Business

Practitioners ask: Is paperless really possible? Are electronic medical records worth the investment? Here's what early adopters say.

Impact Boosters Tip

Use these guidelines to decide when to send documents to the shredder.

Some clients view an office visit as an opportunity to catch up on an assortment of neglected pet health problems. Use these techniques to stay on topic and on schedule.

How can I calculate client visitation and retention?

An inside look at the judging for the Veterinary Economics Hospital Design Competition

Dr. Steven Dunbar merged a general practice and a 24-hour emergency center into one new building. And the consistent, attractive use of color; high-quality materials; impressive client-interaction areas; and more helped Yorba Regional Animal Hospital in Anaheim, Calif., rise to the top in Veterinary Economics annual design competition.

Paying equally doesn't always make sense in a partnership, especially when doctors aren't contributing in the same ways. A tiered-compensation system can account for these variances.

Is it OK to accept postdated checks when clients can't pay?

There are tax advantages when you buy a hybrid automobile: a tax credit of up to $3,400, for instance.

Profanity in the workplace is on the rise along with court filings and complaints to EEOC.

Dr. Steven Dunbar merged a general practice and a 24-hour emergency center into one new building. And the consistent, attractive use of color; high-quality materials; impressive client-interaction areas; and more helped Yorba Regional Animal Hospital in Anaheim, Calif., rise to the top in Veterinary Economics annual design competition.

Reminders and increased client education lead to improved care at this Florida practice.

Of course, greater earning power and financial gain rank as important reasons for ownership. Yet there are more reasons to take this step. Here are some other benefits to owning a practice.

FLP requires both careful analysis and strict compliance with IRS regulations.

Forty percent of referrals to Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Littleton, Colo., come from pet stores, breeders, shelters, and rescue groups?that's 140 new clients a month.

How should I pay part-time veterinarians and gauge their benefits?

Use this sample collection letter as a starting point as you work to control accounts receivable.

What tax rules apply to awards given to employees for service?

You may like the sound of doing it all, but that's not usually the most efficient way to work. So change your tune and leverage your team members more to increase your sanity?and the practice's profitability.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals released a list of the 10 most common poisonous plants and their possible effects.

At Carver Lake Veterinary Center in Woodbury, Minn., doctors and team members feel that learning the names of clients and pets helps them provide better service, but remembering all those names isn't easy.

How many warnings should I give, and when should I fire someone?

We're taking our practices to the next level by introducing quality control protocols. Better control means better results, which gives us the foundation we need to be more than just a good hospital; we want to be great.

Does your accounts receivable make up more than 2.5 percent of your practice's yearly gross income if you're a small animal hospital and 4 percent to 5 percent if you're equine or large animal? If so, it's time to take action.

What are the legal issues in hiring my 13-year-old daughter to work after school?

When a young couple brought their guinea pig to see this doctor, she gave them another year with Daisy. And they reminded her that every pet?no matter how big or small?deserves high-quality care.

These experts help us identify top design trends.

We asked new grad Dr. W. Andrew Rollo to team up with experienced practitioner Dr. Philip VanVranken to talk about the worries practitioners face in that first year?and what owners and associates can do to smooth the transition to practice.

The numbers prove it: Selling a part interest to your associate boosts practice value and increases your net worth?plus, this step gives you a clear succession plan. Associates: You win with a buy-in, too.