Roles

Paying equally doesn't always make sense in a partnership, especially when doctors aren't contributing in the same ways. A tiered-compensation system can account for these variances.

The world is full of contradictions. One person will say you need to do more saving for a rainy day, and the next will say you need to live in the moment and relish the joys each day brings. They may both be right. Which makes it your job to steer a path between the two.

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.

Some clients view an office visit as an opportunity to catch up on an assortment of neglected pet health problems. Use these techniques to stay on topic and on schedule.

As an employer, you want to provide the safest environment for your workers. Yet even with extreme precautions, accidents happen. Worker's compensation is designed to provide medical care and compensation to those who are injured in on-the-job accidents?and to protect employers from lawsuits resulting from workplace accidents.

How should I pay part-time veterinarians and gauge their benefits?

Use this sample collection letter as a starting point as you work to control accounts receivable.

What tax rules apply to awards given to employees for service?

How many warnings should I give, and when should I fire someone?

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.

The AVMA Executive Board recently approved a position statement on stem cells, supporting and encouraging the ethical study and use of animal stem cells for the benefit of animal and human health.

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

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.

As graduation approaches, my mind is a whirlwind of questions, concerns, and hopes. I'm ready to practice?mostly. Yet there's one topic that leaves me wary: salary. While production-based compensation and traditional salary historically have been the only two options, they each have room for improvement. But there's a third choice: the ProSal formula, developed by Hospital Management Editor Mark Opperman, CVPM. To understand why I think ProSal is right for me and other new associates, consider these pros and cons.

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

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

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

Technicians could do more to educate clients about the jobs they do, according to a recent VetMedTeam.com survey.

No one likes to feel ignored. So if your great ideas are flowing in one of your boss's ears and streaming right out the other, use these solutions to get yourself heard.

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.

I'm feeling overwhelmed and ready to quit. How can I renew my love for veterinary medicine?

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 George Washington University Law School has teamed up with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to create the Animal Law Litigation Project. The goal of the program is to train students in animal law in a real-world setting. Students will have a chance to work with the HSUS's legal staff on federal and state court cases to protect wildlife, improve the treatment of performing animals and animals used in research, and to prevent systematic mistreatment of animals in factory farms.

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.

Consider starting annual, seasonal, or quarterly events to expand your client base and retain current clients. Be creative: Make your promotions fun; make them silly!

I'm a bovine practitioner looking into ProSal compensation for my associates. I'm concerned with the percentage used to calculate the portion of the salary above the base. What percentage profit should a practice owner expect to make off of his associates?

Your veterinarian didn't go to school to learn to be a technician, receptionist, or practice manager, so don't let her act like one. Make her do her job--so you can do yours.

As graduation approaches, my mind is a whirlwind of questions, concerns, and hopes. I'm ready to practice?mostly. Yet there's one topic that leaves me wary: salary. While production-based compensation and traditional salary historically have been the only two options, they each have room for improvement. But there's a third choice: the ProSal formula, developed by Hospital Management Editor Mark Opperman, CVPM. To understand why I think ProSal is right for me and other new associates, consider these pros and cons.

When his workplace turned toxic and his partnership opportunity dried up, this doctor learned the hard way that it's better to cut your losses and move on&mdashbefore it's too late.