VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: A clinic without strong leadership is in troubleJanuary 11, 2024By Jamie Rauscher, LVTIf your clinic is lacking in leadership, developing a plan on how to build up the leaders in your clinic should be a number one priority in your life. There are direct and indirect impacts to having less leadership in your clinic than what is ideal. Some direct impacts of not having structured leadership are gossip, turnover, stress on current team members, and a negative culture.
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VPN Plus+ ExclusivePositivity prevails: nine resolutions for the new yearDecember 20, 2023By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAAfter last month’s column, it was brought to my attention that my last few columns have been somewhat less than positive in their outlook on our profession; and that’s no way to end a year, is it? To wit, it is time to offer a rosier take on how to succeed in veterinary medicine.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Don't put your self (care) on the shelfDecember 13, 2023By Jamie Rauscher, LVTVeterinary medicine is a whole different ball game. October, leading into November, starts a crazy time for us that is second only to the hectic days of summer. So, many of us dread the holidays and the stress that comes with it. For those of us who work in general practice, our stressors are different than those who work in emergency medicine or even those that work remotely. Those in academia experience their own woes, as well. We all have our holiday horror stories to share with our co-workers.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveAre you disappointed in your profession?November 23, 2023By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAIt has finally happened. I’ve turned into that veterinarian: the crotchety, 30-year veteran of private practice so disillusioned by her own profession’s evolution she has begun actively planning a definitive exit strategy.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Empathy and the human animal bond goes a long wayNovember 15, 2023By Jamie Rauscher, LVTUp until it is time for them to cross the Rainbow Bridge, the relationship a person has with their pet is special in its own way. They all hold different meanings to each person. I am no different in that way. I am just as human as the next person, remembering how important my pets are to my family is what helps to bring me closer to my clients. It allows me to be able to truly see their experiences as my own, bringing my knowledge and expertise to the table to help them as I am able to do so.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveDo we need a mid-level veterinary 'nurse practitioner?'October 16, 2023By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAFor camels, the desert is home. For veterinarians, it represents a hiring wasteland. “The percentage of local certified technicians is shockingly low … Tech deserts are everywhere,” Patty Khuly says. Would a title change help? Photo: Bigstock/kaikups
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: A look at euthanasiaOctober 5, 2023By Jamie Rauscher, LVTTo have to make that decision for someone else brings with it the fear of making the wrong decision and stopping too early, but also the fear of going too far and causing unnecessary suffering. While we can give our opinion or input to a client, the decision is their own to make. All any of us can do is to use the tools available to us to try to understand what our companion is experiencing and trust our hearts to know the right time.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveHow many new veterinary schools do we need?September 21, 2023By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBADo we really have a shortage of veterinarians? The answer is multifactorial and complex, but it certainly feels like a shortage to most of us. Yet, I can’t help but interpret the fundamental trends that fuel this feeling as stemming from fewer veterinary hours worked and decreased productivity overall—not from a lack of bodies.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveThe correlation of veterinary compensation and mental healthAugust 17, 2023By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAA recent article led to a long, lively discussion on how veterinarians should be paid, revealing a broad, interesting and informed range of opinions but somehow largely sidestepping the more fascinating issue: how modes of compensation may affect our profession’s mental health.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Is your clinic a toxic work environment?August 11, 2023By Jamie Rauscher, LVTThere are also those who are determined to bring others down with them, contributing to a toxic workplace. Additionally, they always point out what is going wrong and openly sharing their unhappiness with everything in general in the clinic. Are negative team members really “team members?” Is the management at your hospital being held hostage by people with bad attitudes? Do some employees get away with bad behavior? Let’s discuss why this happens and what you can do to address it.
