Practice Management

10 August

Baker Commodities no longer accepting animals euthanized by barbiturates.

wsvma   |   Practice Management

Veterinarians who euthanize horses are being told by haulers that Baker Commodities is no longer accepting horses and other animals that have been euthanized “using any barbiturates, pentobarbital, other chemicals harmful to animals, or prohibited chemicals or drugs.” Baker says the new directives are to protect a safe feed product, protect the public food supply chain, and to comply with FDA regulations. They will accept animals that have been euthanized using acceptable methods of euthanasia including penetrating captive bolt to...

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03 August

August 15 deadline to complete WSVMA’s Compensation and Benefits Survey

wsvma   |   Practice Management

The WSVMA office receives frequent requests for compensation and benefits information specific to the practice of veterinary medicine in Washington. To answer these inquiries, we are compiling data again this year through our bi-annual Compensation and Benefits Survey. The WSVMA is only a handful of state associations that compile and provide such information to its members. The survey is electronic and the link has been sent to practice owners via email, although a paper survey is available. In order to obtain...

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03 August

Enhance your practice management expertise

wsvma   |   Practice Management

To enhance veterinary practice management, VetPartners has developed Veterinary Practice Management Essentials (VPME), a free digital booklet available for download. The VPME is a free tool developed by veterinarians, practice owners, and management professionals of VetPartners to help elevate financial acumen, business skills and management experience amongst veterinary professionals. The VPME provides an inventory of management and business functions and skills critical to operating a financially viable veterinary hospital. Topics include: Strategic Planning Finance & Accounting Law & Ethics Human...

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20 July

Averting Problems with a Social Media Policy

wsvma   |   Practice Management

Stories about employees who get fired for their posts on social media have become common in the news. The backlash for companies can be costly when a staff member posts an inappropriate photograph or statement. It’s important to have a social media policy in place for your veterinary practice when staff engage with family, friends, acquaintances and even clients, on social media. While it may not seem like an issue now, a social media policy helps to avert problems by...

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20 July

Boosting Your Financial IQ to Maximize Fiscal Performance

wsvma   |   Continuing Education, Practice Management

The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) and Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE) – organizations committed to helping veterinary practices thrive – have entered into a strategic partnership to realize their shared goal of advancing practice health in veterinary medicine.  The collaborators are pleased to announce the launch of a webinar series, Boosting Your Financial IQ to Maximize Fiscal Performance, which is designed to elevate the financial literacy of those involved in veterinary management.  The webinars are available free of charge...

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13 July

De-stressing the team

wsvma   |   Practice Management

Between upset clients, distressed patients and hectic lives, it’s common for staff to be stressed.  The key is to help the team find balance so that they are not at a constant risk of being burnt out.  Identifying who is stressed and then identifying the stressors in the clinic are essential to managing stress within the team. Consider the following signs as possible indicators of a stressed-out team or staff member: Have they started or increased drinking or smoking and taking...

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22 June

The Future of Veterinary Inventory Management: Process Improvement to Reduce Costs

wsvma   |   Practice Management

Running a veterinary hospital is no easy task.  Managing staff, client experience, finances and marketing, not to mention delivering quality medical care to patients, is top of mind.  In general, inventory management gets pushed aside. Having managed veterinary hospitals large and small, I certainly understand how inventory can be neglected.  During my career, the priority in managing inventory was to keep the hospital stocked, with little regard to controlling costs.  If we ran out of a medication or a product, I...

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08 June

Unionization for staff at Seattle Blue Pearl location

wsvma   |   Practice Management

After months of preparation, eligible employees at Blue Pearl in north Seattle last week voted overwhelmingly to unionize with the National Veterinary Professionals Union (NPVU). It’s NVPU’s first contract. Efforts began in April when signature cards requesting representation by NVPU were collected from 86% of the non-supervisory hospital employees followed by a petition to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to supervise an election. Of the 52 eligible employees, 92% voted in favor of the contract. Going forward, the staff will...

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11 May

A “short and sweet” reminder about pre-booking appointments

wsvma   |   Practice Management

“We’ve tried to pre-book appointments with clients, but it’s not working.”   We have received a few calls like this and what we have learned is that the success of pre-booking is determined in how it is communicated.  It is ineffective to ask a client if they want to book their next appointment.  For example, Mrs. Smith and Fluffy are paying their invoice and the receptionist asks Mrs. Smith “Can I book you for your wellness exam next year?”  Mrs. Smith...

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04 May

Overcoming Communication Challenges

wsvma   |   Practice Management

“Help! We’ve been really busy lately and staff are getting frustrated with each other because no one seems to know what is going on and we look really disorganized in front of clients. How do we fix this?” While it’s great to be busy, it can be challenging to maintain a necessary level of communication between staff. Communication challenges are common for any business, so applying regular team communication opportunities is imperative – even when the clinic is busy. Consider implementing the...

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