Practice Management

Mitigating conflict between team members requires a concerted effort. Here’s an effective approach that leaves everyone feeling like a winner.

After you get a complaint, but before you make a decision as a veterinary practice owner or manager about employee discipline or big process changes, this kennel-attendant-turned-practice-owner told conference-goers to ask themselves and others two important questions.

While speakers at Uncharted's Get Sh*t Done conference talked about branding, hiring and personnel management, they seemed to be telling a story about the power of stories: your team members' and your practice's.

Dr. Mike Paul stresses the importance of planning for retirement in a veterinary careerbecause the security prior generations had in government programs wont cut it anymore.

“At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did; they will remember how you made them feel.”— Maya Angelou

Maybe, yeah, says this dvm360/VHMA Practice Manager of the Year entrant. There were more than two dozen separate packages when she came in, so she turned to the entire practice team to help her pare down and spruce up.

Muffle harsh noise and provide traction for unsteady feet with these inexpensive tools.

Almost all veterinary team members have pets, yet just like average Americans, the vast majority have no pet insurance for that proverbial rainy day. Have you thought about offering this employee benefit? Here are details on discounts from a few providers, plus one smart practice managers how-to for managing the plan.

When these veterinary employees got burned out on daily protocols, regular doses of education and affirmation built up their commitment muscles.

Share this short, to-the-point algorithm with anybody who's on the road to vet school ... or just starting to dream about a career as someone who TOTALLY spends ALL DAY playing with cute puppies and kittens (sarcasm, people).

Knowledge is power, and a simple formula can help even poverty-stricken veterinary students keep debt from snowballing.

Goals in veterinary practice management are great, but they dont mean much if we dont execute a plan to achieve them.

A bitter problem, but a sweet solution! If youre managing hospital inventory costs and you need a solid benchmark to use, consider COGS.

You need to save money, but are you sure your veterinary hospital break room needs to be a dark, cramped closet? Remember: The same people who made your practice so successful in the first place are going to be using that room.

Veterinary clients want the best for their pets, but sometimes their financial situation gets in the way. Here's a short version of my long path I travel with veterinary clients when they complain about price, seem hesitant to comply with recommendations or say, straight up, they're under a financial strain.

Money isnt alwaysor oftenthe biggest motivator for better veterinary team performance and success. Heres a program that works for me that lets team members choose the rewards they love the most with points given for tasks I need the most.

You dream of performing surgery in a flawlessly designed, perfectly executed veterinary surgical suite. But the reality is often less-than-perfect.

Do team members go out of their way to help clients, to solve problems, and to improve the system?

When the owner of a Lhasa apso with chronic otitis refused to bring her dog in for a recheck, I turned the problem into a new policy at my veterinary hospital.

Ready for a path to paperless or paper-lite practice at your veterinary hospital? Here's a timeline to make it happen.

Poorly written agreements are all too common, so a well-devised contract is cause for celebration. Before you sign your name on the dotted line (or ask someone else to do so), consider these exceptional provisions benefitting both the associate and the practice.

Teaching your team to recognize and successfully maneuver potentially volatile client conversations can have excellent consequences for your practice.

Wheres the jumping off point for jumping into veterinary team building activities? Here are a few of my favorite resources.

As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work. Here are some tips for running successful team meetings and boosting morale at your veterinary practice.

Dont judge potential veterinary hires based on application alone. Our management expert Katie Adams, CVPM, says your impression during the in-person interview matters more.

Helping clients through the grieving process after the loss of a beloved pet can bond them to your practice. Here’s what to do (and not to do).

Otitis cases may need more than one appointment to resolve, but how do you get clients to see the importance of bringing their pet back to the clinic?

... they'd be a fairy tale of pet-care happy endings, or a horror movie about not enough, or too much, on the shelves. Here are short answers to five frequently asked inventory questions you can share with everyone on your hospital team that can help explain the importance of inventory management in a pet hospital and get the basics right.