High-tech remote health monitoringMay 7, 2018A cat visits the litterbox more often and for a longer duration than normal. A dog makes extra visits to the water bowl and is up and down a bit more often than usual.
SPONSORED CONTENTThe clear reco for hidden stressOur therapeutic nutrition targets underlying stress in cats with GI or urinary issues — helping provide relief to pets and their humans. + Learn More
Veterinary Hospital Managers Association opens management prep courseMay 4, 2018 The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) has launched an online test preparation study program for individuals pursuing Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) certification or otherwise interested in refining and expanding their management skills. The course's outline, content, and correlating assignments were developed directly from the CVPM Task Analysis Outline and Recommended Reading List. Participants will receive a print copy of the CVPM Preparation Workbook, which will serve as a guide throughout the course and continue as a valuable workplace resource after the program concludes. Facilitated by Jessie Merritt, CVPM, the program covers five essential management domains identified by the CVPM certification course: Human resources Law and ethics Marketing Organization of the practice Finance The course explores veterinary management concepts common to both U.S. and Canadian practices. While only U.S. federal law is discussed, the workbook includes a list of Canadian federal laws as reference for managers working in that country. The program will run for nine consecutive Saturdays, from June 2 to July 28. Online meetings will be held for durations of 90 minutes beginning each morning at 8 a.m. Pacific time. Students will be given a workbook assignment after each meeting, as well as assigned readings from …
Can you compete with Chick-fil-A for employees?April 24, 2018My neighborhood Chick-fil-A restaurant has a banner advertising jobs starting at $12 per hour. The fast-food franchise boasts a family culture, college scholarships, career paths to management or ownership, and work-free Sundays.
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.
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, …
