Practice Management

Dr. X has a 25-year-old practice that is having trouble meeting expenses. Payroll is covered, but what's left over is about $5,000 short of last year.

Denver - The Colorado Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) wants to know what practice-owning members are paying their employees.

Phoenix, Ariz. - Veterinary medicine is stressful. The workday is filled with responsibilities, decision-making and time constraints. Staff meetings can be extremely stressful, especially when they turn into gripe sessions. Humor will help alleviate stress, and the result is a more productive meeting.

Customize this sample Word document to start engaging your own team of consultants today.

Customize and print this handy checklist of what a new receptionist needs to learn and when.

Customize and print this handy checklist of what a new technician or assistant needs to learn and when.

Even if your practice doesn't need to be rescued, wouldn't it be nice to have these three management angels in your corner?

Safety and workplace hazards: Here's what to teach your veterinary team's wide-eyed, innocent new recruits, and how to teach it effectively.

All of our workstations have Internet capability, so we use instant messaging to communicate with each other while in the exam or treatment rooms.

Q. Although there are three emergency clinics in the area, the practice I work at always sees its clients' emergencies. This is frustrating, but the owner says that clients love it. Is this reasonable?

Identity theft is an ongoing problem. What should you be watching out for?

You can balance a career with a personal life-but you've got to embrace change. Here's the one thing you need to know about having it all.

Differences in communication styles can mean women's messages don't carry the same weight. Here's how to give statements more oomph.

Does your team manual look like an ancient relic? Get it up to date with the latest labor laws and team policies.

It finally happened.

Each day provides an opportunity to offer some nuggets of education.

Q. Who determines veterinary team members' pay increases-the practice manager or the owner?

The details you need to update your employee manual are just a click away.

How to implement the "four strikes" method of enforcing safety rules in your practice.

If you go on VIN, you will see dozens of posts and links trying to define what production pay is and how to pay it. Unfortunately, it is a constantly moving target. The current thinking is this:

Let's return to our story that began in this column in the May issue.

The devil is in the details. So what are your clients noticing about your practice and team members?

Discussion from the experts on how to retain great staff members

A form for pinpointing age-related problems

Clients often cannot comprehend what a cat or dog at a healthy weight looks like, so I give them a live demonstration with my own dog and cat, which are at ideal weights.

A twister with winds up to 205 mph, leveled Greensburg, Kansas on May 4. Veterinarians and other volunteers aided in the rescue of displaced pets. For an in-depth report see the June issue of DVM Newsmagazine. Photos by Brandon Chauncy.

Special rules cover volunteer and under-18 employees at your clinic. Do you know what they are?

Your practice's identity goes far beyond a logo.