15 time-savers for the whole team

It's 9 a.m. and you're doing the exact same task you did yesterday at 9 a.m. You do the same things the same way you've always done them simply because that's the way they've always been done. Your fellow team members are probably just as frustrated as you are and the likely result is that no one's happy.

Ready to change your ways and create a more efficient practice? You can't do it alone. In order to make any progress in your practice, your whole team needs to work together and support change. Team members, this means you need to recognize that your manager's on your side and you need to be sure to voice your opinions and ideas. Managers, it's your job to empower and encourage your team to find more efficient systems—systems that can be implemented without your supervision. Here are 15 ideas to get you started.

Receptionists and assistants

1 Create an automated prescription line for refills. This allows you to focus on clients who need more in-depth assistance. Automated prescription lines also can be a boon for assistants. In our practice, exam room assistants run our pharmacy. If a client wants to refill a prescription the doctor didn't designate to be refilled, we can note this in our communication log. Then the doctor can note, "OK to refill." This way our assistants don't need to run around the hospital to track down the doctor and find out if the prescription can be refilled.

2 Send text messages to remind clients about appointments. Some of your clients may appreciate text messages because they're quicker than a phone conversation, and they save you time too. Software is available to allow you to message clients efficiently.

Technicians

3 Create pre-prepared medical treatment plans. Creating estimate templates for routine care, such as dental procedures, spays, and gastrointestinal upset cases will help you save time in the long run.

4 Leverage your team properly. Technicians, you need to properly use veterinary assistants' skills. You also need to remind veterinarians to leverage your own skills when appropriate.

5 Use chemical sedation when necessary. It's a common mistake to think sedation might take too long. After all, wrangling an aggressive pet can be a time-consuming process too. Plus it can be dangerous for the pet and you. What's more, team members frequently think cat wrangling is neccessary and that's simply not true. The American Association of Feline Practitioners' new Feline Friendly Handling Guidelines offer advice for appropriate use of sedation.

Practice managers

6 Schedule office time just for you. Even if it's only for an hour, this "no-bother" rule gives you the time to focus uninterrupted on your important practice tasks.

7 Take advantage of direct deposit. Skip the trip to the bank and use technology to handle practice accounts whenever possible.

8 Eliminate bad employees. Dealing with problem employees is a huge time-waster. Fire your terrible team members and focus on making the good employees even better. That difficult team member could be a perfect fit at a veterinary practice—just not yours.

All team members

9 Share and tell. The most important tool in your arsenal is communication. If one team member seems overwhelmed, talk about what each team member has on his or her plate and redistribute tasks.

10 Discuss payment options before treatments. The last thing you want is to treat a patient and then realize the client can't pay the bill. Post links on your websites to the pet insurance programs your practice recommends. Also provide handouts on insurance and payment plans at wellness visits and in puppy and kitten kits.

It's helpful to designate one team member to handle financial conversations. This team member also can be responsible for updating clients daily about their hospitalized patients and the related costs.

11 Prepare pet owners with handouts. Provide educational handouts on a variety of topics—including parasite control and prevention, as well as preferred websites—so you can further educate your clients and streamline your practice. Arming pet owners with appropriate information helps prevent conflict that can happen when they bring up incorrect information from less-than-credible sources.

12 Automate tasks in practice management software. Your software may allow you to create follow-up lists and auto attach the number of days when the follow-up should occur. For a spay appointment, you could automate the system to remind you to perform a follow-up call. This way your list of callbacks is in your software rather than your head, and you can look up the reason for the pet's visit.

13 Integrate your in-house lab system to input directly into your electronic medical records. This saves time and prevents inputting errors.

14 Use software that allows you to receive faxes as e-mails. There's an environmental benefit to using less paper, plus paper can be misplaced. And if faxed patient medical records are received as e-mails, you can automatically attach them to your electronic medical records.

15 Explain the euthanasia process early. As touchy and as painful as this can be, you absolutely streamline the process when you discuss the financial component and the body care component ahead of time. Consider the conversations you can have early to lay foundations and prepare clients for what they're going to be facing emotionally and financially.

Savor your safe place

You won't end every day with a finished to-do list but don't dwell on what you didn't get done. An important component of time management is acknowledging and celebrating your successes. To avoid stress overload, take a minute at the end of each day to support each other. For example, you might say to a co-worker, "What a crazy day we had. I really appreciate everything you do." Focusing on the achievements will raise morale and get everyone excited to tackle each new day as a team.

Marianne Mallonee is the hospital administrator and one of the owners of Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colo. Send questions or comments to firstline@advanstar.com. Want more help prioritizing and creating a well-oiled practice? Get personalized advice from Mallonee at Firstline Live in Kansas City on Aug. 27.