VPN Plus+ ExclusiveBeing down a team member doesn't have to be a recipe for disasterSeptember 15, 2022By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAWhen faced with a similar (albeit less dramatic) associate shortage in the past, I have made do by restructuring basic operations, leaning on my team’s most experienced members to take over tasks formerly deemed “vet-only” areas. Here’s how I approached it, broadly...
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Why every vet needs a psychotherapistAugust 12, 2022Psychotherapy, also referred to as talk therapy, is among the most underrated, and, sadly, underutilized healthcare services on offer. Not only is it widely denigrated as a service intended for exclusive use by the feeble-brained, socially maladjusted, or mentally disturbed, it can be surprisingly tough to access through traditional healthcare channels.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveVeterinary medicine is losing its personal touch August 12, 2022By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAFor me, it is that personal connection that matters most because, without it, I might as well be an accountant, or some other brand of desk jockey. The way I see it, if I’m not invested in my patient and their people, I would not be as motivated to be kind, compassionate, thorough, and diligent.
New tricks for an old dog's vet ownerAugust 4, 2022When you’re a sensitive veterinarian who is especially enamored over her extremely geriatric pet, you risk seeing every patient through the private lens of your impending loss. Older patients appear more endearing, end-of-life conversations become more emotionally relevant, and the stakes at work seem higher overall.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveA perspective against private equityJuly 7, 2022By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBABy the end of this column, I hope to explain the essence of private equity investing well enough to show there is nothing defensible (or even capitalist) about it. Even if you are one of the few fortunate veterinary practice owners likely to benefit enormously from it—trust me, there is nothing to love beyond what it does for your personal bank account. (I begrudge you not one penny of it. You have earned it!)
Colleague confessions and the lies we tellJuly 1, 2022The lies we, as veterinarians, tell in our professional lives are in no way unique to us or to our own practice.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveMy wildest dreams?June 2, 2022By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAPractices like mine are easily worth 20 times their original sale price (and possibly a lot more given our profession’s feverish practice transaction climate in many suburban markets). Trouble is, I have such mixed feelings on the subject of selling that I do not even want to know my practice’s current market value. Sure, I can have a proper valuation done, but do I really want to go there?
Pricing and profits in the current economyMay 26, 2022In veterinary medicine the math should be simple: If your inventory costs, overhead expenses, and payroll demands are climbing due to inflation, gas prices, and an über-competitive staffing environment, it goes without saying your prices will have to climb if you don’t want to see your profitability suffer.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveWhat to do when morale hits the skidsMay 5, 2022By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAWhile it looks like we may be coming out from under the weight of the worst this pandemic has to offer, it is going to take time to restore our practices to their stable workflows and our teams to the purpose-driven, satisfied working groups we once enjoyed. Here are some carrot and stick solutions, short- and long-term, to help address the low morale that currently plagues so many of us.
What happens when medical titans clash?April 19, 2022As a veterinarian who shares a neighborhood with a major medical hospital complex, Patty Khuly, VMD, has had plenty of experience with MD clients.
