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| Rethink respirators
| Should our pregnant associate use a respirator during surgeries to avoid inhaling anesthetic gases? | | | I've been sued. Now what?
| | Your Medical Career and financial stability flash before your eyes. A gut-wrenching feeling takes hold. This is it; you've been hit with a malpractice lawsuit. | | | To be the boss or not?
| | Will the pressures of being a boss be balanced out by the joys of self-determination? Will you mind longer hours if you know you'll hold on to the financial rewards? These are the questions that can cause an eager associate to wake up late at night in a cold sweat. | | | Compensation at a walk-in clinic
| | I work at a walk-in clinic. Some clients ask for me, but if it's a 40-minute wait, they'll see another doctor. My boss wants to pay me a percentage of my production. Is this fair at a walk-in clinic? | | | Teaching an old boss new tricks
| | Introducing new drugs or procedures into your practice can be frustrating if you're an associate—and it can be especially tough if you're a recent graduate. Here are a few tips I've learned through experience. | | | When the owner's not buying new equipment
| | The practice owner at the hospital where I'm an associate won't invest in a new piece of equipment that I think we really need. How can I convince her to buy? | | | Does practice ownership pay?
| | How to create an Excel spreadsheet that helps you figure the value of owning a clinic. | | | Checklist for a buy-sell agreement
| | A printable PDF of the answers you need before buying into or selling a part of a veterinary practice. | | | Don't get knocked out by a buy-in
| | These tips will help you duck common legal, financial, and communication oversights and keep you off the ropes during your transition to ownership. | |  MORE ARTICLES
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| Ommm for owners
| | Good associates are rarer than hen's teeth, so how do you attract them to your cozy practice and keep them? | | | Starting an associate on ProSal
| | Q. My associate earns 22.5 percent of her total production. Of that, about 17 percent is wages and the remainder is fringe benefits. She also receives a bonus. How can I switch her to ProSal without giving away the farm? | | | Get it in writing
| | I'm an expert witness for a practice owner who is being sued by two former associate doctors. What caused this litigation? Poor communication and a contract written on a napkin. | | | By the numbers: Getting to know the next generation of leaders
| | A look at associates' debt, purchasing power, interest in ownership, and more. | | | Lost and found
| | Q. How can I get the doctors to take care of the equipment at my practice? They don't keep their trucks clean and often leave equipment behind on visits. | | | The case for written employment contracts
| | I'm an associate, and my boss recently changed the way my production is assigned—not in my favor. What recourse do I have? | | | Associate pay: adjusting for experience
| | Reward associates for their knowledge, education, time, and experience level. | | | Student loan relief
| | Our associate has more than $80,000 in school debt. She receives a
fair salary, but I would like to help her more. Any ideas? | | | Is your associate a strong potential partner?
| | Here are the factors owners say they weigh most heavily when deciding about an associate's ownership potential. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Pet lovers read on
| | Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Marty Becker and other authors of "Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul" and "Chicken Soup for the Cat and Dog Lover's Soul" will release two new books on Oct. 11: "Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul" and "Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul.". | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| House of the dead
| | I had just come in from a walk when my phone rang. As any veterinarian knows, getting a call this late at night could mean only one thing: a sick animal. | | | Did Father know best?
