Best Veterinary Medicine = Best Financial Outcome
Dear Editor,
I'm a practice manager. Your magazine talks a lot about being a great leader, but how does that help the bottom line? I'd like my employees to be happy but they also need to be productive. How can I ensure that we're all getting our needs met here?
Dear Reader,
What a great question...and glad you asked.
For a business to be really successful and join the ranks of the 2% of businesses that truly have a team of employees instead of a work group, it is essential to promote leadership on the individual level and organizationally across the business.
The research in business and in veterinary medicine shows that to excel in whatever you do in your business, you must work together in a synergistic fashion.The AAHA Hills Compliance Study shows clearly, the principle obstruction to profitability is...us! We are our own worst enemy. We are not working together in a synergistic fashion. Compliance in a sample of essential, evidence-based, best care medicine ranged between 7% and 87%. That covered a range of topics from nutrition and dental prophylaxis to senior screening, heartworm medication, and vaccinations.
What that means is that between 93 and 13 patients out of 100 who would benefit medically and healthfully from access to a wellness procedure or treatment didn’t receive that critical care, the care they need and deserve.
Why is that?
Much of it relates to the reality that we are not working closely together within our practices to ensure that everyone in our practice understands and is committed to providing “best care” to our patients. If we were, compliance numbers would be much higher.
In the end, the decision to accept a treatment rests with the client. However, if the recommendation for best care isn’t made, the client can’t accept. We often decide that they won’t go for it, so we don’t offer it. We often think we know our clients and they won’t pay for a treatment, so we don’t offer it.
When you have every employee committed to recommending best care with conviction to every client, things change...for your patients, your team, and your business. When you have your employees joined through leadership development so that they are committed to working together in keeping with a set of core values to ensure that clients have an exceptional experience instead of an appointment, then the quality of patient care, client follow through, and customer service skyrockets. The personal fulfillment of your team members, their morale, the quality of their patient care and customer service and the financial gains made by your practice will skyrocket too.
Evidence-based medicine, provided by individuals who have “ownership” of the practice philosophy and team environment will be very committed to working together to exceed client expectations.
That will get you to best medicine, best service, and best financial outcomes.
Sincerely,
Rick DeBowes
