Environmental Sustainability Issues in the Veterinary IndustryDecember 23, 2015We’ve all been in those pharmacy law meetings. Sitting with hundreds of fellow veterinarians, we listen to all the new regulations we must follow to maintain our right to practice. Most of the time we end up saying to our colleague nearby, “Oh man, I didn’t know that. Did you?” Starr Miller, RPh, DICVP, and Sue Duran, RPh, DICVP, Phd of Auburn University have the task of leading those meetings in Alabama. They provide a great service in an admirable fashion. But, they are keenly aware of the frustration felt by the practitioners they’re speaking to. In a recent interview, they both agreed, “We know it’s aggravating to maintain compliance with the growing list of regulations. Still, understanding their role in protecting public health, veterinarians step up and do what’s necessary.” When you add Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and EPA regulations, practicing veterinary medicine can make you feel like you’re walking through a minefield every day. Environmental Stability a Central Part of Veterinary Ethics By browsing
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Ups and Downs of DIY Veterinary Wellness PlansDecember 22, 2015Originally published in the December 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today! Wellness plans may be a good way to expand your practice or offer clients more products and services, but before plunging in a bit of forethought may be the best prescription for your veterinary practice. “Wellness plans can help expand a practice’s growth in areas using a very strategic approach,” said Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, vice president of underwriting and chief veterinary medical officer for Nationwide pet insurance. Dr. McConnell’s recommended approach is as follows: If your practice wants to perform more dental cleanings, then develop wellness plans that cover only pre-anesthetic blood testing, dental radiographs, teeth cleaning and possibly extractions. Want to make geriatric care more affordable? Create senior plans and promote them to owners with pets over a specified age. If your practice would benefit by bringing old clients back into the fold, then use wellness plans for catch-up visits and promote and contact pet owners who have not been to the practice in the last …
5 Statements That Secretly Irritate Your Veterinary ClientsDecember 16, 2015Originally published in the December 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today! Each employee at your veterinary hospital may interact with 30 or more clients daily. Certain word choices could secretly irritate clients. Here are five common phrases to avoid and positive alternatives that create five-star client experiences. 1. “I’m taking your pet in the back.” A client brings her senior dog to your veterinary clinic for a preventive care checkup. The technician discusses the need to perform a senior preventive screen. When the client agrees, the technician explains that she will collect blood and urine samples so lab results can be discussed during today’s exam. The phrase “in the back” may cause the client to worry about what will happen behind closed doors where she is not allowed. To reassure clients, say, “I’m going to take your pet to the treatment area where a technician and I will collect the blood and urine samples. While I am with your pet for a few minutes, I’ll let you read the brochure about our preventive screen. …
What is Faith’s Place in Veterinary Medicine?December 14, 2015Originally published in the December 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today! I’ve been crisscrossing these United States (along with many others) espousing the belief that the two bookends of today’s and tomorrow’s successful practice are high-quality veterinary care and compassion for and the emotional care of the pets that come to our practices. But I’m wondering if another ingredient is needed to create the perfect recipe of happy, healthy pets, pet owners and veterinary team members. The special ingredient I speak of is not a mystery. In fact, it’s almost universally known and widely accepted across these United States. I’m talking about faith. I’m far from a religious zealot. In fact, my basic practices fall woefully short as I’ve never read the entire Bible, there are days I don’t pray, and too often it’s “My will be done” vs. “Thy will be done.” In church I’m still in grade school when it comes to knowledge of scripture and I’ve never been asked to be in the choir, but I do love the time during …
Does Your Veterinary Practice Have a Code of Conduct?December 8, 2015Veterinary clinics are busy places full of hardworking people. We represent a compassionate industry; unfortunately, burnout and fatigue are common problems amongst veterinarians and hospital staff. Maintaining a healthy culture begins with the leadership. It is important to remember that the leader creates the culture — he or she is not in the culture. That said, all team members play a role in maintaining the culture. One way to create and maintain a healthy culture is to establish a set of standards for behavior, also known as a "Code of Conduct." What is a Code of Conduct? This set of rules and obligations help shape the way each person thinks and feels about their job performance each day. If your veterinary practice does not already have an obvious code of conduct in place, begin by reviewing the hospital manual. In theory, these already exist somewhere in the manual and just need to be extracted and outlined. All new employees should be introduced to this code of conduct before being hired. In fact, it is a great idea …
