For the love of pets: new clinical articles

I love Pippa every day, but this little episode was a vivid reminder about how important pets are to people. Pippa and her health are top concerns of mine, and your clients undoubtedly feel the same way about their dogs and cats. It's for this reason that I'm so excited to announce the inclusion of clinical content in Firstline. (Take a look at our first offering, which is about identifying postoperative pain in cats.)

Kerry Hillard Johnson

Each month we'll be bringing you a medical article that's been specially created for team members. The technical information will be geared toward veterinary technicians, but every employee, from receptionists to practice managers, will benefit from it. And each piece will include a communications angle to help you understand how to talk to clients or colleagues about the topic.

Speaking of communication, we'll continue to bring you strategies for building strong teams that work together efficiently. And we'll also keep up the articles about how to grow professionally. After all, a successful employee is one who's able to play on the team, get through to pet owners, and meet patients' needs.

With that in mind, we're embarking on phase two of the Firstline Challenge, a free program designed to help you improve in all areas of your career—and maybe even win an iPod Touch.* In honor of the clinical articles, this month's focus is patient care. Head to dvm360.com/challenge to get started. Remember, you can join the Challenge alone, but I recommend you sign up as a team for maximum fun and effect.

I truly hope you learn from the Challenge and each and every article in Firstline. We're here to help you—and, in turn, beloved pets—so please let us know how we're doing.

*No Purchase Necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & DC, 21+, who are credentialed technicians, practice managers, receptionists, and assistants working in veterinary practices in the U.S. Void where prohibited. Contest ends Feb. 15, 2010. For full rules, see www.dvm360.com/challenge.