Columns

Discrimination in the workplace takes many forms and is destructive emotionally, mentally and physically.

I read a blog post by a Hispanic veterinarian who shared her experience of navigating racial and gender discrimination in practice. I found myself nodding along at her story and pondering all the similar stories I have heard over the years from practitioners who said clients told them their animals “didn’t like [insert group of […]

Confident financial conversations are a team effort and serve to prioritize the pet.

Ten years ago, I gave a conference presentation on the still-relevant topic “Talking to Clients About Treatment Plans and Fees.” The catalyst for this article is what I’ve witnessed recently while working with several excellent practice teams: a focus on giving options to clients and saving money rather than concentrating on patient advocacy and the […]

A passive approach to Facebook won’t win you any fans. You need to engage with your audience through content that is fresh, inviting and enjoyable.

Facebook isn’t just a social media platform, it’s THE social media platform. Despite recent tremors that have invoked fundamental questions as to what responsibility Facebook has to monitor both users and content, Facebook users worldwide have steadily increased every year since 2008. In fact, as of the third quarter of 2018, Facebook had 2.27 billion […]

Your practice’s injury history goes a long way in determining insurance costs, but a good risk-management program can pay off down the line.

Workers’ compensation insurance is a form of no-fault coverage developed specifically to provide medical and wage-replacement benefits to employees who are injured or become ill on the job. In addition, injured employees might be eligible for temporary or permanent disability, vocational rehabilitation or death benefits. In exchange, employees surrender their right to bring negligence claims […]

Single- and multistory buildings have their pros and cons. Do you know which design is generally the best?

A reader question came up regarding the viability of multistory hospitals. Given a choice, is it better for a clinic to be on a single floor or on multiple levels? Practice owners, of course, have nowhere to go but up in some instances. Think small sites and locations in dense urban areas where ground floors […]

Whether clinical volume went up, down, sideways or back and forth depended mostly on where a veterinary practice did business.

Welcome to The Vetalytix Report for the fourth and final quarter of 2018. Throughout the year, we have highlighted the significant variation in economics and market dynamics that impact veterinary communities across the nation. We observed sluggish volume in the first part of 2018 in many areas, followed by significant improvement and growth as the […]

How hospital owners are paid — and how much — depends on the responsibilities they hold and the budgets and policies that are in place.

Veterinary practice owners often see their hospital as more than an investment. For many, it is a passion, a calling or a life choice. Few private buyers acquire a hospital with a primary goal of making as much money as possible. The money is important, of course, but creating a legacy is sometimes of equal […]

Whether you support it or not, telehealth is here to stay.

An important moment passed us by without much fanfare. At the Connexity conference in September 2018, the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association jointly produced a how-to guide on telehealth. “The Real-Life Rewards of Virtual Care” outlines step-by-step instructions for implementing telehealth tools, what to consider in terms of technology and […]

The veterinary profession must and can do better with well-being. An incremental approach would get us turned around.

I am a big believer in innovation. Breakthrough ideas are inspiring, exciting and energizing. I look for opportunities to challenge the status quo; there’s always a better way to do things. That said, I try not to underestimate the power of incrementalism — one step at a time, bit by bit. While it’s not as […]

Being able to see any situation from a calmer and more balanced vantage point is one rung on the ladder to achieving flow.

This column has focused on exploring flow, that state of complete clarity and awareness in which you feel most enlivened and operate from a state of relaxed ease and, even, bliss. This time, let’s look at the role of centering as a step in achieving flow. Centering is a way to calm the mind and […]