| | Probably not, but I learned better client care when my dad ignored my advice and picked a pet with his heart—not his head. | | | A loyal pup who never forgot Mom
| | This surprise visitor taught one girl—and future veterinarian—that sorrow and sympathy aren't just human emotions. | | | Hanging tough
| | You never know what you're going to see in practice—it can be a real mixed bag. | | | Life, love, loss
| | Saying goodbye is never easy. And you face this undeniable fact of life every day. The upside: You're in a position to ease your clients through the grieving process and help them celebrate the pets they love. | | | Puppy parties bond patients to practice
| | Dogs can't wait to get through the front door of Chanhassen Veterinary Clinic in Chanhassen, Minn. For 12 years, the clinic has been throwing free puppy parties in its reception area. | | | Sunshine on a rainy day
| | Just like this doctor, you may find the letters, photos, and mementos you receive from clients provide a critical pick-me-up when the tough days seem to outweigh the joys of practice. | | | About a dog
| | One doctor talks about the patient that was hardest to lose. | | | Giving in can be part of giving
| | This doctor learned communication is a two-way street. And meeting this small dog in the middle made all the difference in the world. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Case study: Investing in overnight care pays off
| | "Clients like to know their pets will be taken care of by doctors they know and trust in an emergency, so having a doctor on staff 24 hours a day just makes sense to us," says Dr. Tom Nelson, co-owner of Animal Medical Center in Anniston, Ala. "Besides, the nearest emergency clinic is 60 miles away." | | | Case study: Tours build the bond
| | Hospital tours attract new clients and cement your bond with existing ones. "We like to take the mystery away," says Dr. Lisa Barlow of Centennial Valley Animal Hospital PC in Louisville, Colo. "We think hospital tours help clients feel better about leaving their pets here." | | | Case study: Visiting specialist wins clients and revenue
| | Dr. Brad Rosonke, owner of Hillside Animal Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., has little interest in dentistry. But he knows that offering dental services means better care. His solution: Hire a dental resident. | | | Case study: Senior testing education enhances care and compliance
| | Dr. Daniel Brod, co-owner of Deer Creek Animal Hospital in
Littleton, Colo., says that in about one of every four senior dogs
he tests, he identifies early disease processes, such as renal,
liver, or thyroid disease?that's about 15 percent higher than in
younger dogs at his practice. And he sees similar results in his
feline patients. So the benefits of testing are clear. And his team
took just a few steps that helped to increase compliance. | | | Staff training program increases heartworm preventive compliance
| | You know how important heartworm preventive is and likely prefer
clients buy 12 months worth of preventive at once, so they don't
delay when they need more and risk the pet's health. After sending
a practice manager to an AAHA pilot program on compliance in 2003,
Suburban Animal Clinic in Columbus, Ohio, implemented a few changes
to increase 12-month heartworm preventive compliance. | | | Case study: Boosting repeat visits and dental care
| | Reminders and increased client education lead to improved care at this Florida practice. | | | Case Study: Upscale Boarding Keeps Pets and Owners Happy
| | "I didn't like boarding my dog in a little cage," says Dr. Henry Inglesby, owner of Suwanee Pet Suites and Animal Care Center in Suwanee, Ga. Assuming other vacationing dog owners also hated the thought of leaving their precious canines in tight quarters, he decided to replace the cramped cages. | | | Case Study: Tap Retired Workers to Make Callbacks
| | For 12 years, Dr. Steve Bishop and his crew at Animal Care Hospital in Phoenix have been tapping the retired population to make callbacks in the early evening. Doing so frees time for receptionists to work on other jobs, he says. "Plus, the hourly pay is less than for a receptionist, and the workers are more flexible with their time." | |
| | Case Study: Hip Screenings may Help Improve Quality of Live
| | During a continuing education meeting held by local orthopedic specialists, Dr. Mike McLaughlin, owner of Animal Medical Center of Cumming, in Cumming, Ga., was intrigued about a surgical procedure called TPO, or triple pelvic osteotomy. He heard the specialists say that some large-breed dogs with hip dysplasia can enjoy an improved quality of life, or at least a slowed disease progression, by undergoing TPO. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Ask the right questions, buy the right machine
| | Download this PDF worksheet to get an ROI formula and a list of essential questions. | | | Make sure new equipment pays off
| | Before this doctor bought a single machine, he did his homework. The first thing he considered: cost-effectiveness. | | | Feline heartworm Q&A
| | A form to answer clients' most common questions about the disease. | | | Add feline heartworms to your priority list
| | Heartworms can sneak up on cats—and you. Prepare yourself, then use a handout to start talking prevention with clients. | | | Weight reduction in pets
| | Use this PDF form to help clients learn the right number of calories to feed their pets. | | | Clients can trim pounds from pets
| | Weight loss is tough for anyone—two-legged or four-legged. However, weight loss can not only add years to a pet's life, it can also make those years more enjoyable. Helping your clients trim a few pounds off of their cuddly companions may be easier than you think. They just need to understand the process, pay attention to detail, and call on your assistance and that of your healthcare team. | | | CLIENT HANDOUT: Finding reputable Web sites
| | Fight misinformation and reward curiosity with a handout that teaches clients to sort fact from fiction on the Web. | | | Help clients think critically about Web sites
| | Some clients accept. Some nod a lot and disregard your advice. And some nod a lot, then go home to check for themselves. As frustrating as this last set can be, many pet owners who seek pet health information online are conscientious clients you want to hang onto.
