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ethical standards of our profession. Each member of our staff embodies integrity, honesty, dedication and professionalism. The team members are given the training and tools needed to succeed in their roles. As a result, team members are prepared to consistently provide excellent cus- tomer service in a respectful atmosphere and strive to work together as a team.
5. How do you measure the health of your practice? The health of the practice is quanti-
fied by reviewing our service and inven- tory sales report and the number of new clients. The service and inventory sales report yields evolving areas of growth and potential that help us meet the needs of our clients. Word-of-mouth advertising is vital to our industry. Our number of new clients allows us to gauge how we are performing in the eyes of the community.
6. What is your philosophy on CE and team building? We often attend continuing education
seminars as a team so that we can collec- tively discuss what we have learned and how to apply it to our practice. At each of our department meetings, a team member will give a short presentation to the staff on a topic that they find most interesting. In addition, during our department
meetings, we often have team-building exercises, quizzes and role-play on topics that were previously presented to make sure that the importance of continuing education is continually stressed.
7. Was there a turning point in your evolution from a “good” practice to a “great” one? If so, what was it? Yes! Earning AAHA accreditation ele-
vated us from a good practice to a great practice! As a new practice in 2007 we were proud to become accredited after only 10 months. In addition, we were able to distinguish ourselves from other prac- tices as being the only hospital accredited in our county. This set a new standard of care for medical and surgical practice in our community.
8. What mistakes have you made as a practice owner? I have made several mistakes as a first-
time practice owner; however, the biggest mistake falls under the administrative category. Hiring a qualified hospital man- ager and bookkeeper sooner than I did would have made business life a bit less stressful. I’m a trained veterinary health care provider, not a marketing manager, not a human resource specialist. Hiring a proficient business profes-
sional to manage, operate and guide the practice enabled me to concentrate my efforts on being a veterinarian again. I could focus on what I love to do… caring for pets and the people who love them.
9. What are the biggest challenges your practice faces, and what are you doing to overcome them? One of the challenges all veterinary
practices face today is the role Internet pharmacies play in our industry. Our practice’s resolve to the issue is threefold. First, we monitor medication compliance of all our patients. In addition, we com- municate the value of purchasing prod- ucts directly from a veterinarian. Lastly, providing education is essential to build- ing lasting bonds with clients.
10. What is one thing you have learned in the process of applying to be the top AAHA practice? The application process has allowed
me to reflect on the industry and AAHA’s standards of veterinary excellence. The quality of a practice can be directly cor- related to not only the strength of each team member, but the underlying core values instilled by the practice owner and management staff. These key points allow us to uphold the benchmarks of quality care put forth by AAHA. This experience resulted in a unique team-building adventure. The process of creating and developing a focused health care team is never more rewarding than when they can be seen working together toward a common goal.
Trends magazine, May 2013
We are proud to display our mission and AAHA accreditation as a sign to our staff and community that we hold ourselves to a higher standard.
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