Blogs

AI in the Veterinary Industry

By VHMA Admin posted 4 days ago
The veterinary field has seen many advancements in recent years, and one of the most notable ones is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI has the potential to revolutionize the way veterinarians diagnose and treat animals. However, like any new technology, there are pros and cons to its use. In this blog post, we will explore the use of AI in the veterinary field, its benefits, and its limitations. First, let's take a closer look at how AI is being used in the veterinary field. One of the most common applications of AI in veterinary medicine is in diagnostic imaging. AI algorithms can analyze radiographs, CT scans, and MRIs to detect abnormalities that ...

Twenty-Eight Veterinary Practice Managers Earn Prestigious CVPM Designation

By VHMA Admin posted 11 days ago
Alachua, FL - The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is pleased to announce that twenty-eight veterinary management professionals recently earned the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) credential. The VHMA's CVPM credential, which is voluntary, is recognized as a sign of professional achievement and excellence and is awarded to those who demonstrate the knowledge and experience necessary to manage the ever-changing operations of today's veterinary practices successfully. The class of August 2023 includes: Amanda Birtell Joshua R. Blakemore Morgan Bont Chanda Brooks Natalie A. Clawson Alice Ehrlich Bali Estorga Joanna Gebis Michaela ...

Reflections on a Joyous and Meaningful Whirlwind

By Jessica Speas posted 17 days ago
When John Lennon wisely crafted the lyrics “Life is what happens when your busy making other plans, ” he probably never realized it would find its way into my final blog as your VHMA president. That aside, he was spot on. Looking back at my past two years in this leadership role, I would have to describe it as a “joyous and meaningful whirlwind.” While my past blogs have been a tell-all journey of the ups and downs of my professional life as a Hospital Administrator, it seems only fitting that my last blog reflects on all I have witnessed within VHMA during my tenure as president. Quite honestly, it’s been a sight to behold. When I was installed in 2021, ...

Insiders' Insight KPI - September 2023

By VHMA Admin posted 21 days ago
Growth in revenue and patient visits was less than that seen over the last few months in spite of the fact that August 2023 had one more workday than August 2022. August 2023 growth compared to August 2022 was 4.3% compared to 5.9% in July 2023 compared to July 2022. Revenue growth over the last year has hovered in the ~5%-7% range, and August 2023 is no different. Patient visit numbers declined 2.5% in August 2023 compared to August 2022 in spite of the extra work day in August 2023. New client numbers continue to decline as well. Some practices are reporting a downward change in client acceptance of pet care recommendations due to the increasing ...

When Two Worlds Collide: Practice Management and the Barbie Movie

By Jessica Speas posted 08-14-2023
Sometimes acceptance of life’s circumstances comes from the most surprising sources. In my case, it was the blockbuster movie “Barbie.” If you haven’t seen it, allow me to fill you in. Barbie’s life is picture-perfect; her dream house is flawless. Her friends are her personal cheerleaders. In the early scenes of the film, I reflected on my own dream house, also known as my veterinary practice, and for a split second I had a tiny pang of envy. Our situation is far from perfect: we still are not back on track with fulfilling our 2023 goals and objectives. We have had setbacks which I have blogged about before – unexpected turnover, an insurmountable construction ...

Insiders' Insight KPI - August 2023

By VHMA Admin posted 08-10-2023
As noted over the last few months, growth in revenue and patient visits have all returned to pre-pandemic levels, and this trend continued in July 2023. Revenue growth over the last year has hovered in the ~5%-7% range, and July 2023 is no different at 5.9%. (Note there were the same number of workdays in July 2023 as in July 2022.) Patient visit numbers have averaged around -1.0% in the last year; July 2023 showed a similar decline. New client numbers continue to decline as well. The decline in patient visits continues, with most veterinary hospitals dealing with either anemic or negative visit growth over the last two years. While there are multiple ...

Leaders Must Understand How Mental Health Impacts the Practice

By VHMA Admin posted 07-11-2023
Mental health awareness is on the rise, and many businesses are offering Employee Assistant Programs (EAP) or other benefits to support the mental health of their team members. Despite growing awareness and treatment options for mental health, there are generational differences in addressing this need. The baby boomers and Gen Xers were raised in an era where mental health was stigmatized. Mental health problems were often ignored or written off due to a lack of understanding. There have been significant leaps in public awareness and understanding of mental health in the past several years. Millennials and Gen Z generations are much more receptive to discussing ...

