Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
A complete guide to veterinary office management, Front Office Management for the Veterinary Team, 2nd Edition focuses on the day-to-day front office skills you need to become a valuable member of the veterinary team. It covers duties ranging from scheduling appointments to billing and accounting, managing inventory and medical records, marketing, using outside diagnostic laboratory services, and communicating effectively and compassionately with clients. This edition includes an updated chapter on pet health insurance and wellness programs as well as updated coverage of office procedures and technology. Step-by-step instructions simplify essential front office tasks!
- Comprehensive coverage of front office skills includes telephone skills, appointment scheduling, admitting and discharging patients, and communicating with clients.
- Coverage of clinical assisting ranges from examinations and history taking for patients to kennels and boarding procedures, as well as radiology and laboratory procedures.
- Veterinary Ethics and Legal Issues chapter helps you protect the practice, and run an office based on ethical principles.
- An Evolve companion website lets you practice front office tasks with exercises in bookkeeping/accounts receivable, appointment management, and charting.
- Downloadable working forms offer practice in completing sample checks, laboratory forms, and incident reports.
- Review questions and suggested activities reinforce important concepts presented in each chapter.
- Information on electronic banking and tax forms ensures that you adhere to the latest financial guidelines.
- Information on security in office communication covers the most current methods of safe, electronic communication.
- Practice Point boxes highlight practical information to remember while on the job.
- UPDATED Pet Health Insurance and Wellness Programs chapter describes how pet insurance and wellness programs may integrated into a successful business.
- UPDATED chapters include the most current information on team management, human resources, marketing, inventory management, and preparing and maintaining a budget.
- UPDATED coverage of technology and procedures includes new computer screen shots, new photos, revised What Would You Do/Not Do boxes addressing real-life situations, and a glossary, helping you make a smooth transition into the workplace.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Cover | Cover | ||
| IFC | IFC | ||
| Front Office Management for the Veterinary Team | i | ||
| Copyright | ii | ||
| Dedication | iii | ||
| Preface | iv | ||
| Features in This Textbook | iv | ||
| Evolve Resources | v | ||
| Acknowledgments | vi | ||
| Contents | vii | ||
| Chapter 1 - Veterinary Health Care Team Members | 1 | ||
| Veterinary Health Care Team Members | 2 | ||
| Anchor 955 | 2 | ||
| Students | 3 | ||
| Groomers | 4 | ||
| Kennel Assistants | 5 | ||
| Veterinary Assistants | 5 | ||
| Veterinary Technicians | 6 | ||
| Veterinary Technologists | 7 | ||
| Veterinary Technician Specialties | 7 | ||
| Receptionists | 8 | ||
| Office Managers | 8 | ||
| Veterinarians | 9 | ||
| Practice Managers | 9 | ||
| Hospital Administrators | 10 | ||
| Team | 10 | ||
| Programs to Enhance Staff Education | 11 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 11 | ||
| References | 12 | ||
| Chapter 2 - The Receptionist Team | 13 | ||
| Anchor 255 | 14 | ||
| Managing the Reception Area | 14 | ||
| Team Etiquette | 15 | ||
| Developing Effective Phone Techniques | 16 | ||
| Managing Multiple Phone Lines | 18 | ||
| Turning Phone Calls into Appointments | 19 | ||
| Taking Messages for Veterinarians and Technicians | 20 | ||
| Liability of Telephone Calls | 20 | ||
| Personal Phone Calls | 21 | ||
| Managing and Processing Mail | 21 | ||
| Client Relations | 21 | ||
| Forms Commonly Used in Veterinary Practice | 22 | ||
| Handling Special Situations with Clients | 29 | ||
| Reviewing Invoices with Owners | 33 | ||
| Payment for Services | 33 | ||
| Creating a “WOW” Service | 42 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 44 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 46 | ||
| Chapter 3 - Team Leadership | 47 | ||
| Anchor 204 | 48 | ||
| Mission, Vision, and Values | 49 | ||
| Leadership | 49 | ||
| Creating Positive Cultures | 53 | ||