How Many Vet Visits Does a Puppy NeedDecember 1, 2015Some people may not realize this, but getting a puppy spells a three-way relationship between you, your puppy, and your veterinarian. After all, pet care doesn’t stop when your puppy reaches a certain age or when he seems to be healthy and in shape. Pet care is a lifelong commitment to your puppy’s health and well-being. This kind of commitment is what your veterinarian can gladly help you with during and well beyond the first crucial months of your puppy’s life. “In my opinion, the most important thing that you get at the vet’s office is the expertise of the vet when they examine your puppy,” said Dr. Krista Magnifico, DVM, Founder of Pawbly.com and owner of the Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in Jarrettsville, Md. “The real value lies in talking to the vet [and] listening to their advice.” This open communication makes it easier for you to avoid health issues in your puppy before they even start. When Do You Take a Puppy to the Vet for the First Time? Even if your new puppy comes with documentation of up-do-date shots, you still want to take him to your veterinarian …
How to Support Your Veterinary ReceptionistNovember 23, 2015Originally published in the November 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today! Receptionists are the face of your veterinary hospital. They play the starring role in every client experience — from scheduling exams to check-in and checkout. Your client-service team also spends an abundance of time with clients in the lobby. Research from 10,000 small animal practices participating in a 2010 online American Veterinary Medical Association study showed that a client waits 19 minutes during a busy part of the day before being escorted into an exam room at a five-doctor practice. The same client waits 10 minutes to check out. A client’s wait time totals 29 minutes, which is longer than the length of a typical exam. Clients spend more time with the front-desk team than with medical staff. Give your client-service team the support and resources it needs to create positive client experiences. Here’s how. Install a wireless doorbell so front-desk staff can holler, “Help!” Animal Hospital of Richboro in Richboro, Pa., has a wireless doorbell at the front desk …
How Apologies Can Come Back to Bite YouNovember 18, 2015Originally published in the November 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Not everybody agrees that you should apologize when you make a mistake. (See “What to do When You Make a Mistake in Your Vet Clinic.”) In fact, liability organizations discourage veterinarians from doing so. We asked David Carser, BVSc, president of the Veterinary Defence Association to share his opinion. Q. Dr. Carser, you advise caution before apologizing to a pet owner. Yes. The real problem with giving an apology is there is always a risk that it might come back to bite you. And in some situations an apology would actually be inappropriate. It is fundamentally important to determine from the outset whether the event falls into the liability categories — in ascending order of gravity — of: mere adverse outcome, mere oversight, mere medical error, professional misconduct or negligence. It would not be appropriate to apologize for an event that fits the first three “mere” categories. And it could turn out to be a really bad idea to do so in the last two categories. Q. Isn’t apologizing …
24 Hour Emergency Vet ClinicsNovember 17, 2015There are more than 102,000 veterinarians and 510 American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care (ACVECC) board-certified diplomates in practice nationwide in 2014. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 24-hour emergency vet clinics and the veterinarians who staff these hospitals serve an important purpose for pet owners. Yet, exactly what are 24 hour emergency vet clinics and who are the veterinarians that operate them? What is a 24-hour Vet Clinic? A 24-hour emergency vet clinic is open all the time to receive animals for emergency care, according to the AVMA. Veterinary emergency hospitals can operate after a general practice closes, or it can be an autonomous part of a larger animal hospital. This is in contrast to a general veterinary practice that has daytime and limited weekend hours, and which may not always have the capabilities to provide specialized medical treatment beyond routine care. Before you ask where a 24-hour animal hospital near you is, you’ll need to determine if it is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). This
What to do When You Make a Mistake in Your Vet ClinicNovember 16, 2015Originally published in the November 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! 4 p.m. It’s time to catch up with medical records. This morning you removed a “routine” mass, likely a boring lipoma, from Kiki’s right chest wall. As you review your previous notes, you get a funny feeling in your six-pack area. There is a mention in your previous notes about a mass on the left chest wall. Strangely enough, the consent form says only “skin mass on chest wall.” No side is specified. Who’s to blame? The front desk? The head veterinary technician? The technician who admitted the patient? The assistant who clipped the wrong area? Your systolic blood pressure goes up a bit. 4:05 p.m. You rush to the kennel and double check. Sure enough, a similar mass is on the other (and correct) side of the chest and should have been removed. How could they have missed it? How could you have missed it? Your mouth becomes dry and your palms get sweaty, and you realize that …
