“Ignorance of the law excuses no man from practicing it,” wrote, Addison Mizner, a 19th century architect. This quote is appropriate to Wes Ishmael’s article. It says many producers and some veterinarians are still unaware of how critical the veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) and veterinary feed directive (VFD) are to future production practices. Source: Beef, … [Read more...]
High-intensity emotions affect our work
For most workers the physical effort we exert in our day jobs does not warrant the fatigue we feel at day’s end. Learn how high-intensity emotions affect our energy in this informative article. Source: Harvard Business Review, Managing Yourself, February 1, 2016. Whether you’re getting amped up with anxiety or with excitement, you are draining yourself of your most … [Read more...]
Become a fantastic listener
Active listening is a challenge for most animal health professionals. Our attention and intentions are frequently distractions from truly hearing what another person has to say. This article offers guidance for becoming a better listener. Source: Lead Change Group, February 1, 2016. Most of us think that we are average to good listeners. Unfortunately, that is the status we … [Read more...]
CE and job satisfaction connected for vet techs
The current veterinary technician turnover rate is 35 percent and the average term of employment is 12 years, according to metrics in this article. Practice managers and veterinary hospital owners will find the information valuable as they seek to retain veterinary technicians as vet tech positions are projected to continue growing. Source: The NAVTA Journal, Dec/Jan 2016, … [Read more...]
Passive-aggressive behavior and team dynamics
We bring all of our life experiences into the workplace. Learning early to avoid conflict or swallow our opinions or feelings can lead to passive-aggressive behavior in workplace teams. Whether a team member, team leader or team supporter, this article brings perspective to dousing conflicts directly. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 25, 2016. The majority of teams … [Read more...]
Top 5 Indications for fluid therapy
Lisa M. Powell, DVM, offers a great review of fluid therapies and when they’re critical. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, January 26, 2016, weekly newsletter. Fluid therapy, a mainstay treatment, is indicated in a variety of disease states that may result in mild dehydration to severe hypovolemic shock. Depending on the disease and its severity, fluids administered either … [Read more...]
AAHA’s Cavanaugh eyes 2016
Mike Cavanaugh, AAHA CEO, emphasizes using resources in the supply chain and communicating with clients in this Q and A piece. Source: Veterinary Advantage, January 2016 Digital Issue, page 12. The vehicles we use for communicating with clients offer incredible opportunities for us to stay in touch in between appointments and educate our clients on the importance of … [Read more...]
Lead in water is dangerous
Experts report that lead content in some municipal water systems is high. This article on human risk begs for a reference about pet risk. It’s not only a problem in cities. Lead also occurs in some rural systems where urban sprawl has created the need to tap old well water and rural water delivery systems. We offer two references for veterinary hospital teams to … [Read more...]
Use travel time productively
Animal health pros are on the move during the first quarter of each year attending conventions, national sales meetings, CE events and the like. Maintaining productivity while traveling is challenging. This article offers ideas on how to use wisely use travel time. Source: Harvard Business Review, November 5, 2015. Travel has become a standard part of many professionals’ … [Read more...]
Zoobiquity at NAVC
Aratana Therapeutics hosted Dr. Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, co-authors of Zoobiquity for a live presentation of their experiences linking connections between human and animal health. Natterson-Horowitz referenced pathologies shared by non-humans and people which are not explicitly infectious such as breast cancer, heart failure, obesity and self-injury. Source: … [Read more...]
NAVC notes
The 33rd annual NAVC Conference drew 17,328 attendees setting a new attendance record. The 2017 conference will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, February 4 – 8. Source: Inside NAVC, January 19, 2016. INSIDE NAVC is the official newspaper of the NAVC Conference. This tabloid, published on-site and distributed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday … [Read more...]
WSAVA updates vaccination guidelines
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association guideline changes reflect the growing attitude that a one-size-fits-all approach is impractical. The guidelines redefine core vaccines from a global perspective and supports an adjustment to boosters based on scientific evidence, such as maternal anti-bodies. Source: Veterinary Practice News, January 12, 2016. . Compared with … [Read more...]
Defusing emotional conversations
Opinion differences are inevitable when working together. Ron Friedman, Ph.D. shares a strategy for times when conversations become so emotionally charged they have nothing to do with the issues at hand. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 12, 2016. What do you do when a conversation is spiraling out of control? When you’ve tried all the patient listening you can … [Read more...]
Editorial – The bright side of sleep
The infographic caught my attention in this blog. It reminds me of a video once presented by a health insurer during a company meeting. If you have not discussed the importance of sleep with your hospital team or your representatives, consider this as a reminder. (No commercial intention in this post.) Source: Nuyu Blog, 12/22/15. Sleep is a natural part of life and … [Read more...]
Holding people accountable
Peter Bregman hones in on five areas of clarity that foster accountability in those around us. Whether you’re the president or dog walker, these help. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 11, 2016. Accountability is not simply taking the blame when something goes wrong. It’s not a confession. Accountability is about delivering on a commitment. It’s responsibility to an … [Read more...]
Curling lips mean what?
