Americans have unwelcome eight-legged visitors from the East, and they're here to stay. The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, is a indigenous to Asia. This tick species has already turned up in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, where it's been found on domestic animals and wildlife, … [Read more...]
New invasive tick threatens humans and animals
The Asian longhorned tick is the first invasive tick in the U.S. in about 80 years. It was found on an Icelandic sheep in New Jersey and has since been found on pets, livestock, wildlife and people in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The CDC reports there is no evidence the tick has spread pathogens to humans, … [Read more...]
How to respond if you keep getting interrupted at meetings
Whether during a group meeting or during a one-on-one conversation, getting interrupted is frustrating and sometimes demoralizing. The impact of being interrupted tends to be most negative when it prevents you from finishing a thought. Preparation for interruptions is key, shares Tania Luna. She offers ways to navigate the various norms in different situations. Source: Fast … [Read more...]
Follow Animal Health Digest on LinkedIn
Our AHD team invites you to follow AHD on LinkedIn <link>. Each week we provide three posts featuring the current AHD Bulletin, the most-read current post and the most-read posts from the same week one and two years previously. It’s not our intent to overwhelm social media with myriad posts. Rather we strive to be judicious in providing current and historically relevant … [Read more...]
Would you treat your mother that way? (includes podcast)
As a customer service expert, Jeanne Bliss has spent her career helping major companies learn how to behave in the best interests of the consumer. She recently explained how increased competition makes customer service more important than ever for businesses that want to grow. “We’re finding that the more high-tech we get, the more humanity we need.” Source: Knowledge at … [Read more...]
Educational debt is common for DVMs (infographic)
The 2018 dvm360 Student Debt Survey results showed that student debt loads are common through the years. The survey also sought to understand how DVMs are managing this debt and how they feel about it. Source: DVM 360, November 8, 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Take a few minutes to understand the colors in legend. A significant number of DVMs are pinching pennies, not saving for … [Read more...]
More than backup needed for good computer security
There is no 100 percent guarantee to make computers and networks secure,. However, you can take steps to provide reasonable security, writes Joseph Axne. He offers seven areas to determine if your hospital or business has security gaps that need filling. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, December 2018/January 2019, page 8. Link. Using a layered approach to computer … [Read more...]
AAHA updates its Standards of Accreditation
The standards are continually reviewed and updated by experts to ensure they promote cutting-edge best practices in practice management and veterinary medicine. AAHA Red provided some of the changes going into effect for accreditation evaluations scheduled January 1, 2019 and beyond. Source: AAHA Red, November 5, 2018. Link. Review the changes online … [Read more...]
The 9-Minute Rule for customer satisfaction (includes video)
Improving animal owner experiences is important to increasing customer satisfaction and retention. Jessica Molina, PHR, CVPM, CCFP, shares the 9-Minute Rule that aims to improve customer relations and increase positive performance reviews on social media. Customers look for instant gratification and often feel forgotten if they are waiting too long. Source: VHMA, Practice Tip … [Read more...]
An upside to a disturbing canine blood donor story
Beyond the negative press about a canine blood supply company is a significant community-based opportunity. The public exposure of housing conditions for donor dogs prompted Dr. Nicholas Dodman to ask dog lovers to consider the best practices for blood donation. Veterinarians can encourage their clients to volunteer large, healthy dogs occasionally to have their blood drawn … [Read more...]
Pet ownership continues to climb, AVMA findings
The 2017-2018 edition of the Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook found that nearly 57 percent of all U.S. households owned a pet at end of 2016. Of those, 38 percent owned one or more dogs, 25 percent owned one or more cats. More than 13 percent of U.S. households owned a specialty or exotic pet in 2016, a 25 percent increase from 2011. The incidence of poultry owned … [Read more...]
3 things all emails should include
You probably don’t put much thought into crafting an email. This means it’s likely you are making some potentially embarrassing mistakes. Most of us have not been trained on crafting good emails making them ripe for misuse. As communication tools like instant messaging are added to the workplace, the purpose and strength of email has started to shift, says Nick Morgan. ““Text … [Read more...]
5 problems with inventory—and ways to solve them
Nicole Clausen, CSGGB, brings inventory management back to basics and shares five problems and how to address them. Is your problem “too much” or “not enough”? Is your problem “too many”? Is your problem “too price-y”? Is your problem “not enough info”? Is your problem “not enough money”? Source: VETTED, October 17, 2018. Link. Inventory is like a … [Read more...]
Opinion: Not my problem: A moral philosophy
I’m including this as food for thought. At first, I thought maybe Jessica Wildfire was on to something that made sense. And it does, but only to a certain point. That point for me was when Wildfire wrote, “Sure, he might cause a major disaster. But that disaster isn’t your problem.” Constantly bailing out others might help your boss, or your company. But it doesn’t help … [Read more...]
Navigate the gray areas of what constitutes sexual harassment
Much negative reaction to women’s voices being raised about sexual harassment stems from a lack of understanding about what exactly constitutes harassment. Because there is a lot of gray area in determining mild to serious forms of gender-based offenses, Kathleen Kelley Reardon developed the Spectrum of Sexual Misconduct at Work (SSMW). It helps people define and differentiate … [Read more...]
