Roles

The Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005, introduced in the Senate (S. 1139) and House of Representatives (H.R. 2669), is designed to strengthen the regulation of the pet industry.

Starting in October, it'll be harder for people to file for personal bankruptcy under Chapter 7, says Veterinary Economics Personal Finance Editor Fritz Wood, CPA, CFP. Under Chapter 7, debtors can wipe away unsecured debts such as credit card bills after certain assets are liquidated.

Gary Morgan, a receptionist for Robert E. Lewis, a dentist in Overland Park, Kan., has a special talent: He remembers the name of most of the clients who walk through the door. And with more than 1,500 client records in the practice database, that's no small feat.

How do you know whether a newly hired team member is right for his or her job and, equally important, right for your practice? Many practice owners evaluate a new hire's job performance during a probationary period, which can last from 30 to 90 days.

End-of-the-day surgery releases can bring chaos and confusion to even the most organized veterinary teams. That's why team members at Rock Road Animal Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., developed a system to route clients through the checkout process before they're reunited with their pets.

In 23 percent of practices, credentialed technicians are responsible for most of the client's education, according to a recent survey by VetMedTeam.com. In 52 percent of practices, veterinarians handle the bulk of education, while in 19 percent of practices, veterinary assistants take charge of this task. Here's a look at the percentage of respondents who say team members discuss these issues with clients:

Frustrated with your work? Use this advice to choose the right path and take control of your career.

One technician found volunteer work was a perfect solution to renew her love for the profession.

Drs. Mark Shackelford and Lou Ann Wolfe have a few things in common: They both work at practices on the same street in Tulsa, Okla., and they both have a team member who shines. For Dr. Shackelford, that person is Kimberly Seigrist, RVT.

A medical record audit is the best way to measure how much money your practice is leaking.

Use this form to get meaningful feedback when team members leave your practice.

Preanesthetic testing helps protect your patients' health--and decreases your practice's liability. Use this form to help educate clients.

In general, the right of confidentiality belongs to the client, and you can't release information about your client or the care of a patient until your client provides written authorization or waives that right, says Dr. John Scott, attorney.

How should I handle a chronically sick employee who calls in at the last minute or struggles to come in ill? I previously switched her from hourly- to salary-based pay, and I'm considering changing her back.

"Never practice without liability insurance," says Dr. Karl Salzsieder, JD, a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member and a consultant in Kelso, Wash. "I know of one veterinarian who inadvertently let his insurance expire. Within two weeks, he had a suit that cost him $7,000 to settle."

I'm a full-time veterinarian, and my employer pays for my health insurance, which costs about $4,000 a year. I recently got married, and my husband's insurance is better. If I join my husband's policy, should I get that $4,000 benefit somewhere else in my package? Is it fair to ask my boss to add it to my salary or to add more paid vacation days in equivalent to the benefit money?

"It can be difficult for any practice to retain good employees," says Beth Montoya, hospital administrator at Pembroke Veterinary Clinic and Sajo Farm Veterinary Hospital in Virginia Beach, Va., and Great Bridge Veterinary Hospital in Chesapeake, Va. "But in areas with many strong veterinary hospitals, we have to work even harder."

Occasionally, even the best employee has a lapse in judgment. And lapses have consequences. For example, you may have reached into an empty tray of distemper vaccines on a busy Saturday, or found the practice shorthanded one afternoon.

The AVMA has released a white paper detailing its stance on using "guardian" to describe the pet owner's relationship to his or her pet.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), you must treat maternity leave the same way you do any other temporary medical leave—if you meet the following FMLA requirements:

The greatest motivation you can offer is something new and challenging to complete. So give your team members jobs that are just beyond their comfort zone, and they'll enjoy a sense of accomplishment when they complete the difficult new task.

Law firm Childress Duffy Goldblatt is considering a class action lawsuit related to over-vaccination of pets.

When you use the title your boss earned, you build respect for your team, increase your authority with clients, and lay the groundwork for a more professional workplace. And that's just for starters

A stray dog in a small Alabama town found a home and a calling visiting nursing homes with a young veterinarian.

On the Job: Pam Weakly, practice manager at Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic in Battle Creek, Mich.

When you're faced with a co-worker who's acting like a demon, these strategies will help.

The practice owner won't invest in a piece of new equipment that I think we really need. How can I convince her to buy?

Gina Toman, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and a veterinary assistant at Seaside Animal Care in Calabash, N.C., says that when you do a good job passing the client off to the receptionist after the appointment, you help prevent missed charges and improve the client's experience.

Florie is a 4-year-old, spayed female Labrador-shepherd crossbred dog. Until six months ago, Florie's medical history was unremarkable. At that time, she was diagnosed with a bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) based on the presence of hematuria and pollakiuria; she received 500 mg cephalexin orally once daily by the referring veterinarian for five days.

This new publication is brought to you from the editors of Veterinary Economics, the magazine that veterinarians turn to for the information and inspiration they need to create successful practices and coach successful teams. But Firstline is designed just for you.