Sent by a subscriber, this is a serious, yet comical look at lip curling. The links are fun, too. Veterinary team members will enjoy sharing this with clients via websites or blogs. Enjoy! Source: Slate, January 12, 2016. The flehmen response is a scent-sucking mechanism employed by many mammalian species. It’s easy to mistake the behavior for aggression, since the animal … [Read more...]
Coupon use trending to digital
Goodbye cut-out and print coupons. Welcome digital point-of-choice incentives. This article follows our recent references to millennials and their mobile-based preferences. More concerning than a change in point-of-sale promotions is the reference to no planning and the “get-it-now” mentality. Clearly changes are underway. Animal health retailers, dispensing DVMs and … [Read more...]
Bad, costly phone calls
Lifetime value is the theme in this article by Dr. Wendy Myers. She outlines sound information, including economics, that support training and skills reinforcement for veterinary clinic employees who talk to clients on the phone. Source: Animal Health Solutions, January 2016, page 24. A bad phone call can cost your clinic as much as $13,000. When interested pet owners … [Read more...]
Top 5 Topical dermatologic therapies
What goes around comes around. This peer-reviewed article discusses a renaissance for topical therapies. Veterinarians and sales personnel will appreciate its content. Source: Clinician’s Brief, December 2015. Topical therapy is of renewed interest in veterinary dermatology, both as primary short-term treatment and as an intervention that can prevent or reduce the frequency … [Read more...]
Marketing annual wellness plans
Most veterinary hospitals offer wellness plans or pet insurance brochures. A takeaway from this article is to support one or two of them and present them to clients from all points of contact in the practice. The article outlines strategic and tactical elements to consider. Remember that wellness plans positively impact compliance to veterinary recommendations and remove some … [Read more...]
Handling euthanasia in practice
Veterinarians are the only medical professionals licensed to euthanize. While a professional privilege, euthanasia also comes with significant responsibility to handle it properly, according to the authors. This article reads like a training manual for establishing and managing euthanasia in a veterinary hospital. Mary Gardner, DVM and Dani McVety, DVM, offer a five-stage … [Read more...]
Clearing up VFD confusion
Learn what is critical in the short term and what’s to come in 2016 from this review. Source: Beef Magazine, January 2016, page 36. Keep in mind that veterinarians will only be able to authorize label uses of the VFD antibiotics. Currently, any use of a feed drug other than according to the label is illegal. INSIGHTS: The noise about VFD slowed during the holidays. In … [Read more...]
Revamping your social media sites for 2016
Managing social media is not a priority to many of us. Learn key practices to update your personal or professional information to refresh your social media presence in this article. Source: Forbes, December 28, 2015. A lot can happen in a year, and there’s a decent chance that some of the information on your social media accounts is out of date. Take a look at your location … [Read more...]
Electric locks, windows pose threat for traveling pets
Simple things are often easy to forget. This story reminds us that pets can be injured if electric windows and locks in automobiles are not locked out. This is good information for veterinary teams to share with clients. Source: Whole Dog Journal, December 23, 2015. How many of you have electric windows in your car? If you do, and your dog can reach the window, you should … [Read more...]
Back to Basics: The importance of fundamentals
Whether we create product SKUs or provide a service, the basics matter. Becky Morgan, president of Fulcrum Consulting Works Inc., reminds us of the importance of focusing on the basics in this post. Source: Industry Week, December 24, 2015. Customer loyalty rely on “the experience,” which includes receiving an accurate invoice and the what/when/how many ordered being … [Read more...]
How Apple’s Trojan horse will eat the credit card industry
Lower fees, better service, and faster transactions. We won’t need to carry paper money and credit cards any more – just our cellphones. Can it be real? More secure? Can we trust it? All this and more is presented in this intriguing story relevant to anyone who carries credit cards or accepts them at their businesses. Source: Washington Post, December 21, 2015. Apple Pay … [Read more...]
How to show clients sincere empathy
Actively listening is critical to effective person-to-person communications. The level of empathy needed when talking with clients is often determined by how much emotion is present. This is a good article for veterinary hospital teams to discuss during staff meetings. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, November/December 2015. Providing clients with sincere and genuine empathy … [Read more...]
Are confident people more productive?
Stephen Covey said, “The first choice we make each and every day is, ‘Will we act upon life, or will we merely be acted upon?’” Most of us at struggle with acting confidently. Carol Tate, founder of Working Simply, discusses confidence and its relationship to productivity in this thought-filled read. She says, “Confident people are productive and it’s a self-catalyzing … [Read more...]
How to figure out your most productive time of day based on your sleep habits
We’ve all heard and said things like, “There’ll be time to sleep when I die,” or “My mind decides to run when normal people sleep.” In Lessons Learned by Stephanie Vozza we learn from Teofilo Lee-Chiong, that “optimal sleep requires proper duration, quality, consolidation and timing. Disruption to any of these four essential elements of sleep causes a person to wake up feeling … [Read more...]
Improving and measuring compliance in your practice
It seems our industry has been beating the compliance drums for at least two decades. Still, with all this effort, it boils down to managing action. In this series installment, respected, well-known financial experts in the veterinary business share expertise and experiences focused on pharmacy, nutrition and data. Source: Animal Health Solutions, December 2015, page 11. Is … [Read more...]