What a country song teaches us about patient/client careFebruary 12, 2020Around 1990, Marty Becker, DVM, founder of Fear Free Pets, overheard the mantra: “Let’s remember to practice today like pet owners are right there looking over our shoulders.”
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MightyVet video explores euthanasia's effect on veterinariansFebruary 11, 2020Euthanasia takes an emotional toll on even the most seasoned animal health professionals, and an award-winning video by MightyVet hopes to spark dialogue on this issue.
Eight (more) management mistakes to avoidJanuary 3, 2020Rather than learning from experience and making mistakes yourself, studying other leaders’ and managers’ blunders can help save you time and energy.
Tips for improving medication compliance among cat ownersSeptember 28, 2018When dispensing medication for in-home treatment of feline patients, owner compliance is a concern due to the unique challenges of administering medication to cats, according to Kindred Biosciences Inc. "Cats have natural behaviors that may make medication administration challenging, and this can be complicated in ill cats that are also anorexic, nauseated, or vomiting," said Christina Fernandez, DVM, MRCVS, DACVECC, professional services veterinarian with Kindred. "Palatability is also a huge factor, and most cats are finicky when it comes to food." To improve compliance, Dr. Fernandez shares five tips veterinarians can focus on: Communication Written information Frequency of veterinary visits Veterinarian continuity Selection of medications Communication is essential, said Fernandez. Veterinarians or veterinary nurses can demonstrate to cat owners how to administer a medication while still in the office. This helps avoid complications and promotes active discussion with the client. If possible, written instructions can be provided. "Follow-up calls from the veterinary clinic staff can help increase owner compliance," said Fernandez. "This can facilitate identification of issues to be addressed with the clinical state of the patient and concerns with the treatment plan while offering an opportunity to set up a follow-up appointment if one isn't already on the books." …
NAVTA announces diagnostic imaging as 16th specialty for vet techsSeptember 14, 2018The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) has announced a 16th specialty academy for veterinary technicians, the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Diagnostic Imaging (AVTDI). The AVTDI comprises veterinary technicians who wish to perform higher-level diagnostic imaging, including digital radiography, fluoroscopic special procedures, CT, MRI, ultrasonography, and nuclear imaging. The organizing committee for the AVTDI worked diligently to meet the NAVTA Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties (CVTS) standards for the association's specialty recognition, according to Ed Carlson, interim chair of the CVTS. The AVDTI joins the existing 15 NAVTA-recognized veterinary technician specialties: dentistry, anesthesia, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, equine nursing, zoological medicine, surgery, behavior, clinical practice, nutrition, clinical pathology, dermatology, ophthalmology, laboratory animal medicine, and physical rehabilitation. The NAVTA CVTS, formed in 1994, provides guidelines to veterinary technician organizations to form specialties and assists the existing academies. Academies develop pathways and advanced standards that candidates must complete and maintain in order to be awarded the designation of veterinary technician specialist in a specific discipline.
