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. …
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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 …
Licensed Vet Tech Joins N.Y. Pet Sitting ServiceMay 3, 2012 An in-home pet service franchise based in New York state hired a licensed veterinary technician to administer injections to clients’ pets. Recent SUNY Suffolk County Community College graduate Rachel Husney joined In-Home Pet Services Inc. at its northeast Queens location, which also serves part of Long Island. Husney will provide injections to pets of owners who are away or those who wish to have a professional administer at-home injections. The services will cost clients an additional $5 to $10 per visit, according to In-Home Pet Services president and founder Robyn Elman. The company added the service in response to customer demand, Elman said, especially from customers with diabetic cats requiring regular insulin injections. <HOME>
Warming To The RoleApril 5, 2012 When clinics add laser therapy to their pain-management arsenal, veterinary technicians often become the point people—and the most ardent advocates—of the technological advance. In the beginning, however, it’s not unusual for them to harbor a healthy dose of skepticism. Anneke Van Tricht is among those who took no convincing. In fact, before she’d ever used the Companion Therapy Class IV Laser that is now her veterinary tool of choice, she was sure it would ease patients’ pain and increase their mobility. You might even say she felt it in her bones. Especially in her vertebrae. “I had experienced the benefits of laser therapy on the human side with my own back (injury) five years ago,” said Van Tricht, a veterinary technician at Midway Animal Hospital in Seminole, Fla. “It saved me from surgery. For me, it’s a miracle.” Wielding the hand piece of relief is now one of her favorite tasks, Van Tricht said. Not only does it give her the chance to have a direct effect on patients’ quality of life, it makes her a driver of a significant source of new revenue for the practice. Not all clinic duties carry such rewards, …
Lucrative Tools For Boosting BusinessMarch 27, 2012 It’s time to rethink the way we conduct business in our veterinary practices. Times have changed and practice owners and managers must seek new ways to meet the needs of pet owners, while at the same time ensuring that their businesses remain profitable. One of the most critical elements of this change is the creation and active dissemination of a written financial policy that defines a practice’s payment options. Only 52 percent of veterinarians report actually having a written financial policy1, and we have done ourselves no favors by making the discussion of payment as difficult and uncomfortable as possible—in most cases leaving our front desk people the miserable job of trying to obtain a payment or deposit from a pet owner with little or no funds. They must then scurry off to get someone “higher up” to handle the situation, which eats up time and energy. Even if that policy has been written, many employees and clients have no idea what it is, although they know it has been disregarded often enough to realize it has little meaning. Consider how much simpler things would be if payment options and expectations were …
NAVTA Accredits College ProgramFebruary 9, 2012 Harrison College of Veterinary Technology’s veterinary assisting program has received accreditation through the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. The accreditation allows graduates of the 36-credit hour program to take a national certification exam to become Approved Veterinary Assistants. Harrison College, in Indianapolis, is one of six programs nationally that have received the accreditation. Harrison College started its veterinary assisting program in April. The school also offers an associate of applied science degree in veterinary technology, which is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Partnerships Take Real-Life Learning To StudentsNovember 8, 2011 Charleston Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC) in Charleston, S.C., has partnered with Trident Technical College in Monchs Corner to offer on-site training to the school’s veterinary technology students. The aim is to help increase the students’ knowledge base in a real-life setting. “Our teaming up with CVRC has afforded us teaching opportunities that we could not duplicate in the classroom or lab setting,” said Paul Kerwin, DVM, program coordinator for the Trident Technical College’s veterinary technology program. “The exposure to real-life cases and technologies not available at the school will prove invaluable.” Alan Green, DVM, founder and chief of staff of CVRC, said he got the idea even before the center opened its doors earlier this year. Dr. Green had previously practiced in New York and later was one of the original founders of BrightHeart Veterinary Centers. One of the things he didn’t get to do in New York was incorporate a learning center, something he wanted this new hospital to have, he said. Green describes CVRC as a three-legged stool: great medical/patient care, client service and education. Partnering with Trident Technical College is just one component of the education leg, he said. Green has always …
Vet Tech Takes New Path In EducationNovember 8, 2011 Like many in the veterinary community, it was a love of animals that enticed Andrea Ackerman to become a veterinary technician 22 years ago. Ackerman, who is certified as a vet tech in Colorado and Wyoming, also loved the medical side of it, too, making it the perfect career choice, she said. A few years ago, however, Ackerman decided she wanted to expand her career and do something different. “I always liked teaching people,” she said. So she started researching online bachelor degree programs to fulfill new goals of teaching veterinary technician classes at a community college. Ackerman, who had taken online classes in the past, said she knew online was the route she wanted to take. “To me [an online program] is less challenging than going to school,” she said, pointing out that you can go on vacation or won’t miss a class due to weather. She did note, however, that participants in such programs must be self-motivated and very self-reliant. It takes a certain personality to be successful, she said. Another positive aspect is that you don’t have to reside in the same state as the online program. Ackerman lives in …
Are our patients being sold out by Big Pharma?November 2, 2011Only a fraction of the drugs we veterinary professionals use on our patients are actually approved for use in veterinary settings.
Maximize Technicians’ Potential As Client CommunicatorsOctober 28, 2011 When technicians excel in the medical and communication components of their jobs, they can maximize revenue and encourage a more efficient practice. Consultants say, however, that many veterinarians aren’t delegating enough responsibility to technicians. Training is the biggest hurdle that keeps practitioners from using technicians fully, experts say, noting that members of a practice’s team should share responsibility for client communications. Technicians are often viewed by clients as easier to approach, perhaps less intimidating. “Years ago, veterinarians hired animal lovers and people haters and tried to make them technicians,” says Jim Guenther, DVM, MBA, MHA, CVPM, a consultant at Strategic Veterinary Consulting in Asheville, N.C. “Now with formal training for medical certification and client communication, technicians need to possess both skills to be effective. Technicians can be a practice’s biggest asset or handicap in regard to client loyalty and compliance.” Technicians need formal and in-house education before gaining access to clients, Dr. Guenther says. They also need to know veterinary expectations and restrictions regarding client interaction. Hire for Skills Efficiency in the practice starts with hiring, says Shannon Pignott, CVPM, ACC, owner and business director at 1-10 Pet Emergency and president of VetThink Inc., …
