Metabolic profiling and its results have disappointed me several times during my career. Yet I recently had success using an approach promoted by University of Wisconsin (UW) associate professor Dr. Gary Oetzel, who believes two subclinical syndromes account for a large percentage of dairy farms problems.
Take these steps to document poor performance.
Practices whose staff are so well treated that they feel like family may be harder to compete with.
Starting this month, 401(k) plans can offer a Roth 401(k) provision—which could be a better option for your retirement savings.
Acres Animal Hospital in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, relies on hot-water bottles to help provide comfort to patients.
How do I know if gossip has become a problem in my practice? And what's the best way to get rid of it?
I'm considering remodeling an exam room. What are the first steps I should take?
Offering to put them in contact with a financial planner may just be the ticket for some new grads.
I'm tired of having a huge pile of accounts receivable. How can I manage this better?
"We all want our staff members to work together as a team, but it's hard to ask this of your staff unless they know the steps to take," says Julia Culbreth, the practice manager at Jefferson Animal Hospital in Louisville, Ky.
Conversations may stray more when you're not totally focused.
It's easy to overlook the problems that come with making clients wait. We think, "Hey, it comes with the territory." We make excuses. And we hedge our bets, knowing most clients only grow dissatisfied when they wait more than 30 minutes. But that approach won't wow clients. In fact, even a short wait may leave clients disgruntled. So it's an issue you should aim to manage.
I do primarily small animal ambulatory work in the Midwest. I'm new to equine practice and trying to get a grasp on fees. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the charges I've seen in our area. Help!
Do you give this critical player the respect and responsibility she deserves?
Use these tips to stay sunny even when it seems those rain clouds will never move on.
I'm having trouble with staff turnover. I train and reward employees, but they aren't sticking around. Any ideas?
Higher percentages of gross income for any line-item expense should immediately drive management's closer inspection.
Clashing practitioners who stay together too long compromise toward a central level of mediocrity.
Learn the potential legal ramifications of terminating an employee.
There's never enough time in your day—so make every moment in the exam room count. And remember, even small improvements in exam-room procedures can dramatically improve your whole team's efficiency.
Every member of your practice team can help increase security.
Is your practice losing ground compared to its past performance? If so, it's not necessarily cause for panic. Often you can get back on track by making some simple changes. To get started, dot the i's and cross the t's in these five areas:
The Veterinary Hospital in Eugene, Ore., sets daily production goals. When the hospital achieves the daily goal five times, they hire a massage therapist to come into the hospital and give everyone a professional pat on the back.
As always, we need to communicate as thoroughly as possible. Tunnel vision is a trap we as practitioners must avoid.
Employee satisfaction is the No. 1 reason people remain loyal to their employers.
Profitability and quality are not mutually exclusive, but they do go together.
How do you know whether a newly hired team member is right for his or her job and, equally important, right for your practice? Many practice owners evaluate a new hire's job performance during a probationary period, which can last from 30 to 90 days.
The biggest share of practice advertising dollars is spent on Yellow Pages ads. The following are practical guidelines to help you think through your Yellow Pages strategy, improve your ad's efficacy and reduce costs.
Use high-quality medicine, strong communication skills, and both internal and external marketing to create clients who act as advocates for the practice.
With a bit of tape and twine, most of you can fix almost anything. Of course, people and finances demand different tools. But they're not that much harder to master.