| The Positive Effects of a Team | 54 | ||
| The Four R’s of Team Management | 55 | ||
| Empowering Employees | 55 | ||
| Delegation | 56 | ||
| Methods of Communication | 57 | ||
| Conflict Management | 63 | ||
| Increasing Staff Efficiency | 64 | ||
| Time Management of Leaders | 65 | ||
| Decreasing Loss | 65 | ||
| Motivating and Retaining Team Members | 68 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 70 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 71 | ||
| Chapter 4 - Veterinary Ethics and Legal Issues | 72 | ||
| Anchor 108 | 72 | ||
| Code of Ethics | 73 | ||
| Continued | 73 | ||
| Continued | 75 | ||
| Legal Issues | 78 | ||
| Most Common Complaints to the Board of Veterinary Medicine | 83 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 85 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 85 | ||
| Chapter 5 - Human Resources | 86 | ||
| Anchor 511 | 87 | ||
| Organizational Behavior | 88 | ||
| Laws That Require Familiarity | 88 | ||
| Continued | 91 | ||
| Employee Manual | 93 | ||
| Continued | 99 | ||
| Social Media Policy | 107 | ||
| Job Descriptions and Duties | 107 | ||
| Hiring the Perfect Team | 109 | ||
| Employee Procedure Manual | 112 | ||
| Standards of Care | 115 | ||
| Team Training | 115 | ||
| Continued | 115 | ||
| Continued | 117 | ||
| Continued | 119 | ||
| Anchor 526 | 121 | ||
| Termination | 123 | ||
| Payroll | 124 | ||
| Workers’ Compensation Insurance | 129 | ||
| Personnel Files | 129 | ||
| Contract Employee Versus Employee | 131 | ||
| Continued | 133 | ||
| Theft and Embezzlement | 135 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 136 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 136 | ||
| Chapter 6 - Stress, Burnout, and Compassion Fatigue | 137 | ||
| Anchor 118 | 137 | ||
| Stress Identification | 138 | ||
| Coping with Stress | 140 | ||
| Substance Abuse and Dependence | 141 | ||
| Preventing Career Burnout | 142 | ||
| Compassion Fatigue | 143 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 145 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 145 | ||
| Chapter 7 - Practice Design | 146 | ||
| Anchor 92 | 146 | ||
| Principles of Time and Motion | 147 | ||
| Body Positioning | 147 | ||
| Ergonomics | 148 | ||
| Miscellaneous Factors to Consider | 148 | ||
| Health and Safety of Reception Team Members | 149 | ||
| Design and Function of Effective Practices | 149 | ||
| Creating Comfortable Reception Areas | 149 | ||
| Creating Comfortable Exam Rooms | 150 | ||
| Consultation Rooms | 152 | ||
| Retail Area | 152 | ||
| Middle Area | 152 | ||
| Treatment Area | 152 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 154 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 154 | ||
| Chapter 8 - Technology in the Office | 155 | ||
| Anchor 283 | 156 | ||
| Information Systems | 156 | ||
| Continued | 157 | ||
| Hardware | 159 | ||
| Software | 159 | ||
| Selecting Hardware | 160 | ||
| Selecting Software | 160 | ||
| Cost Analysis | 162 | ||
| Software Implementation | 162 | ||
| Internet Security | 163 | ||
| Backing up the System | 164 | ||
| Other Technology | 164 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 165 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 165 | ||
| Chapter 9 - Outside Diagnostic Laboratory Services | 166 | ||
| Choosing a Diagnostic Laboratory | 167 | ||
| Sample Submission | 167 | ||
| Laboratory Forms | 168 | ||
| Continued | 169 | ||
| Sample Shipment | 173 | ||
| Sample Pickup | 174 | ||
| Results | 174 | ||
| Fees | 175 | ||
| Client Service | 175 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 179 | ||
| Anchor 128 | 179 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 180 | ||
| Chapter 10 - Marketing | 181 | ||
| Anchor 296 | 182 | ||
| SWOT Analysis | 183 | ||
| Branding the Practice | 184 | ||
| Indirect Marketing | 184 | ||
| Direct Marketing | 185 | ||
| Internal Marketing | 186 | ||
| External Marketing | 190 | ||
| Web Sites | 195 | ||
| Mobile Media | 199 | ||
| Social Media | 199 | ||
| Business Cards | 200 | ||
| Magnets | 201 | ||
| Practice Brochures | 201 | ||
| Client Education Materials | 202 | ||
| On-Hold Messaging | 203 | ||
| Donations | 205 | ||
| Gift Certificates | 205 | ||
| Implementing a Marketing and Training Program for Team Members | 205 | ||
| Managing Reviews | 207 | ||
