 2, 2019It's tough out there for buyers of veterinary practices and it seems to be getting worse. Every year, a few new investors and/or corporate consolidators call me looking to spend way too much money on two-plus doctor practices. So how can you, the young, ambitious associate, compete for one of these? You can't, unless you get lucky enough to find a seller morally opposed to corporate veterinary medicine, or who likes you well enough to give up $500,000 to $1,000,000-plus on the asking price. Thankfully, there's another way. If you're willing to live in a smaller town, you could find a true gem of a clinic with little competition from other buyers. Alternatively, if you start thinking like an investor and look for a poorly performing clinic, you could build it into your dream practice. The marketplace is flooded with underperforming clinics, their owners anxious to find a buyer like you, particularly if they are retiring and want to solidify a succession plan. In this article, I'll focus on what you need to know when buying a fixer-upper with real upside potential. I'll also offer tools on how to spot and fix the most common issues that can drain …
10 tools every superachiever needsMay 2, 2019Without battle-tested systems, healthy habits, and proven strategies, it's difficult to grow beyond a certain plateau. To get better, superachievers typically use the following 10 tools, at the very least. Let's see how they can apply to our profession. 1) An idea-capturing device You have a brilliant idea. It's so amazing you're certain you'll remember it. After all, it's going to change lives! Five minutes later, you are wracking your brain and retracing your steps to remember it. Ideas often come at the most inconvenient time, which means you should have a way to capture them in real time as they come to you. Keep a small notebook on your nightstand or in your pocket. Surely you can download all kinds of apps, although any smartphone or tablet has a "note" function where you can jot down ideas. What about a waterproof marker in your shower? The idea is to avoid walking around with all kinds of mental clutter. Write things down so you can focus on other stuff. 2) Keep a calendar Many people have multiple calendars: one on the wall, one on their desk, an organizer, and a digital calendar. Some may even have a personal calendar …
Front-office hacks that make work easierMay 2, 2019Your client-care team members should be masters of multitasking and problem solvers. During my 22 years of coaching receptionists, I've discovered helpful tips and tricks that make running the front desk easier. You're going to want to get started now: 1) Get wireless headsets Because receptionists answer hundreds of calls daily, headsets will reduce back and neck pain caused from cradling phones on shoulders. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), doctors, chiropractors, and physiotherapists all advise using headsets. Studies show wearing a headset instead of holding the phone can improve productivity up to 43 percent.1 Headsets let receptionists talk and type, speeding up the time it takes to book appointments and process prescription refill requests. Headsets also can eliminate hold time. While wearing a wireless headset and talking with a client, the receptionist could walk to the pharmacy to confirm the pet owner's prescription refill is ready. A headset also keeps the microphone in the same position as receptionists move their heads and speak, so voices sound consistent to callers. Noise-canceling microphones can remove up to 75 percent of background noise, filtering out sounds of barking dogs and other ringing phones.1 Ask your phone equipment vendor which headsets are …
Is the person you just hired a real CVT?May 2, 2019You don't have to be a human resources guru to ensure the person you're hiring is genuinely credentialed. Yet, fraud happens. When applying for a position, anyone can claim to be a credentialed veterinary technician/technologist (CVT) in good standing. But are they? It can be frustrating if you know someone who has falsely (either intentionally or through ignorance) represented himself/herself as a CVT to obtain a job. People who are CVTs in good standing have gone through a process to obtain these credentials (CVT, registered veterinary technician [RVT], licensed veterinary technician [LVT], or licensed veterinary medical technician [LVMT]). It's unfortunate when individuals apply for a position as a CVT (of any title) when they are unqualified. However, this is no excuse for the hiring manager not to perform due diligence in the hiring process, which includes verifying credentials. Defining proper job duties Hiring a new employee starts by defining the role of each team member, establishing a solid job description for the required expertise. These can be tweaked as needed for individual skill sets when a good fit is found. It is important to recognize the training CVTs receive. Ultimately, the requirements to be certified, registered, or licensed are …
Nine tips for tidying up our practices this yearApril 17, 2019If it doesn't bring you joy… throw it out. It's an inexplicably alluring (if slightly depressing) code to live by. Championed by professional organizer Marie Kondo in her wildly successful book, The Life-Changing Method of Tidying Up, the eponymous KonMari approach to organization urges us all to examine the impulses tethering us to things that don't really matter. Among other human urges that define spring as a season (procreation comes to mind), the drive to reestablish control over our lives plays a prominent role in our culture. Maintaining our homes and workplaces clean, tidy, and ordered represents a psychological thawing of our winterized brains and a resurrection of our normal daily activities. We as veterinary professionals experience much the same as it applies to our workplaces. As the busier seasons approach, many of us take stock of what we have and seek to improve our environment. Tidying up à la KonMari, with an eye toward getting rid of what doesn't serve us, is how I'm managing my life this year. To that end, here are this year's things to tackle and tips for tidying, as I seek to tame the chaos that inevitably builds over the previous year. 1) …
