Veterinary Practice Management Software Made EasyMay 29, 2012 Practice management software is designed to help veterinary clinics run smoothly and efficiently, but clinics may experience an unintended headache when the new or upgraded system doesn’t work as expected. Debbie Kanter, communications coordinator at Blum Animal Hospital in Chicago, recalls trying to get the clinic’s practice management software to interface with the X-ray system. Over the years of upgrades, the connection between the two sometimes got lost, she says. “Although it wasn’t something that shut our whole hospital down, from a duplication of effort and an efficacy standpoint, it was an irritation,” Kanter says. Part of the issue was having separate companies for each system, she says—ImproMed for the practice management software and an undisclosed competitor of ImproMed’s for the X-ray system. (The competitor also has practice management software.) The problem has since been resolved, thanks in large part to ImproMed taking steps to make sure the two systems are compatible during upgrades, according to Kanter. Ron Detjen, president of Oshkosh, Wis.-based ImproMed, acknowledges the frustration factor when things don’t go according to plan. “Software is very invasive,” he says. “It does such a good job of running a vet’s business that …
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Do Homework Before Making A Software CommitmentMay 29, 2012 Matthew Huhn, director of business development at ImproMed Inc., admits that changing practice management software is a painful process. But what’s most important, he says, is the long-term payoff. “Veterinarians and their staff are naturally resistant to software conversations,” Huhn says. “The right vendor is flexible to the practice’s needs and makes the process as easy as possible, ultimately saving time, increasing revenue and helping to reduce human error.” Selecting the right software can mean the difference between a smooth transition and daily frustration. Eighty to 90 percent of veterinary practices use management software, and more than half of the users switch their provider at least once. “There are so many possibilities with the right software,” says Matthew Russell, director of technology at IntraVet, a veterinary software developer located in Effington, Ill. “You can track inventory, make sure you don’t overbook boarding and transfer digital radiographs directly into patient records, to name a few.” Practice management software can be a significant upfront investment, one that may top $30,000 when add-on modules, hardware and peripherals are factored in. Software sleuths say practice owners and managers should think about current and future goals and choose …
Key Performance Indicators: What You Don’t Know Can HurtMay 29, 2012 You may have heard the saying “You can’t modify what you don’t measure,” but that’s not an accurate statement. The fact is you can modify all you want as often as you want, but without good data behind these changes it is similar to driving a car with a blindfold on—you have absolutely no idea if you are headed in the right direction! More often than not, the result of this haphazard business approach can lead to less than optimal decision making. The good news is that most people are aware that driving blind is not an option and make it a priority to monitor and measure key performance indicators (KPIs). Too often, though, a lack of training and guidance in the area of KPIs can lead to errors in judgment that are as significant as those made when not measuring data at all. The purpose of KPIs is to reduce the complex nature of performance to a small number of valuable indicators in order to recognize trends and make appropriate business decisions. In reality, though, the term is often overused to describe any form of measurement data and performance metrics, regardless of their actual value. …
Wanted: Strategic ThinkersMay 29, 2012 With the introduction of off-the-shelf wellness-plan solutions, the veterinary industry has been hard at work creating products for small animal practices to manage declining patient visits, and more of these products undoubtedly will be available in the future. In many ways, the situation qualifies as a phenomenon. A year ago, interest in wellness plans was a mere whisper, and 12 months later it is commonly referred to as a hot topic. I can’t think of a time when a broad solution for improving the business was made available in this format. Yes, the veterinary industry has engaged in notable campaigns to improve care—dentistry and three-year vaccine protocols come to mind—but these drivers did not take the shape of “boxed” solutions. In those cases, articles, media attention and AAHA guidelines assisted with the practice of higher quality medicine. This time, because of the more critical economic nature of the problem, practitioners are being offered greater assistance. And this is a good thing. Considerations to Ponder I think a word of caution is required. Don’t misunderstand me. I have promoted monthly billed wellness plans and will continue to do so because they can be a great …
How To Manage Your Animal Hospital's Online ReputationMay 25, 2012 Just type your or your hospital’s name into Google and all sorts of stuff shows up, some good, some bad and maybe some really awful. In this world of universal, instant and fairly anonymous communication using the Internet and especially social media, both good and bad things can happen. The good, of course, includes much greater reach to potential clients, existing clients and very inexpensive marketing and professional education. The visual nature of the Internet also makes photos and video an outstanding way to tell your story and allow you to stand out. Unfortunately, some people will, fairly or not, use this medium to complain about your service or facility to the same huge audience. On your business site or social media pages you have good control, and this is fairly easy to contain. But on other large commercial ratings sites such as Yelp, City Search or Yahoo Local, it appears you are at the mercy of some unreasonable people. When an angry client decides to exact revenge against your hospital, he can appear to have the upper hand and lots of undeserved control. That is a scary prospect for a business owner. Instead …