| Seize the Opportunity! | 207 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 208 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 208 | ||
| Chapter 11 - Client Communication and Customer Service | 210 | ||
| Anchor 143 | 211 | ||
| Forming a Message | 212 | ||
| Writing Skills | 215 | ||
| Anchor 146 | 216 | ||
| Client Compliance | 216 | ||
| Treatment Plans (Estimates) | 220 | ||
| Standards of Care | 222 | ||
| Ensuring Client Understanding | 222 | ||
| Understanding Client and Patient Needs | 223 | ||
| Customer Service | 226 | ||
| Client Retention | 226 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 227 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 227 | ||
| Chapter 12 - Interacting with a Grieving Client | 228 | ||
| Understanding the Human-Animal Bond | 229 | ||
| Understanding Euthanasia | 230 | ||
| The Euthanasia Procedure | 230 | ||
| Pet Memorials | 231 | ||
| Cremations | 231 | ||
| Understanding and Dealing with Grief | 234 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 235 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 236 | ||
| Chapter 13 - Appointment Management | 237 | ||
| Appointment Management | 239 | ||
| Paper Versus Software Management Schedule | 240 | ||
| Designing the Appointment Book Template | 241 | ||
| Factors in Appointment Scheduling | 244 | ||
| Scheduling for Productivity | 247 | ||
| Appointment Cards | 249 | ||
| Entering Appointments | 249 | ||
| Preparing for the Appointment | 253 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 253 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 254 | ||
| Heinke MM: Practice made perfect: a guide to veterinary practice management, ed 2, Lakewood, CO, 2012, AAHA Press | 254 | ||
| Chapter 14 - Medical Records Management | 255 | ||
| Legibility of Medical Records | 257 | ||
| Choosing a File System | 257 | ||
| Paper Records | 257 | ||
| Computerized Medical Records | 258 | ||
| Choosing Medical Record Software | 261 | ||
| Medical Records Release | 261 | ||
| Establishing a Medical Record | 261 | ||
| What is Included in a Medical Record? | 262 | ||
| Taking a History | 262 | ||
| SOAP and POMR Medical Records | 264 | ||
| Herd Health Records | 266 | ||
| Purging Medical Records | 266 | ||
| Client Discharge Instructions | 267 | ||
| Continued | 269 | ||
| Most Common Medical Records Violations | 270 | ||
| Common Abbreviations | 271 | ||
| Radiographs | 271 | ||
| Backing Up the Computer System Daily | 272 | ||
| Management’s Role in Medical Records | 272 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 273 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 273 | ||
| Chapter 15 - Inventory Management | 274 | ||
| Anchor 202 | 275 | ||
| Fundamentals of Inventory | 275 | ||
| Distributors and Manufacturer Representatives | 276 | ||
| Designing an Inventory System | 277 | ||
| Turnover Rates | 280 | ||
| Reorder Quantities | 281 | ||
| Reorder Points | 281 | ||
| Inventory Storage | 282 | ||
| Preparing Orders | 282 | ||
| Receiving Orders | 284 | ||
| Handling Expired Medications | 284 | ||
| Effective Pricing Strategies | 285 | ||
| Outsourcing Products | 287 | ||
| Inventory Protection | 287 | ||
| Safety Data Sheets | 288 | ||
| Capital Inventory | 288 | ||
| Decreasing Loss | 288 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 289 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 290 | ||
| Chapter 16 - Controlled Substances | 291 | ||
| Anchor 72 | 292 | ||
| Schedules of Drugs | 292 | ||
| Registration | 293 | ||
| Security and Protection | 295 | ||
| Record Keeping | 295 | ||
| Management of Controlled Substances | 295 | ||
| Loss Reporting | 298 | ||
| Substance Disposal | 298 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 300 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 300 | ||
| Chapter 17 - Logs | 301 | ||
| Anchor 51 | 301 | ||
| Controlled Substances Log | 302 | ||
| Radiology Log | 302 | ||
| Surgical Log | 304 | ||
| Laboratory Log | 304 | ||
| Miscellaneous Logs | 304 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 306 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 306 | ||
| Chapter 18 - Accounts Receivable | 307 | ||
| Third Party Payment Plans | 308 | ||
| Delinquent Checks | 308 | ||
| Accepting Payment on Accounts Receivable | 309 | ||
| Instituting a No-Charge Policy | 309 | ||
| Monthly Statements | 310 | ||
