An open letter from veterinary associates to practice owners

Dear Practice Owner,

You may not know this, but I really, really do care about this practice. I worry about the bigger picture, including:

And you, as the practice owner, could really, really help me out if you could just fix this thing that's been making this job even tougher than moving mountains and saving lives-the foundation of our daily work lives. I really wish you would:

Before I joined this practice, I really wish you'd told me:

If you want to be one of the best, there's no need to dream it up yourself.

You spend all kinds of time and energy healing animals and keeping clients happy. But you know you need to focus on those other feel-good things ... like increased revenue, better leadership and a practice that runs smoothly.

And you think you have to figure that out all by yourself.

Guess what, dear reader? You don't. You get your hands on Benchmarks 2016: A Study of Well-Managed Practices. And you let those all-star practices-the ones that provide top-notch animal care while making serious bank-show you the way.

Benchmarks 2016 has action steps to ...

> increase profits (and client and patient benefits through communication)

> fuse leadership and management (for a team-based culture with empowered employees)

> take advantage of technology (developing your goals and mapping out a strategy)

> get ready for transition (by prepping yourself, your practice and your buyer to ensure your practice's legacy)

Here's where to get it.

So, dear practice owner, can you help me?

Sincerely,

Your associate (who really, really needs your help to stay positive about the future of veterinary medicine)

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P.S. Here are a few more frustrations associates shared from the 2016 Firstline Career Path Study:

“I'm frustrated because I'm working hard, always in demand because of someone's needs. I'm not getting lunches or getting out of work on time and I'm not getting compensated enough for the extra effort.”

“We're suffering from a lack of change and not moving forward because the current owner is comfortable.”

“Long hours working-with extra time spent with client communication, records and emergencies-make it difficult to have a fulfilling work/life balance.”

“Money-related issues are causing compassion fatigue.”

“At my current job I'm not paid enough for what I do. My earnings for 2015 are significantly less than the average starting salary for a new graduate, and I graduated five years ago.”