EVT Magazine November 2009 Issue

Features

Our free MBTI poster is perfect for hanging in your practice! Featuring all 16 MBTI types and their associated animals, our fun "What's Your Type?" poster offers helpful descriptions of each type, making it an easy-access reference tool to use throughout the day as you communicate with clients and coworkers. Just click on the PDF icon at the top of the page to download your free MBTI poster now.

Neuroscience, Change, & Exceptional Veterinary Team

Dr. Hope is the owner of a three-doctor practice with 20 employees, and she’s frustrated. With the economy depressed and products and property expenses rising, her practice desperately needs to change in order to survive and thrive. She knows there are better ways of doing business than their current model and she’s eager to move ahead to become more entrepreneurial and focused on relationship-centered care.

Relationship-Centered Care

Anthony L. Suchman, MD, of the University of Rochester defines relationship-centered care (RCC) as a clinical philosophy that stresses partnership, careful attention to relational process, shared decision-making, and self-awareness.¹ The term was originated in a milestone monograph written in 1994 by the Pew-Fetzer Task Force entitled Health Professions Education and Relationship-Centered Care.

While founded in human medicine, the four principles of RCC also apply to relationships with animal health care providers. They are:

Table Talk

One of the most useful tools for understanding team dynamics is the MBTI Type Table. The table can give you an instant look at a team or entire veterinary practice typologically. It’s also a helpful tool to raise awareness among team members about individual similarities and differences. (See our article, The Personality of High-Performing Teams.)

Nonverbal Communication Speaks Volumes

Dr. Suzie Slacker glanced at the puppy’s adoption paperwork and new client sheet before she entered Exam 2. “Great, another free shelter exam,” the veterinarian mumbled. Dr. Slacker placed the medical record and adoption papers on the exam table and began taking notes. Her history questions included “Any coughing, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea?” and “Fleas, ticks, lumps, or bumps?” After a cursory exam, she said “You’ve got a healthy puppy. We’ll see you again in a few weeks.”

Quiz: Rate Your Team's Communication Skills

Practice owners & team members: Download this short quiz by clicking on the PDF above to learn how well your team communicates. The results may surprise you! Read the accompanying article, Nonverbal Communication Speaks Volumes by clicking here now.

We’re Always Communicating

One early morning recently, I went to my physician’s office for a quick blood draw. As I sat waiting, I realized I had a front-row seat on the awakening practice.

I watched, fascinated, as the doctors and nurses came into the clinic and began their day. It was like sneaking backstage before the curtain goes up! I got to see the “people” behind the professional faces.

Seeing Is Believing

Client’s View: Kristi was eager to take her new pup Jake to the Ark Veterinary Hospital. She’d heard great things about their focus on wellness and preventive care. As a new pet owner, Kristi wanted to do everything she could to make sure Jake had a long, healthy life, and she wanted a veterinarian she could connect with.