Unleashing the power of technology in veterinary medicine

Baran Schultz of Schultz Technology

In a recent episode of dvm360 Live!™, host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomed Baran Schultz as a special guest. Baran is the founder of Schultz Technology, a nationwide information technology (IT) company specializing in providing comprehensive technology solutions to veterinary clinics. As an animal lover and advocate, Schultz saw a need for advanced technology in the veterinary space and has dedicated himself to helping clinics streamline their operations and improve efficiency. With a focus on education and hands-on demonstrations, Schultz Technology aims to empower veterinarians, practice managers, and staff by simplifying complex technological systems.

In this interview, Baran shed light on the importance of onsite consultations, the evolution of veterinary technology, and the benefits of their innovative software—Fetchit—which seamlessly integrates patient records with phone systems. Christman and Schultz delved into the invaluable role technology plays in enhancing patient care, clinic management, and more.

Christman: Why do you prefer onsite demos and consultations?

Schultz: Everybody's confused about technology, so our hands-on experience makes it easier. We like to do a site survey and demo the IT infrastructure and the phones and phone system. It’s especially important for the customer service representatives (CSRs) because they can touch the phones, feel the phones, and make sure they like the equipment before we install it. It's been a game changer.

Christman: Why do you specialize in veterinary clinics?

Schultz: I've been a big animal lover my whole life, and we have 3 office cats at our office. We really focused on the vet space because there is a need for technology in veterinary medicine and we wanted to help. We want veterinary professionals to walk away from a site survey or a discussion with us thinking: “They really educated me, and they really helped me make proper and good decisions.”

Christman: Where do you see the industry going in terms of technology?

Schultz: We see a lot of clinics going to cloud practice management—big changes there as far as making sure people have great internet speeds. We go to a lot of hospitals and help them upgrade their internet speeds and security. Many practice owners and doctors feel hackers don’t care about stealing their information, but they do. If they can hold you and your data ransom, you’d give anything to have it back. We want you to do what you do best, and that's taking care of patients. We want to take care of your technology so doctors and practice managers have 1 less worry in the clinic.

Christman: Tell us about Fetchit.

Schultz: Fetchit is unique to Schultz Technology, and we work with almost all practice management software. Here’s how it works: When the clinic phone rings, there will be a blue or red bubble that pops up on the CSR’s screen. If it's a blue bubble, it's associated with a patient record already. The CSR can click on the button, and it will automatically pull the record up. They conveniently have the record in front of them when they answer the phone. No more asking how to spell the client’s name or what patient they are calling about. It saves a minimum of a minute per phone call.

Fetchit can also improve the customer experience. Imagine a new CSR answers a call from a 20-year client. Instead of asking whether the client has been in the clinic before, the CSR already knows about their long-standing relationship and their greeting and conversation can reflect that. The client walks away feeling like the hospital cares. At the end of the day, it makes life easier for the CSRs, allowing them to really focus on and take care of the client.

Christman: What are some of the biggest changes that you've seen in that space over the past 20 years and Fetchit?

Schultz: Physical and internet security. We're putting in CCTV cameras, panic systems, or access control in many clinics to protect the staff. Additionally, more and more clinics are really getting smart about their technology. They want the whole clinic to be more efficient, so they call an expert like us to make sure that they're absolutely handling that to the best of their abilities.

Christman: What separates Schultz Technology from other IT companies?

Schultz: First, we are nationwide, and we are available 24/7, 365. Our existing clients love the fact that they can pick up the phone and make 1 call for all of their technology needs. Whether it's cabling or phone or IT support, we know your concerns and the issues that you have on a daily basis. The other differentiator is our onsite presence for site surveys, phone demos, and installs. We are live at the clinic, installing the phones and computers. We don't just call and say, “Oh, by the way, we're going to ship your phones and good luck with that.” We handhold our clients all the way through.