Lady Liberty and Plans Not Tackled

By Jessica Speas posted 07-10-2023
Some of you probably celebrated Independence Day with barbeques and fireworks. I celebrated it symbolically by freeing myself from the stress of knowing that July was not what I had expected it to be. Let me explain… I started out 2023 with some significant plans and goals for my veterinary practice. We were going to plunge into VHMA’s new Organizational Diagnosis and Design Toolkit; we were wrapping up a major construction project. I was super excited. Then came the curveballs: unexpected turnover (which resulted in time-consuming interviews), new staff additions, disruptive construction delays, and that crazy and unpredictable thing called “life.” ...

Insiders' Insight KPI - July 2023

By VHMA Admin posted 07-08-2023
As noted over the last few months, growth in revenue and patient visits have all returned to pre-pandemic levels, and this trend continued in June 2023. Revenue growth over the last year has hovered in the ~5%-7% range, and June 2023 is no different at 6.1%. (Note there were the same number of workdays in June 2023 as in June 2022.) Patient visit numbers have averaged around -1.0% in the last year; June 2023 is similar at -1.1%. New client numbers continue to decline as well. Most veterinary hospitals have been dealing with either anemic visit growth or an actual decline in veterinary visits over the last two years. While there are multiple reasons ...

VHMA Announces 2023 Practice Manager of the Year: Suzanna Berry

By VHMA Admin posted 06-13-2023
ALACHUA, FL – When Suzanna (Suzy) Berry, Practice Manager at Pets R Family, located in St. Johns, Fl., made the decision to follow her passion and make a career change at age 40 from retail management to veterinary management, she would have never imagined that she would be named VHMA’s 2023 Practice Manager of the Year (PMOY). There were over 150 nominations for PMOY, but Berry’s initiative and innovation in developing the SkillBridge Program at Pets R Family stood above them all and earned her the distinction. The annual award, which is offered by VHMA, recognizes a practice manager who has used their knowledge, experience and expertise to transform ...

My Second Quarter in Four Words: Disruptions. Resumes.  Silver Linings.

By Jessica Speas posted 06-12-2023
Just when I thought I was smooth sailing through 2023, the second quarter hit me with an unexpected jolt: three team members telling me in April they were leaving our veterinary practice. BOOM! I cannot fault them for their reasons – aging family members who require full time care giving (2) and acceptance into a higher education program (1), but that does not mean that I don’t feel unsettled by the situation. Actually, “unsettled” is an understatement; I feel completely disrupted by this unexpected turnover. Suddenly, everything has to be reprioritized and some things have to be placed on the back burner. Suddenly, my days are filled with reviewing resumes, ...

Insiders' Insight KPI - June 2023

By VHMA Admin posted 06-12-2023
Revenue growth in May 2023 was much stronger than in the previous month (9.7% vs. 1.3%). These numbers are not entirely comparable, however, because May of 2023 had one more workday than May of 2022 and April 2023 had one day less than April 2022. A similar trend was seen with both patient visits and new client numbers; they increased much more in May 2023 than in April 2023. Although May 2023 looks stronger, overall, practice growth has definitely slowed and, on average, has moved away from the increased growth rates seen during the pandemic. As discussed last month, veterinary hospitals have been dealing with either anemic growth or a decline ...

Twenty-Seven Veterinary Practice Managers Earn Prestigious CVPM Designation

By VHMA Admin posted 05-26-2023
The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA ) is pleased to announce that twenty-seven veterinary management professionals recently earned the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) credential. The VHMA's CVPM credential, which is voluntary, is recognized as a sign of professional achievement and excellence and is awarded to those who demonstrate the knowledge and experience necessary to manage the ever-changing operations of today's veterinary practices successfully. The class of April 2023 includes: Deborah K. Bacha Ashley Elizabeth Braman Richelle Caslavka Alexis L. Cheney Alaina Mangum ...

