Dental elevators: One size does not fit allSeptember 5, 2019When it comes to elevators and luxating-type elevators, the size and fit of the handles and shanks of the instruments matter.
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Tips from the experts: Need-to-know advice for keeping your autoclave in tip-top shapeAugust 30, 2019Despite their high cost, autoclaves don’t get a lot of love and attention. Yet, they are cursed at as soon as they don’t do their job.
Should you be a lemming or a contrarian?August 30, 2019Contrarians buy when everybody is selling, and sell when everybody is buying. It takes a serious dose of courage, but it’s most often rewarding.
Avoid a meltdown when Dr. Popular isn't availableAugust 29, 2019A longtime client calls and requests an appointment with Dr. Popular.
10 tools every superachiever needsMay 2, 2019Without battle-tested systems, healthy habits, and proven strategies, it's difficult to grow beyond a certain plateau. To get better, superachievers typically use the following 10 tools, at the very least. Let's see how they can apply to our profession. 1) An idea-capturing device You have a brilliant idea. It's so amazing you're certain you'll remember it. After all, it's going to change lives! Five minutes later, you are wracking your brain and retracing your steps to remember it. Ideas often come at the most inconvenient time, which means you should have a way to capture them in real time as they come to you. Keep a small notebook on your nightstand or in your pocket. Surely you can download all kinds of apps, although any smartphone or tablet has a "note" function where you can jot down ideas. What about a waterproof marker in your shower? The idea is to avoid walking around with all kinds of mental clutter. Write things down so you can focus on other stuff. 2) Keep a calendar Many people have multiple calendars: one on the wall, one on their desk, an organizer, and a digital calendar. Some may even have a personal calendar …
Front-office hacks that make work easierMay 2, 2019Your client-care team members should be masters of multitasking and problem solvers. During my 22 years of coaching receptionists, I've discovered helpful tips and tricks that make running the front desk easier. You're going to want to get started now: 1) Get wireless headsets Because receptionists answer hundreds of calls daily, headsets will reduce back and neck pain caused from cradling phones on shoulders. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), doctors, chiropractors, and physiotherapists all advise using headsets. Studies show wearing a headset instead of holding the phone can improve productivity up to 43 percent.1 Headsets let receptionists talk and type, speeding up the time it takes to book appointments and process prescription refill requests. Headsets also can eliminate hold time. While wearing a wireless headset and talking with a client, the receptionist could walk to the pharmacy to confirm the pet owner's prescription refill is ready. A headset also keeps the microphone in the same position as receptionists move their heads and speak, so voices sound consistent to callers. Noise-canceling microphones can remove up to 75 percent of background noise, filtering out sounds of barking dogs and other ringing phones.1 Ask your phone equipment vendor which headsets are …
Nine tips for tidying up our practices this yearApril 17, 2019If it doesn't bring you joy… throw it out. It's an inexplicably alluring (if slightly depressing) code to live by. Championed by professional organizer Marie Kondo in her wildly successful book, The Life-Changing Method of Tidying Up, the eponymous KonMari approach to organization urges us all to examine the impulses tethering us to things that don't really matter. Among other human urges that define spring as a season (procreation comes to mind), the drive to reestablish control over our lives plays a prominent role in our culture. Maintaining our homes and workplaces clean, tidy, and ordered represents a psychological thawing of our winterized brains and a resurrection of our normal daily activities. We as veterinary professionals experience much the same as it applies to our workplaces. As the busier seasons approach, many of us take stock of what we have and seek to improve our environment. Tidying up à la KonMari, with an eye toward getting rid of what doesn't serve us, is how I'm managing my life this year. To that end, here are this year's things to tackle and tips for tidying, as I seek to tame the chaos that inevitably builds over the previous year. 1) …
Professionalism—Own it!December 11, 2018Your veterinary clients deserve and expect to be greeted and cared for by professional veterinary team members. In addition, veterinary teams expect to work with courteous, thoughtful, and professional coworkers.
Six tips to keep pets safe during the holidaysDecember 5, 2018To ensure pets remain healthy and safe during the holidays, Leni Kaplan, DVM, MS, from Cornell University’s (CU’s) College of Veterinary Medicine, shares six tips for veterinarians to pass along to clients.
How veterinary practices can improve client retentionNovember 8, 2018With pet ownership reaching record-highs in the U.S, there’s plenty of opportunity for small veterinary practices to increase revenue. But many practice owners are finding it difficult to compete in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
