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Mark Opperman

Mark Opperman

CVPM

About the Author

Practice Smarter columnist Mark Opperman is the president and founder of Veterinary Management Consultation Inc., director of veterinary practice management at Mission Veterinary Partners, and founder of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. His column won first place in the Florida Magazine Association’s 2020 Charlie Awards.

Written By This Author

Veterinary Education

Student Sentiments

Our profession’s future veterinarians have many questions and concerns.

Practice Management

Rise to the Challenge

Some issues complicating a practice manager’s job are within the person’s control, while others require a clinic owner’s involvement.

Human Resources

4 Staffing Solutions

Rethink how you use veterinary team members and schedule appointments. Vendors can assist with some back-office tasks.

Practice Management

In Our Employees We Trust

If you delegate something, you as the practice owner or manager are ultimately responsible for it. You must ensure that things are done correctly.

Practice Management

All for a Good Cause

Charitable groups need to know that while you want to be supportive, your practice does not have unlimited funds.

Finance

How to Counter Fee Feedback

Paying team members, increasing salaries, maintaining the clinic, purchasing new equipment and enhancing profits require you to increase your fees.

Practice Management

It’s Checkup Time for Your Practice

Bonding rate is the percentage of clients who return within 18 months of their last visit.

Practice Management

The Next Chapter

Our profession has done well during the pandemic. We need to continue to do well after it.

Innovation/Technology

Improve Your Feel for Fees

Not raising your fees annually or every six months is not a sound business decision.

Practice Management

Less Is More

Having an appropriate management team in place would fall under the umbrella of practicing smarter, not harder.

Practice Management

Learn to Share

Veterinary teams deserve more than a paycheck. Employees need to know the financials, be thanked, and hear what they can do to improve the practice’s performance and their own.

Practice Management

My Dog Broke His Leg

Sure, veterinary practices are super busy, but curtly turning away emergency cases or making pet owners endure long, silent waits won’t endear clients to your hospital. Video or audio visits, anyone?

Practice Management

Diminishing Returns

A client bonding rate of 60% is nothing to celebrate. Use surveys, mystery shoppers, reminders and other tactics to get pet owners to come back to your clinic time after time.

Practice Management

Switching Gears

COVID-19 forced veterinary practices to forgo clinic walk-ins and instead move to parking lot transfers. You can make such non-traditional interactions even better for the client.

Finance

Don’t Shortchange Yourself

Practice owners, just like their staff, deserve fair compensation. Revenue is key, of course, but you can increase it by regularly adjusting your fee schedules and eliminating giveaways.

Finance

It’s Self-Exam Time

All hospitals need an occasional health check. Dive into the numbers, inspect the surroundings and review your digital presence to discover what ails your practice.

Human Resources

Who’s managing your practice?

Employees can’t run on autopilot. They need proper training, oversight and feedback. You’re not doing your job if policies aren’t enforced and necessary discipline isn’t meted out.

Practice Management

What really, really annoys me

Common mistakes veterinary practice managers make in running their veterinary clinics.

Human Resources

You’re Not a Babysitter

Veterinary practice managers are hired to manage. Often, the best approach is to direct team members to make decisions and resolve conflicts on their own.

Practice Management

Be an employer of choice

Modest improvements in benefits or pay, or both, can pay off when it comes to recruiting and retaining employees. An incentive program can help.

Practice Ownership

You owe it to yourself

Practice owners need to be fairly compensated. A four-tier formula is the answer.

Practice Management

Pro on ProSal

Production-based compensation, when implemented correctly, is a win-win for the veterinarian and the practice owner.

Practice Management

Be of service

Excellent customer service is not rocket science.

Finance

An inside job

Many embezzlements occur because a practice has not implemented appropriate internal controls.

Patient Care

Watch and learn

Having a checklist can help make sure all the information gathered by the team member is communicated to the doctor.

Merchandising

Take Better Control of Your Inventory

Errors in how much you choose to stock and in how you track and price products could cost you a significant amount of money.

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