AAHA investigates veterinary fees

Denver — Two new publications from the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) look into business practices for owners and associates.

Erin Landeck

The Veterinary Fee Reference, Fourth Edition and the Associate's Survival Guide, are comprehensive books that practitioners can reference at multiple points in their career.

The associate guide targets veterinarians during the early years of their career, AAHA officials say.

Trends in the field of veterinary medicine, employer expectations, consideration of compensation packages and financial and family balance are outlined in this first-time edition.

"This is the first comprehensive book of its kind," says Erin Landeck, MS, CPA, of AAHA. "It is the type of publication that practitioners can pull off the shelf when they are dealing with a specific issue."

Landeck says the book provides expert analysis in each field, offering their education, experience and industry know-how to their peers.

The book is a collaborative, multi-year effort by the association and is an important tool for associates, the association says.

Dr. John Albers

The book can be used to establish a plan of action for success by learning how to manage time, stress and negotiations. The book also acknowledges veterinarians have a personal life and gives examples of how to balance work and family effectively.

The book is sold with a companion CD ROM that includes worksheets that help compare job offers, templates for resumes and cover letters.

"The new publications are one way the association addresses the needs of members through different stages in their life," says Debbie Tracy, AAHA public relations.

Determining competitive prices considering the region, size of practice and a list of other factors can be a taxing chore for veterinarians and office managers.

AAHA's recently updated fee reference helps practitioners stay competitive by providing high and low examples of virtually any veterinary procedure.

Each category provides a space for the practice's fee for the procedure, enabling practices to rate their prices for various procedures.

"For most veterinarians they use the fee reference two ways: as a pricing strategy to determine where they fit in the marketplace and as a way to price their services after being given a solid idea of what other clinics are charging," says Dr. John Albers, AAHA executive director.

This Veterinary Fee Reference is the fourth edition of the publication, which is updated every two to three years to maintain accuracy.

AAHA surveyed 1,500 AAHA and non-AAHA veterinary hospitals in the country. Statistics were tabulated by the association and laid-out in the 596-page publication.