VetMedTeam RACE-approved CE examines patient health trendsSeptember 6, 2018VetMedTeam, an online resource offering free continuing education to veterinarians, credentialed veterinary technicians, and practice team members, is hosting a RACE-approved, 1 interactive credit course on evolving patient health trends. "By the numbers: Examining top health risks for dogs and cats," led by Mary Rothlisberger, ACAS, MAAA, associate actuary at Trupanion pet insurance company, is scheduled to go live Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. Eastern. The webinar will highlight current medical condition trends for veterinary patients, including by age and size, as well as some popular purebred dog breeds, and shares how teams can incorporate this information into patient services, from diagnosis to client education. Further, Rothlisberger will share analytical data from Trupanion medical database records, including expected treatment costs. For those unable to attend the live webinar, VetMedTeam will notify members when a free self-study course becomes open for enrollment. All who enroll in the live webinar, regardless of live attendance, also will receive emailed information. Membership in VetMedTeam is free and open to all members of the veterinary practice team as well as veterinary and veterinary technology students. Click here to register for the webinar; click here to find answers to FAQs. Email …
AVMA offers new veterinary team development resourceSeptember 4, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) new teambuilding resource is designed to help create a more positive veterinary work environment. Team-building Exercises: Three Paths to Stronger Teams provides step-by-step instructions for running a variety of team-based challenges and fun competitions at work. These activities can help veterinarians engage with their staff in exciting new ways while offering opportunities for them to grow and overcome challenges together and to build camaraderie. The new team-building activity guide joins a suite of other AVMA tools designed to practitioners manage and build a stronger team for their businesses: New Hire Training helps veterinarians connect with new employees as soon as they join the staff Employee Performance Feedback helps implement a formal communication plan that supports employee growth Effective Team Meetings helps run gatherings that motivate, elevate, and inform staff All four resources are free and available exclusively to AVMA members. Located in the practice management section of our website, access them directly by visiting avma.org/TeamCPR. Practice owners or managers looking for more teambuilding strategies can visit the AVMA Veterinary Career Center's latest webinar,
Veterinary ethics group supports Veterinary Nurse InitiativeAugust 27, 2018The Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics (SVME), which promotes discussion and debate of ethical issues relevant to veterinary practice, has announced its support of the Veterinary Nurse Initiative to create a registered veterinary nurse credential. This initiative seeks to bring continuity to the title through a multiyear, state to state strategy to work within legislation overseeing credentialing for veterinary technicians. "The SVME fully recognizes the professionalism and essential knowledge and skill brought to the team by veterinary technicians as vital members of the healthcare team and has expanded its own executive board membership to ensure the inclusion of veterinary technicians, who face many different as well as many of the same ethical concerns as their veterinarian team members," the association said in a statement. Veterinary technicians currently are identified under various titles, including certified veterinary technician, registered veterinary technician, and licensed veterinary technicians, which leads to confusion and decreased public understanding of the education and skill required of the position, the group added. "The SVME is in support of title unification and consistent educational standards nationwide to reduce confusion from inconsistent nomenclature and to increase the awareness of the role of veterinary technicians, the profession of …
Create an employee wellness plan for the winAugust 23, 2018The mental health of veterinary professionals is the topic at all of our professional meetings and in all the publications. I'm so thankful that it has transitioned from a taboo topic to a mainstream one. While attending the July 2018 AVMA and VetPartners meetings in Denver, I had the pleasure of meeting and learning from several esteemed people who are teaching and coaching on the topic. As a practice management consultant, I am always looking for ways to help my clients improve their practices. So, in evaluating all that I learned about this topic, I began to wonder… all of this talk is fantastic, but what are clinics doing to turn these conversations into action? Veterinary practice leaders need help creating and executing a wellness plan that fits their practice and and their team. Daily practice is hard and busy, and despite your best intentions, the demands of patients and clients fill your days, leaving bigger projects such as an employee wellness plan on the back burner. I turned to certified compassion fatigue coach Julie Squires for guidance. Julie is with Rekindle (rekindlesolutions.com) and is known nationwide …
Four steps to improved veterinary client complianceJuly 6, 2018Approaching veterinary client compliance is a multipronged process that includes determining who your client is, assessing your team, assessing the practice, and more. As a veterinary practice management consultant, I regularly meet veterinary professionals who struggle with client compliance. Why won't they accept our recommendations? Why don't they get it? How can I make them understand? They just don't want to pay. These are all common problems I am asked to help solve. Determine who your client is Before you attempt to increase client compliance, you have to figure out who your clients are. What does your target audience look like? What demographic are you serving? How does that compare to the mission and goal of the practice? If there is a disconnect between the type of pet owner coming in to your practice and what your practice is trying to deliver, success is going to be harder to achieve. Assess your team The second part of increasing client compliance is having a team that is well trained in interpersonal skills, communication styles, and fostering relationships with clients, pets, and each other. Creating a supportive culture and fostering comradery are the first two steps to having team members who …
