Business

Several years ago I attended a seminar entitled "Employee Discipline and Performance Mistakes." Afterwards, I wrote up a simple, step-by-step plan for dealing with common employee discipline problems, like tardiness, not following the dress code or standards of conduct, failing to compete tasks or checklists.

Professional reward... is closely aligned with a thoughtfully managed hospital.

Negative incentives can also be enforced, like subtractions for tardiness... and incomplete worksheets.

Baby steps won't get you the facility of your dreams, these doctors say. Take the plunge, anticipate your future needs, and center the entire plan on your practice mission.

All doctors who plan to build hear from colleagues who've been there before that they should build bigger than they think they need to. Drs. Kate Knutson and Steve Barghusen took those words to heart--working in an extra 3,700 square feet for future expansion.

Teaching proper dental care is part of the program at Pet Crossing Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic in Bloomington, Minn. And they aren't just teaching their staff members. Co-owners Drs. Katherine Knutson and Stephen Barghusen are using a dental lecture series to help practices statewide improve their standard of dental care and improve client compliance.

Bringing on a new associate, making an associate a partial owner, selling out to an existing associate or bringing in an outside owner all will change the dynamics within a team.

Practice owners need to strategize on employee compensation.

Englewood, Colo.-Dr. Patricia N. Olson will lead the Morris Animal Foundation as its executive director.

The point is to increase the risk of detection to a point that most of those with the inclination to steal will be discouraged.

How do we reconcile that financial limitations are a significant burden to our patients?

You must consider your ability to continue investing through periods of high and low price levels.

There ought to be a long line waiting to "pony up" for the good of the profession.

Generally sales taxes apply on the sale of just about anything to just about anyone.

Plan now to simplify year-end tax preparation

Our society is losing the war on obesity. And bad eating habits have spilled into the pet population. No matter how hard you preach, many clients don't seem to heed the warnings. In fact, client compliance with nutritional recommendations for therapeutic foods ranks at a dismal 12 percent compliance rate out of the the 59 percent of all dogs and cats that have visited a veterinarian and would benefit from treatment with a therapeutic diet, according to last year's American Animal Hospital Association's (AAHA) study. It was the worst compliance category. The survey estimates lost revenue in excess of $110,000 per veterinarian per year for therapeutic pet foods alone.

Setting goals for saving and developing a plan early helped these doctors develop the perfect new facility for West Park Animal Hospital just six inches away.

Screening senior cats for evidence of renal insufficiency is a rewarding undertaking.

Alex Martin was raised in a dog-friendly home. As a child, he shared a bedroom with his brother and a 60-lb Labrador retriever. Most of his family photos include various dogs the family owned over the years, but no cats are in the portraits. "Cats hung around the house, but were never considered part of the family," Martin says.

My annual visit compliance has skyrocketed to 94% within 18 months of sending out reminder cards.

Dogs can't wait to get through the front door of Chanhassen Veterinary Clinic in Chanhassen, Minn. For 12 years, the clinic has been throwing free puppy parties in its reception area. And month after month the team finds that when you correct unwanted puppy behavior with a reward-based approach, you build long-lasting family bonds, and in the process, pets' bonds with the practice and with other pets. “Puppies literally come running into the clinic looking for their party pals,” says Dr. Deanne McCabe, one of three practice owners.

Manhattan, Kan. -Kansas State University (KSU) researchers say recent water samples they've taken in the Kansas River basin indicate that current treatment methods aren't good enough to eliminate common antibiotics in the state's surface waters.

Your homework assignment: Learn and apply the following practice mathematical rules and ratios by this time next month.

our practice budget is a living, breathing, vibrant part of the practice. It is the underpinning of successful implementation of the practice mission statement and business plan.

Last year our purchased feed costs ran over $6 per hundredweight of milk. That number is just killing us. You've got to find a way to get that down, or we're going to be out of business."

When the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, or Check 21 as it is called, was signed into law last fall, few veterinarians noticed.

A new design that emphasizes natural light and delivers a commanding presence in the neighborhood led to a 40 percent increase in business for the 5,750-square-foot Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles.

This doctor's scheduling strategy minimizes problems caused by late and no-show clients

What can we say about fees and fee structure that hasn't already been said?

Dr. Allen Thomas walked swiftly through the hotel corridor. Above him a sign announced a gala event in Ballroom C for all registered veterinarians.