Fire employees and hire stakeholdersApril 12, 2019Which one of the following scenarios is more likely to take place at your practice? Scenario 1 John needed to makes copies of the anesthesia log. He placed the document in the copier, pressed the "start" button and… nothing happened. He walked away, cussing at the stupid piece of (junk), and ended up using the last copy of the anesthesia sheet. "Somebody should finally do her job and get us a new copier," he mumbled. Scenario 2 At a different clinic, Joy wanted to make copies of a consent form. She positioned the master copy in the machine, pushed the "copy" button and… nothing happened. She went to the practice manager and reminded her that, according to the repairman, it was time to get a new copier. Two days later, a new copier was installed. The good news: it was on sale. The bad news: it was a terrible choice. Receptionists hated it. Technicians hated it. Doctors hated it. People complained about it for years. But the practice manager felt good about doing her job. Scenario 3 At yet another hospital, Mary had to photocopy the travel sheet. She put the document in the copier, pressed the green button …
Digital cytology: The future of clinical pathologyApril 12, 2019It's Friday afternoon and Mr. Rush is in your practice again with Smoosh, his nine-year-old boxer who has been lethargic for the past month. Last week's blood work revealed mild lymphocytosis, mild non-regenerative anemia, and high-normal calcium. During today's follow-up, you palpate bilaterally enlarged submandibular lymph nodes. Not surprisingly, Mr. Rush is short of time and patience. You collect lymph node aspirates, tell him you'd like to take a look under the microscope, and return to the treatment area to stain the slides. Looking through the scope, you see the cells are relatively homogeneous. Most of the lymphocytes appear smaller than normal and are darkly stained; however, a fair amount of plasma cells and neutrophils are present. The blood work, breed, and lethargy are worrisome for lymphoma, but Smoosh is getting older and he is long overdue for a dental. Should you push for flow cytometry or a lymph node biopsy? Or are you overreacting, just like the lymph nodes? The cytology doesn't seem normal, but it's a tough call. It looks as though you have two choices: one, push for a bigger workup, or two, send the slides to a pathologist. You wonder what Mr. Rush will say when …
Cornell to offer new veterinary business programApril 5, 2019Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has launched a new interdisciplinary program called the Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship (CVBE) to grow research, training, and outreach in veterinary business. "I'm thrilled to announce the launch of the Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business," says Lorin D. Warnick, DVM, PhD, the Austin O. Hooey dean of veterinary medicine. "The center is the culmination of extensive needs-based assessments and planning, and will answer the urgent need in the veterinary profession to provide essential training for students, faculty, and alumni to launch, manage, and succeed in a business or organization of any kind." The CVBE will focus on four pillars: education, economics research, entrepreneurship, and intrapreneurship. The center will offer a new DVM certificate program, a postgraduate executive education, and an assortment of educational programs. Through a faculty hire and collaborations with Cornell's Charles H. Dyson school of applied economics and management, the center will launch a veterinary economics research program. "It's exciting to embark on an initiative of this scope," says associate dean for education, Jodi Korich, DVM. "We are confident this new center will position our graduates for success in …
Five trends in pet medical insuranceApril 3, 2019The human-animal bond is evolving, and pet parents want their canine and feline family members to live longer, healthier lives. As human life expectancy and quality increase, we want our loyal companions with us well into their/our senior years, because, let's face it, those years come far too soon. Veterinary medicine, in parallel with human medicine, has advanced leaps and bounds over the years. As a result, veterinarians can now routinely detect and treat disease before clinical signs of illness ever appear. Pet parents are expecting and demanding their pets are treated as family. But more often than not, budgeting is problematic. With human-quality medicine comes the cost of care for advanced, though, routinely available diagnostics, such as digital X-rays, ultrasound, and blood chemistry analysis. Yet, six out of 10 Americans don't have $500 in savings for an unplanned expense.1 The widespread budgeting challenge became even more evident for federal workers (including veterinarians) with the government shutdown earlier this year. Many pet owners and veterinarians are quickly realizing quality medical insurance can help fill the financial gap so their pets can have access to the treatments recommended by their trusted family veterinarian. Yet, just as the human-animal bond is evolving, …