Working with people who lack self-awareness
Self-awareness, knowing who we are and how we’re seen is important for job performance, career success and leadership effectiveness. It is in remarkably short supply in today’s workplace, writes Tasha Eurich, PhD. She offers perspectives and ways to deal with challenges caused by self-awareness issues. . . . although 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10 to 15% … [Read more...]
VetPartners; Benefits of a loyalty program
Managing the client churn rate is important to develop and maintain practice income. Loyalty programs can be effective retention vehicles. Existing customers have the potential to spend more. A lot more!” Stacee Santi, DVM Source: VetPartners Blog, October 11, 2018. Link. Not all loyalty programs are created equal, and if you aren't strategic about it, you can easily build a … [Read more...]
How Amazon may shape the packaging of products you sell
Tide just announced its new Eco-Box, an alternative to the classic bottle of laundry detergent. It’s still soap. It is also a look as to how Amazon and other e-commerce retailers are dictating what stuff looks like. This new box is designed to work well with e-commerce, ship well and be more environmentally friendly. It ships without secondary boxing or bubblewrap, is lighter … [Read more...]
Antimicrobial resistance: hospitals, farms share more than you think
Antibiotic exposure is inescapable and makes antibiotic resistance a reality we can’t avoid. We share a lot of bugs and resistance genes, but we also may share a lot of solutions,” Bill Pomputius says. “Our use of antibiotics accelerates the pace at which antibiotic resistance emerges and spreads in bacteria through both evolution and selective pressure.” Source: PORK, … [Read more...]
Ways to use CliftonStrengths to improve your employee experiences
Employee satisfaction, advancement and retention are great challenges in the animal health business. Gallup identified seven life cycle stages during which employers can affect the employee experience the most. Applying a strengths-based* approach at each stage of the life cycle can ultimately result in an improved employee experience. It's up to managers and their leaders to … [Read more...]
Don’t let rodent control slip through the cracks
Mice and rats are looking for warmer digs and can sneak into any building anywhere. Elizabeth Ferry and Casey Zangaro write about pest control with a dairy view and their assertions fit scenarios animal health pros often encounter. Rodents have been recorded to carry up to 45 diseases than can easily be transmitted to farm animals if they are in the same vicinity Source: … [Read more...]
Future is bright for veterinary technicians
There are plenty of doors waiting for you to open and explore, writes Ann K. Johnson, LVT. about opportunities for veterinary technicians. We agree! Veterinary medicine changes every day. Some days by leaps and bounds … others by micro-steps. There’s a place for veterinary technicians within all of these changes. Source: FIRSTLINE, June 2017. Link. Many technicians start out … [Read more...]
Ethical conflict and moral distress widespread in veterinary practices
According to survey results, veterinarians report widespread ethical conflict and moral distress across many practice types and demographics. Most veterinarians have little to no training on how to decrease the impact of these problems. Source: Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, August 6, 2018. Link. Ethical conflict and resulting moral distress may be an important … [Read more...]
NEW! AAHA announces infection control, prevention, and biosecurity guidelines
The first 2018 AAHA Infection Control, Prevention, and Biosecurity Guidelines offer practical standard operating procedures (SOPs) to guide veterinary teams in creating truly clean and safe environments. A focus on infection control measures in veterinary practices is essential, now more than ever, especially with the increase in emerging and antimicrobial resistant … [Read more...]
Considering blood pressure with routine exams
When it comes to veterinary patient care, blood pressure is seldom included in a routine preventive physical examination. Brenda Tassava, CVPM, CVJ, VLCE, discusses the benefits, challenges and establishing protocols. This is a great topic for a team meeting. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, October 2018. Link. Take Action notes: As a team, consider cases where BP … [Read more...]
Opinion – Exploration of veterinary shortages in the wake of the Veterinary Feed Directive
The findings in this report offer no great surprise. Many geographic areas were identified across the United States where food animal veterinary services may be inadequate to implement the Veterinary Feed Directive and meet other producer needs. Consider however, many animal health pros believe the VFD is the tip of the iceberg for antibiotic vigilance. What happens when … [Read more...]
Put your phone down (includes video)
Emerging research shows that even the simple presence of a cell phone, much less its glowing screen and constant beeps, interrupts our ability to connect. Though it may seem awkward and uncomfortable, our collective response to these behaviors will establish new norms of modern courtesy. Source: Ascend. Link. Consider setting rules for phone use during meetings. Agree to … [Read more...]
AAHA’s Newly Accredited Practices
Working to achieve the AAHA Accredited status is a significant milestone for veterinary clinic teams. The following veterinary hospitals met the accredited standards from September 14 to October 12. Congratulations to: VCA Battle Creek Veterinary Services, Salem, OR VCA Iris Animal Hospital, Keizer, OR Animal Hospital of Garland, Garland, TX Plaza Veterinary … [Read more...]
Praise: the magic elixir
There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying the experience of a compliment. Do we need to be able to receive praise well? Not in the same way that we need air to breathe or a roof over our heads, but it certainly makes for a better experience at work (or life in genera!) when you're able to receive and appreciate the value of a compliment. Source: forbes.com, October 23, … [Read more...]
VHMA blogs enlighten
For some animal health pros, the roles and responsibilities of veterinary hospital managers are not well known. Each month, the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association posts on two blogs and researches a topic. We’re linking to the most recent editions of The Champion’s Corner and Practice Pulse which contains the VHMA’s Insiders’ Insight Report. Source: VHMA, October 2018. … [Read more...]