Business

We're taking our practices to the next level by introducing quality control protocols. Better control means better results, which gives us the foundation we need to be more than just a good hospital; we want to be great.

Does your accounts receivable make up more than 2.5 percent of your practice's yearly gross income if you're a small animal hospital and 4 percent to 5 percent if you're equine or large animal? If so, it's time to take action.

What are the legal issues in hiring my 13-year-old daughter to work after school?

When a young couple brought their guinea pig to see this doctor, she gave them another year with Daisy. And they reminded her that every pet?no matter how big or small?deserves high-quality care.

These experts help us identify top design trends.

We asked new grad Dr. W. Andrew Rollo to team up with experienced practitioner Dr. Philip VanVranken to talk about the worries practitioners face in that first year?and what owners and associates can do to smooth the transition to practice.

The numbers prove it: Selling a part interest to your associate boosts practice value and increases your net worth?plus, this step gives you a clear succession plan. Associates: You win with a buy-in, too.

Use American Humane's Tag Day, April 1, as an opportunity to regroup and refresh your efforts to promote tags and microchips.

What should I look for in an accountant?

A form to help you determine the costs of employment, such as health insurance, continuing education, dues, license, retirement programs, and payroll taxes.

About 45 to 55 percent of a doctor's time can be spent performing non-clinical duties.

Just ask a client which part of the anesthetic monitoring or pain relieving medications you should leave out to save them money at the expense of their pet's health.

Physicians once said nurses would dilute their earning power and endanger patient safety.

Encinitas, Calif. — Communication with staff is the key to a hospital's success, Dr. Michele Drake says.

Like it or not, lay people can learn to competently perform many routine tasks.

It can be helpful for you to spend time in each type of practice before making your decision.

Use this sample veterinarian evaluation form as a launching pad for written employee performance reviews or as a self-evaluation tool.

Only about 80 percent of time slots will be accomplished despite the best plans, but it's better than 20 percent without a plan.

Dr. Tim McAughan, a 1978 graduate of Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine, is no stranger to buying and building facilities. In 1985, he started a practice in a retail center, then moved it to a new facility. In 1997, he bought a second practice in a retail center in Spring, Texas. That, too, needed a freestanding home, he says.

Well-managed practices work on management issues proactively, looking for ways to improve and innovate rather than just responding to the fires that arise each day. Of course, striving for excellence isn't a one-person job. And getting your team involved in finding better ways to serve clients is a great first step to being more proactive.

Sometimes these employees are simply in the wrong job. If so, just redeploy them.

Q I'm a recent graduate, and I find that the clients I see have no preference for which doctor examines their pet. How can I develop my own clientele?

The rising cost of health care is taking a bigger chunk of the pie when it comes to the total compensation employers pay to employees.

Valley Animal Hospital in Roanoke, Va., helped people looking for love as well as abused animals by hosting a "Speed-Dating for Pet Lovers" night. The fundraiser was for the clinic's SPIRIT fund, which defrays veterinary care expenses for abused animals. "We hosted it as a typical speed-dating setup but participants had to have a pet, and the admittance picture had to be of the owner and pet together," says owner Dr. James Poage.

A new campaign launched by the American Association of Equine Practitioners and Fort Dodge Animal Health aims to let owners know their horses should get exams twice a year—in the spring and fall.

Take one IV bag, stir in a concerned client, and add a dash of helpful team member.

Q What's the typical turnover rate for front-office team members? How do I know if my turnover's too high?

How one practice successfully promotes dental care.

In November, President Bush signed into law an addition to the Agriculture Appropriations Bill that supports the development of open technology so all scanners can read all microchips.

"Accounts receivable in most small animal hospitals should never exceed 2.5 percent of the yearly gross income. For equine and other large animal hospitals, 4 percent to 5 percent of gross revenue is the norm," says Gary Glassman, CPA, a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member and partner with Burzenski and Co. PC in East Haven, Conn. Most practices struggle because they lack good procedures to ensure collection, he says.