Insiders' Insight KPI - May 2023

By VHMA Admin posted 05-11-2023
Revenue growth in April 2023 was much less than in the previous month (1.9% vs. 5.3%). These numbers are not entirely comparable because April of 2022 had one more workday than April of 2023; however, the decline is more than should be seen with just a one-day difference in workdays. A similar trend was seen with both patient visits and new client numbers; they declined much more in April 2023 than in March 2023. As noted last month, practice growth has definitely slowed and, on average, has moved away from the increased growth rates seen during the pandemic. Veterinary hospitals have been dealing with either anemic growth or a decline in veterinary ...

Saying Goodbye to the Time Scarcity Mantra Within

By Jessica Speas posted 05-09-2023
Time. I think I'm usually pretty good with my time management. But all it took was a series of unfortunate events recently for me to bemoan time scarcity, throw out all the "tools" I knew and start to melt down. You see, some recent personal and professional occurrences derailed me and my practice's management. I fell into an "I don't have time" scatterbrain mode that was bad for me and the practice. On the practice side, there is never a good time for a time scarcity crisis, but this felt worse, an aggressive quarterly plan and goals, essential meetings, mixed in with a conference to attend on the other side of the country. This was all added to all the other ...

VHMA’s New Organizational Diagnosis & Design Toolkit Uses Data to Address Macro and Micro Practice Challenges

By VHMA Admin posted 05-09-2023
With an eye toward empowering veterinary practices to address the specific issues which are impacting their workforce recruitment and retaining efforts, the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) has announced the launch of its new Organizational Diagnosis and Design (OrgDD) Toolkit. The toolkit is intended to help veterinary practice teams solve workforce issues, strengthen their client services, and improve healthcare outcomes for animals. The OrgDD Toolkit uses the Organization Systems Model (OSM), a systematic framework for keeping perspective on key variables that impact organizational performance. It also includes data gathered that identifies ...

Inconceivable!

By Jessica Speas posted 04-12-2023
There is one industry buzzword right now that reminds me of one of my favorite lines from The Princess Bride . Every time I hear “efficiency” I think of Vizzini: “Inconceivable!” and Inigo Montoya saying: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Our industry keeps using this term and I do not think it means what you think it means. So, this, my friends, warrants a closer look at the definition of efficiency. Allow me to do the research for you. Efficiency: noun, the state or quality of being able to accomplish something with the least waste of time and effort; competency in performance. Great, totally ...

Insiders' Insight KPI - April 2023

By VHMA Admin posted 04-11-2023
Revenue growth in March 2023 was 5.2%; this is less than that seen in the previous month and less than the average 12-month growth of about 5.4%. Essentially this growth is similar to what was seen pre-pandemic. Patient visit numbers continue to decline: -2.3% in March 2023 and about -1.6% over the last twelve months. The number of active patients also continued to decline in March 2023, and the number of lapsing patients to increase. New client numbers also fell (-9.9% for all practices.) Note that the number of workdays in March 2023 and 2022 were the same. Mixed signals persist in the U.S. economy and inflation continues to be a challenge both for veterinary ...

VHMA Welcomes Gold Supporting Sponsor, HazComReady

By VHMA Admin posted 04-11-2023
The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) announced that HazComReady has signed on as a Gold Supporting Sponsor. Qualifying companies offering products and services that address the professional business needs of today's veterinary practices are invited to participate in VHMA's sponsorship programs. HazComReady is a small business workplace safety and compliance management platform that helps managers meet regulatory requirements by ensuring that documents such as employee training records, safety data sheets, and organizational policies remain up to date. “Veterinary practice managers wear many different hats, and HazComReady offers ...

Attracting and Retaining Associates (Part I) - Creating Flexible Compensation and Benefits Packages

By VHMA Admin posted 04-05-2023
How to get and keep the associates you want. Today the competition for associate veterinarians is at an all-time high: there is one veterinarian for every nineteen openings; new veterinarians leave school with a debt of between $200,000 to $400,000; schools can’t keep pace with the demand for new veterinarians; associates want more money while working fewer hours; large corporate hospital systems pay hiring bonuses of up to $200,000; and practices have more clients demanding more services. On top of that, a study conducted at the Cornell Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship in February 2022 found that more than 50% of veterinarians and certified ...