| | | Inactive-client letter
| | A customizable communication tool for pet owners you haven't seen in a while. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Custom ambulance transports pets
| | A refurbished ambulance transfers referral patients between WestVet Emergency Center in Meridian, Idaho, and nearby practices. | | | Are your clients advocates, apathetics, or assassins?
| | Use J.D. Power's three customer categories to decode your clients so they'll put their power to work for you. | | | Delving into the client mind
| | Studies show a disturbing trend. The number of visits pet owners make to their veterinarian is declining. | |
| Don't let bad Internet reviews bite
| | Let's say you're casually googling your practice one day when you find a review that makes your eyes pop out of your head ... | | | Plentiful food sales
| | How can I encourage clients to buy pet food and other supplies from my practice? | | | Educating clients about first aid and CPR
| | Our practice is interested in offering pet first aid and CPR classes to our clients. How do we get started? | | | Parasite control: It's in the mail
| | Brochures let us explain the technical aspects of parasite-related diseases, the tests to detect them, and the products to control them. Maybe some of our ideas could work for you too. | | | Weight reduction in pets
| | Use this PDF form to help clients learn the right number of calories to feed their pets. | | | Clients can trim pounds from pets
| | Weight loss is tough for anyone—two-legged or four-legged. However, weight loss can not only add years to a pet's life, it can also make those years more enjoyable. Helping your clients trim a few pounds off of their cuddly companions may be easier than you think. They just need to understand the process, pay attention to detail, and call on your assistance and that of your healthcare team. | | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Referral form
| | Avoid miscommunication and use this referral form to help improve patient care. | | | The shelter dilemma
| | Everyone can start to break the impasse between private practitioners and shelters by listening. | | | Perform a SWOT analysis to identify new business opportunities
| | The strongest practice teams work on their business, not just in it. Use this approach to give structure to your conversations about what paths to pursue. | | | Write or wrong
| | It's 10 a.m. on Monday morning. Mrs. Hodge rushes in with her 13-year-old miniature Schnauzer, which is lethargic and vomiting. The problems began yesterday, and all Mrs. Hodge can tell you is that she's been giving her dog some kind of pill for the past week. | | | A good boss lets bad eggs go
| | Have you ever terminated, fired, liberated, or let someone go after laboring over the decision for days and losing several nights' sleep, only to realize you should've done it much, much sooner? If so, you're not alone. | | | Communicating with referring doctors
| | How can I encourage general practitioners to refer cases that are beyond their expertise? And how do I do this without coming across as self-serving? | | | 5 startup horror stories
| | Taste the terror of veterinary practices gone wrong, and let these lessons keep you out of a business nightmare of your own. | | | You know what happens when you assume ...
| | When two people are knowledgeable in the same field, misunderstandings arise if one assumes the other already knows something, according to a University of Chicago study. | | |
Meet and greet
| | Q. I'm a specialist in a community with a lot of old-guard general practitioners. How can I build rapport and convince them I'm not out to steal their clients? | | | MORE ARTICLES
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