Mastering Management—Use documentation card to identify animals

The following tip is brought to you by a member of the Veterinary Leadership Group (VLG), a group of 20 management-savvy practitioners and hospital managers from across the country who meet twice a year to discuss business improvement, personal growth and social development issues for their practices.

Using an animal hospitalization record as identification on the cage allows technicians' observations of an animal's behavioral and physical status during hospitalization to be written immediately to the patient's permanent record.

Placing a card on an animal's cage allows the veterinarian to view the animal's behavior and physical status without waiting for a write-up by the technician, and it creates a more thorough record.

"The spreadsheet can tell the veterinarian what is wrong with the animal while streamlining," says Dr. Nancy Willerton. "We have used this method for a long time."

Tip from:

Dr. Nancy Willerton

Hospital:

University Hills Animal Hospital Denver