Planning for profit-and building in play

By Sarah A. Moser, Associate Editor

For years Dr. Susan M. Baker had heard colleagues and consultants tout the benefits of adding profit centers. But her old hospital just wasn't big enough to add any more services. So in 1999, when she outgrew the facility she had leased since 1990, she started working on plans for a new hospital. At 6,200 square feet, her new facility offers space for the additional services she dreamed of offering.

Her goals: To build a practice where she could offer more services, treat pets in comfort, and create a fun atmosphere with a touch of whimsy. She says she succeeded thanks to architect Edward H. Sheahan III from North Palm Beach, Fla., and interior designer and friend Lauren Simmons, from West Palm Beach, Fla.

The judges of the Veterinary Economics 2003 Hospital Design Competition agree she hit a nice balance, implementing complementary technical and creative solutions. "The practice has nice spatial organization and traffic flow," says one competition judge. "Her choice of interior treatment, colors, and finish are great!" says another. The competition judges rewarded these achievements when they chose the practice as a 2003 Veterinary Economics Hospital Design Competition Merit Award winner.

Dr. Baker achieved her goal to offer more services, too. She added a dog hotel with indoor/outdoor runs; a dog obedience training center and agility course; a cat hotel; an avian and exotic hotel; a grooming shop; a retail area; a stand-alone pharmacy; a central supply that logs every hospital supply and controls ordering; a dental suite with radiograph; an isolation/infectious diseases room; a recovery room/ICU; and a radiology room. Dr. Baker says she and her team members give visitors tours at every opportunity-and learning about one service often leads clients to ask about the next. Here's more on how she's making some of these new profit centers work.

Pharmacy

The pharmacy takes a prominent position next to the reception area and retail center-a smart move for encouraging impulse buys. Dr. Baker borrowed the idea from a friend at Simmons Veterinary Clinic in West Palm Beach. "The pharmacy is my pride and joy," she says.

The glass-front, custom-made cabinets, a computer workstation, a refrigerator, and a sink area offer the two technicians who man the pharmacy everything they need. To develop the perfect display cabinets, Dr. Baker took digital pictures of department store cases she liked. She printed them out and drew on them to perfect the look and configuration for her practice. The cabinetmaker used jade Formica and installed adjustable glass shelves and a sliding door on the back with a lock.

"Clients call in refills directly to the pharmacy technicians or they pick up prescriptions-and hopefully other items-as they leave the exam room," says Dr. Baker. "Talking with the pharmacy technicians reinforces the recommendations I make in the exam room, and clients often ask about shampoos and other over-the-counter items at that point, leading to additional sales. We've increased over-the-counter and food sales tremendously, and this organized set up saves me thousands of dollars in over-ordering or rush ordering products."

Retail area

Dr. Baker says her convenient, easy-access retail area is a boon to the practice. Just to the left of the front door and on the path from the exam rooms to the checkout area, the retail center catches clients' eyes-and brings in a pretty penny.

"The checkout area is self-contained so clients can let go of their pets and not worry about them running off while talking with staff members, looking at products, and writing checks," she says. "Using free display shelves from retailers saved us money in this part of the clinic."

Boarding

The presidential suite books up many months in advance at Baker Veterinary Clinic. And no wonder! With double French doors (a doggie door is built in), a private patio, a dog-size wrought iron four-poster bed with a down comforter, and a television and stereo, the suite offers everything a client could want for a pet. With 82 cages, 32 indoor runs with glass doors, eight outdoor runs, and an outdoor play area that resembles a private backyard, boarding is a hot service.

To keep the dog hotel clean, Dr. Baker installed trench drains and an automatic flushing system that flushes for 10 minutes four times a day, or as needed. The dog play yard also features pooper-scoopers, waste disposal cans, and an outdoor waste disposal unit that flushes like a toilet.

Feline guests stay in cat condos-maple wood "townhouses" with clear glass backs that look into the reception area. A mural of birdhouse designs around the cat condo windows adds a whimsical touch. The cat condos feature six levels, four-poster maple beds, and a "bathroom" on the bottom level. Dr. Baker also included traditional cat condos for older cats with arthritis that can't climb. During playtime, cats enjoy the exercise porch-a screened-in area filled with plants that contribute to the practice's overall tropical theme.

Grooming

Bathing a pet at home isn't comfortable, and though bathing a pet at the groomer's shop is more convenient, the atmosphere is often lacking. Dr. Baker chose the best of both worlds for her groomer's shop. "I wanted a personal look, like a home bathroom, instead of stainless steel tubs," says Dr. Baker. "So we designed tiled side-by-side tubs. The groomers use the high tub for small animals and the walk-in for larger dogs."

Many practitioners choose to eliminate grooming from their practices, but Dr. Baker says she's glad she added this service. "Our grooming shop brings in lots of clients," she says. "They're impressed with our services, so they use us for boarding. Next thing you know, they're coming to us for routine exams, surgeries, and other procedures. These ancillary services keep the practice moving."

Preparing for disaster

In addition to adding services, creating a fun atmosphere to visit, and caring for pets, Dr. Baker had one more thing to worry about: hurricanes. In the heart of Florida's hurricane country, it's not enough to build a nice facility. You need to build a facility that will withstand strong winds, rains, and flooding.

First, Dr. Baker chose a seam metal roof, which guided the Key West design style throughout the practice. "And in anticipation of water running off the roof during a storm, we dug three French wells in front of the building under the down spouts, giving the water somewhere to go," she says. Other hurricane-related design features include concrete block walls, a solid wood closed ceiling, and roof trusses with extra hurricane tie straps. "I chose my design as a result of hurricane Andrew," she says. "Based on the damage that storm cost, I knew that paying more for resistant features was worth it."