 Hospital Management Editor Mark Opperman is a certified veterinary practice manager and owner of VMC Inc., a veterinary consulting firm based in Evergreen Colo. Through his firm, he has consulted with more than 800 veterinary hospitals throughout North America, providing assistance in associate hiring, partnership formation, exit strategies, employee issues, profitability, efficiency, and more. He has lectured worldwide at meetings such as Fetch dvm360 conference (formerly CVC), the North American Veterinary Conference, the World Small Animal Veterinary Conference, the Denmark Annual Congress, and the London Veterinary Forum. Opperman founded the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association and served as president until 1993. Through his VMC School of Veterinary Practice Management, he has trained more than 250 practice managers.

Q: How much should I compensate a mobile veterinarian who wants to perform surgeries and dentals at my clinic? She'd conduct the procedures but use my clinic's equipment, staff, and drugs for her clientele.

 "The mobile doctor should charge professional fees, for example, a surgeon's fee, radiology interpretation, daily doctor care, and so on," says 

 Hospital Management Editor Mark Opperman, CVPM, owner of VMC Inc., a veterinary consulting firm in Evergreen, Colo.   "So the mobile doctor receives that income." 

He says that when a mobile veterinarian uses your facility to service her clients, she should charge your normal fees. So she should charge your fees for radiology, the operating room, hospitalization, anesthesia, and so on. And then you receive those fees.  

Opperman says that it's up to the mobile doctor whether she wishes to add amounts onto your routine hospital fees, as long as you receive your normal fees. "Keep the communication between the two of you open and your agreement simple and straightforward to help maintain the relationship," he says. 

Practice Finances

Owners

How much should I compensate a mobile veterinarian who wants to perform surgeries and dentals at my clinic? She'd conduct the procedures but use my clinic's equipment, staff, and drugs for her clientele.

Mobile compensation

Latest News