Stop: Important meeting ahead

Freeze! I mean everyone. Now meet. Sound impossible? The team at Metzger Animal Hospital in State College, Pa., manages it twice a day. Here's how it works: Everyone meets at 8:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. in front of the dry erase board. The board lists surgery patients, hospitalized patients, drop offs, and boarded patients receiving medications. "We go through the board case by case so we're all on the same page," says Caitlin Rivers, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and a veterinary assistant and technician supervisor. "We also talk about any patients coming in—for example, maybe someone is bringing in a dog that was hit by a car." Team members update the board throughout the day, so when they meet in the afternoon they can discuss any updates before patients are discharged.

Illustrations by Rosie Brooks

Rivers admits it was hard at first to get everyone to meet, but it's worth it. "I know animals are getting the best care because everyone knows what's going on," she says.