| Collection Procedures for Outstanding Accounts | 311 | ||
| Fair Debt Collection Practices Act | 313 | ||
| Telephone Calls to Collect Outstanding Accounts | 313 | ||
| Collection Letters | 313 | ||
| Collections Agency | 314 | ||
| Employee Accounts Receivable | 315 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 315 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 316 | ||
| Chapter 19 - Pet Health Insurance and Wellness Plans | 317 | ||
| Indemnity Insurance | 318 | ||
| Benefits of Pet Health Insurance | 321 | ||
| Filing a Claim | 321 | ||
| Discount Clubs | 324 | ||
| Managed Care | 324 | ||
| Making Pet Health Insurance Work for the Practice | 324 | ||
| Recommendations to Clients | 325 | ||
| Offering Pet Health Insurance as a Benefit | 325 | ||
| Wellness Plans | 325 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 328 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 328 | ||
| References | 328 | ||
| Chapter 20 - Finance Management | 329 | ||
| Accounting and Bookkeeping | 330 | ||
| Accounting Basics | 331 | ||
| Benchmarking | 337 | ||
| Creating Financial Reports | 337 | ||
| Profit and Loss Statements | 338 | ||
| Troubleshooting Profit and Loss Statements | 340 | ||
| Maximizing Revenue | 343 | ||
| Reducing Expenses | 346 | ||
| Fraud and Embezzlement | 347 | ||
| Creating a Budget | 348 | ||
| Cash Flow | 354 | ||
| Open-Book Management | 355 | ||
| Building Value in the Practice | 355 | ||
| Planning Retirement | 356 | ||
| Red Flags Rule | 356 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 356 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 357 | ||
| Chapter 21 - Safety in the Veterinary Practice | 358 | ||
| Anchor 272 | 359 | ||
| Zoonotic Diseases | 359 | ||
| Occupational Safety and Health Administration | 362 | ||
| Developing and Implementing Safety Protocols | 387 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 390 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 391 | ||
| Reference | 391 | ||
| Chapter 22 - Security | 392 | ||
| Computer System | 393 | ||
| Theft | 393 | ||
| Security System | 394 | ||
| Cameras and Recording Devices | 395 | ||
| Perimeter Lighting | 395 | ||
| Emergency Calls | 395 | ||
| Mobile Practices | 395 | ||
| Methods of Defense | 396 | ||
| Safety of Hospitalized Patients | 396 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 397 | ||
| Chapter 23 - Clinical Assisting | 399 | ||
| Clinical Assisting | 400 | ||
| Anchor 479 | 401 | ||
| Examinations | 401 | ||
| Lifetime Care and Disease Prevention | 402 | ||
| Diagnostics | 407 | ||
| Diagnostic Imaging | 408 | ||
| Surgery | 411 | ||
| Pharmacology | 412 | ||
| Therapeutic Diets | 416 | ||
| Parasites | 425 | ||
| Common Small Animal Emergencies | 425 | ||
| Common Equine Emergencies | 427 | ||
| Common Bovine Emergencies | 427 | ||
| Common Ovine and Caprine Emergencies | 427 | ||
| Common Canine Disorders | 427 | ||
| Common Feline Disorders | 429 | ||
| Housekeeping | 430 | ||
| Boarding | 431 | ||
| Condo Facilities | 432 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 432 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 433 | ||
| Chapter 24 - Calculations and Conversions | 434 | ||
| Monthly Statement Fees | 435 | ||
| Accounts Receivable Percentages | 435 | ||
| Inventory Turns Per Year (Turnover Rate) | 436 | ||
| Determining Effective Reorder Quantities | 436 | ||
| Determining Effective Reorder Points | 437 | ||
| Putting it All Together: Turnover, Reorder Quantity, and Reorder Points | 438 | ||
| Determining if a Bulk Order is the Right Choice | 438 | ||
| Putting it All Together: Break-Even Analysis, Markup, Dispensing, Labeling, and Injection Fees | 440 | ||
| Developing an Effective Service Markup | 440 | ||
| Payroll Calculations | 442 | ||
| Drug Calculations | 442 | ||
| Intravenous Fluid Calculations | 445 | ||
| Acknowledgments | 445 | ||
| Chapter 25 - Professional Development | 446 | ||
| Self-Assessment | 447 | ||
| Marketing Skills | 449 | ||
| Employment Opportunities | 450 | ||
| Preparing Employment Data | 451 | ||
| Preparing for an Interview | 453 | ||
| Follow-Up After the Interview | 455 | ||
| Receiving Offers of Employment | 456 | ||
| Retirement | 456 | ||
| REVIEW QUESTIONS | 456 | ||
| Recommended Reading | 456 | ||
| Appendix 1 - Abbreviations | 457 | ||
| Glossary | 459 | ||
| Index | 469 | ||
| IBC | IBC |