What types of skills are needed to succeed in veterinary management?April 23, 2018It’s a classic story. You have, or you are, a great technician. Or a great receptionist. One day, all this greatness leads to a promotion as head technician, lead receptionist, or office manager. More money, more glory, more responsibility.
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Keeping it all cleanApril 18, 2018It’s easy to become lax about daily cleaning and disinfecting, especially if you don’t have high volumes of infectious patients coming through your doors. However, high standards of sanitation protect patients and staff.
What union organizing means for your practiceApril 13, 2018Happy employees are less likely to become disgruntled and seek representation. Assess any issues that might make employees susceptible to a union’s overtures, like pay, benefits, morale, discipline, and support.
Choose progress over perfectionApril 9, 2018Instead of striving for perfection, aim to do your best in each moment. This concept has loomed large in my mind for years. It all started with a line from a poem written by my father: “Only through illusion do we see man’s interpretation of perfection.”
Spotlight on laser therapyApril 4, 2018Some say not as many practices are using therapeutic lasers as there could or should be. But as new research continues to emerge, laser therapy becomes more accepted and is no longer viewed as an alternative approach.
Why practice owners should copy hotels for inspirationApril 4, 2018You've probably had the experience of eating out at a restaurant where the food was great but the overall experience was terrible. You were seated 30 minutes after your reservation time, the server was aloof and, at times, rude, and the kitchen got your original order wrong—and then stuck it on the bill before you pointed out the error. It doesn't matter that the steak you ended up eating—the offering you actually paid for—was cooked and seasoned to perfection, tender to the bone, and delicious; at the end of the meal, you walked away feeling like you'd had an extremely negative experience and, chances are, you thought twice about ever returning to that restaurant again. The veterinary service you provide your patients is, in many ways, no different from the service you get when you eat at a restaurant—at least when it comes to customer experience. While your patients come to you for a specific service (veterinary care), just like you went to that restaurant for a steak, their overall judgment of the value of that service will be determined just as much by their overall experience and the way they were treated as by the quality of care they …
The future of veterinary inventory managementMarch 23, 2018Running a veterinary hospital is no easy task—managing staff, client experience, finances, and marketing, not to mention delivering quality medical care to patients, are top of mind. In general, inventory management gets pushed aside. Having managed veterinary hospitals large and small, I certainly understand how inventory can be neglected. During my career, the priority in managing inventory was to keep the hospital stocked, with little regard to controlling costs. If we ran out of a medication or a product, I would get an earful. Over the past five years, veterinary medicine has changed. The cost of goods, overhead expenses, and, especially, wages are increasing at an unstainable rate. Minimum wage laws and "living wage" campaigns across the county are touching every aspect of veterinary medicine. These costs will continue to rise. Human healthcare went through a similar transition two decades ago. The answer to reducing costs was process improvement. Today most large healthcare systems have invested in Lean, Six Sigma, or some other form of Kaizen (continuous improvement) programs. The veterinary industry would be wise to follow this lead. Although change is difficult, the good news is human healthcare has already started this journey. Most of the methods, processes, …
Why AAHA accreditation is a big dealMarch 23, 2018Becoming an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited veterinary practice isn't about prestige—it's about operating at a higher level, according to an article at consumersadvocate.org. The accreditation process is challenging, rigorous, voluntary, and not guaranteed. When a veterinary facility steps up to become accredited, it's making a proclamation that the organization is committed to excellence, the article stated. That's not to say unaccredited practices are engaging in sub-par animal health care. However, it "raises the question of how much more successful they would be if they truly reached for their full potential by obtaining accreditation," said Darren Taul, DVM, AAHA president elect. Since 1933, the association has charted the course for approximately 3,700 practices to achieve accreditation. "Accreditation is a way to force yourself to be the best you can be," said Bo Williamson, DVM, owner of the Tennessee Avenue Hospital in Cincinnati, the oldest continuously accredited AAHA animal hospital in the world. "Owners and employees of accredited hospitals constantly look to make things better." Currently, only 12 to 15 percent of animal hospitals are accredited; the association wants more practices to make the commitment to achieve accreditation. Accreditation serves two purposes. First, …
5 secrets to success and happinessMarch 21, 2018Humans are strange animals, and one of the few capable of self-destruction. Here are five common roadblocks that may very well prevent you from reaching your full potential.
Why sole proprietorship practices should be organized as business entitiesMarch 20, 2018A recent case from the Nebraska Court of Appeals gives veterinarians who operate as sole proprietors much to think about. The case involves Paul M. Dritley, DVM, a sole proprietor who was “doing business as” Elkhorn Animal Hospital in Douglas County, Neb.
