How did we make it to November in the blink of an eye? With the end-of-year holidays looming, another year has whizzed by, causing me to reflect on the speed of everyday life and the gratitude I have for my work family. November is otherwise known as the Month of Gratitude. Thanksgiving celebrations prompt us to pause and reflect on the things and people in our lives that make us grateful.
I spend many quality hours with my work family, primarily my leadership team. I am grateful for the wonderful group of veterinary professionals with whom I work daily. My gratitude for my team is exemplified when we all work together as a united team on a project or group goal. We recently came together to prepare for our Triennial American Animal Hospital Evaluation. Our practice has been accredited since its inception in the 1970s. Our AAHA accreditation predates my joining this practice by many decades. I am grateful to have worked exclusively at AHHA-accredited practices throughout my career. This means that I am very familiar with the nature of maintaining and achieving this voluntary accreditation.
Although there is some grumbling when the notification email arrives in the summer, announcing our fall evaluation date, I appreciate the opportunity for teamwork that it creates. My team and I divide and conquer the review of the over 900 AAHA standards, 50 of which are mandatory. We set out to answer the specific standard questions and confirm our ongoing compliance to maintain the highest veterinary medical and facility standards. We begin approximately three to four months before the scheduled evaluation. We re-read the standards and review past evaluations and recommendations to ensure that we have incorporated them.
This is truly a group project. My Assistant Manager and I took on the leadership and human resources categories. My Kennel supervisor, who is also our safety coordinator, took on the facilities, housekeeping, and safety sections. Our Client Service Rep. Supervisor focused on the client service areas. My Doctor's Assistant Supervisor and Inventory Manager assumed responsibilities for the pharmacy, examination facilities, and parts of the controlled substances inventory. Between the Medical Director, Equipment Manager, Veterinary Technician supervisors, and Treatment Assistant Supervisor, they took on all of the medical sections (anesthesia, emergency services, dentistry, laboratory, medical records, and diagnostic imaging) as well as continuing education. We all overlapped in some areas, so we collaborated when standards crossed into multiple departments. Many hours were spent pre-uploading examples of our compliance into the AAHA evaluation portal and answering questions about how we practice medicine.
The entire team gets involved in the process by planning for fall organization and cleaning. Then we put the planning into daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. We introduce AAHA standards to new staff members at our monthly staff and department meetings, which also remind seasoned staff of the importance of continually updating our standards and how this process supports our mission statement and core values of providing excellent medical care, promoting continuing education, and delivering exceptional customer service.
When the actual evaluation day arrives, we are exhausted but confident in the end outcome. We always strive to improve our scores over the last evaluation. I love seeing how the team and leaders take pride in answering the evaluator's questions and learning the "why" behind our protocols from the evaluator's input. Part of the evaluation process involves the evaluator sharing best practices and improved techniques. This is very valuable for the team. The evaluator heaps praise on the team and applauds our commitment and shining hospital. We were very pleased with the final report this year. Our leadership team will not rest on our laurels, though. We will stay committed to veterinary excellence from now until our next evaluation.
For the time being, we can enjoy our teamwork and success in a well-done process. I’m always grateful for the people who share my passion for this work. Veterinary professionals are among the most dedicated and animal-loving professionals, genuinely wanting to make a difference in the lives of the patients they care for. I hope you can take a moment in your busy workday or week, during this month of gratitude, to show your team how much they mean to you and the families and patients we serve. I am thankful for my team and my profession!!
Leslie Boudreau, RVTg, CVPM, PHRca, SPHR
VHMA President
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