How To Manage Your Animal Hospital's Online Reputation: Part 2May 25, 2012 Building on last month’s article, let’s look at the steps to take to remove or push down negative or malicious reviews. Step 1: Claim Ownership Each online review site has an option for the business owner to “claim” ownership of the business. In claiming ownership, you can write comments next to each review. The key is to respond to the review in a timely, professional and respectful manner. Step 2: Remove Malicious Reviews An offensive review might contain harsh language, a harsh overtone or hatred comments. For example: “This business or hospital is a joke,” “The technician was an idiot,” “This business or hospital will screw you,” etc. A falsified review is tougher to prove, but if a past employee or competitor is posting negative reviews and one can prove they are not from actual customers, the reviews can be disputed. Clear indicators include anonymous reviews or reviewer accounts that don’t have any history of other reviews in that website. First, find the reviews. Perform a search on the major search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) for your name and hospital domain …
Do Your Clients Have Your Number?May 24, 2012 Let’s say you’ve got this really good client. You trust and respect her and vice versa. So now that it’s Saturday and her pet’s got an issue you’d prefer to keep close tabs on rather than refer her out to the ER on a Sunday...do you give her your digits? How about the really, really good client who brings you tons of patients and even more referrals? When do you break down and offer them your contact points? Should you ever? Some of us play fast and loose with our phone numbers. I happen to work with two docs who do and (perhaps as a consequence) I’m wont to do the same. Which can be problematic, of course. Calls at 3 a.m., anyone? Anger when you don’t return calls or texts in a timely fashion? The stress of landing at a faraway destination only to face five frantic missives? Those are the pitfalls of the modern hyper-connectivity we’ve come to know and sometimes love—but mostly fear. Maybe it’s the certain knowledge that stress will happen if I give out my phone number(s) or email address that makes me think I should be more like …
The Richest Vet In BabylonMay 21, 2012 Have you ever heard of the best-selling book “The Richest Man in Babylon?” Pop quiz: When was it written? 2000? 1990? 1980? 1970? 1960? I have heard this ultra-classic title multiple times, as you may have, and I thought it was a semi-contemporary book. Not so. I was surprised to discover that it was first published in 1926! Back then, George Clason wrote a series of pamphlets on financial topics, using parables set in ancient Babylon. They were initially distributed by banks and insurance companies. The pamphlets were eventually published in book form in 1926. The most famous story was "The Richest Man in Babylon,” and it is as relevant today as it was then. Arkad was a young, hard-working scribe—a professional copyist. As he was wondering how he could become financially independent, he met Algamish, the money lender. Young Arkad boldly asked him what his secret was, and Algamish accepted to share it. His secret? “A part of all you earn is yours to keep.” This secret surprised Arkad, who thought that all he earned was already his to keep. Far from it, replied Algamish. “Do you not …
A Walk In Your Employees' ShoesMay 21, 2012 The topic of employee pets came up recently in one of the courses I’m teaching, and I wanted to share my thoughts. A good portion of the practice's accounts receivable (A/R) is tied up in the accounts of the employees, both previous and current employees. This is not only money not being collected by the practice, but it is also a disappointment and sometimes a disgrace for employees to be taking advantage of the company if they are not at least trying to pay off the total. When it comes to current employees, most veterinary practices have a policy that states if/how the employee discount is available. There are several options, but we’ll assume (and rightly so) that they end with the employee owing the practice money. Some veterinary practices require the total to be paid off within that billing cycle, so that there is no money carried by the practice. When I was managing a practice that had this policy and my pet needed treatment, I took out a CareCredit account and paid off the practice. Then it’s up to me to handle the bill with CareCredit, but at least I haven’t left the practice out …
Do You Recommend Pet Insurance?May 21, 2012 After two weeks in Michigan State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Katie, a 5-year-old Labrador retriever with a clotting disorder, was deemed healthy and was released. Multiple blood transfusions, medications and critical care had brought her owners an $18,000 bill. Fortunately, they were among the less than 1.5 percent of U.S. pet owners who subscribe to pet insurance. Because they had it, they were reimbursed more than $14,000. With improved technology and extensive veterinary offerings, costly medical bills are fairly common—as is an owner’s inability to pay unexpected bills. This can mean euthanasia for many animals, an increasingly unnecessary and passé practice. Frustration with pursuing Plan B treatment options or euthanizing an ill animal instead of treating it are leading more practitioners to promote health insurance for pets. “With pet health insurance, there’s no need for economic euthanasias,” says Lloyd Meisels, DVM, of Coral Springs Animal Hospital in Coral Springs, Fla. “None of the insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions, but many of the companies now offer 80-90 percent payment with a client co-pay, which significantly eases the blow.” After spending more than 80 hours researching pet health insurance options, David H. Wright, DVM, of …
