The practice manager at this clinic struggles between business operations and team communication. Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss address a mailbag question from a medical director struggling with a practice manager who excels in metrics but falters in team interaction. Andy and Stephanie dive into the friction often seen between the business and medical sides of veterinary practices, especially in corporate settings. They emphasize the importance of empathy, trust, and good intent, providing actionable steps to bridge the gap between operations and medicine. They also offer strategies for giving positive feedback and fostering a supportive environment. Let's get into this episode...

Mentioned in this episode:

Office Hours

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Join Dr. Andy Roark for Office Hours at the Uncharted Veterinary Community!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

An associate veterinarian who loves their job, is struggling with a practice owner's overbearing management style that pushes the boundaries of work-life balance. The team receives numerous emails and texts on their days off, and the feedback is often negative and micromanaging, creating a stressful work environment. Dr. Andy Roark and practice management super nerd, Stephanie Goss get real vulnerable sharing their own experiences with similar challenges. Together they offer insights into setting boundaries and fostering a positive workplace culture while taking our listeners on another ride to Camp Tough Love. Let's get into this episode...

Mentioned in this episode:

Office Hours

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Join Dr. Andy Roark for Office Hours at the Uncharted Veterinary Community!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

Shawna Castillo, Director of Care Plans at Otto, joins us to tackle a critical question from a practice manager struggling with client credit limitations. Despite offering CareCredit, Scratchpay, and VetBilling, many clients still face challenges. The burning question: How do we design wellness plans in a way that is not going to make my team or my doctors lose their ever-loving minds? Practice Management super nerd, Stephanie Goss and Shawna Castillo offer their perspectives on this subject. This week's episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast is brought to you by Otto. Shawna Castillo, with her 20 years of experience in the veterinary and animal health space, brings a wealth of knowledge to this topic. As a leader in people, processes, and technology, Shawna excels in influential team leadership, process improvement, client retention strategies, and customer success enablement. At Otto, she oversees the Care Memberships program, helping veterinary hospitals boost their economy, client retention, team efficiencies, and patient outcomes. Shawna's passion for understanding human and animal motivators and her love for using technology to strengthen the bond between pets, their owners, and veterinarians, makes her the perfect guest for this mailbag. Stephanie and Shawna discuss the need for care plans, enabling pet parents, especially younger generations, to afford preventative care through manageable monthly payments. They discuss key factors to consider when designing care plans and strategies to overcome common barriers from associate DVMs, team members, and clients. Shawna's insights offer invaluable guidance for veterinary practice managers and leaders looking to implement effective wellness plans without overwhelming their teams. Let's get into this episode...

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Otto Care + Uncharted Deal: https://otto.vet/uncharted/ Referenced Article: https://www.avma.org/news/turn-data-when-decisions-get-tough UVP 233 - Vet vs. Wellness Plans: https://unchartedvet.com/vet-vs-wellness-plans/

A frustrated veterinary practice leader wonders why it seems like the details no longer matter to their team. This week on the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Practice Management expert Stephanie Goss and Dr. Andy Roark tackle their shortest mailbag question ever: does anyone care about the details? Together, they work through the headspace behind this question, discussing the complexities of veterinary medicine and how to foster honest conversations that lead to accountability. From fecal loops to technician tasks to tardiness, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss walk through real-life examples, offering valuable action steps to help the team understand why the details matter. Let's get into this episode...

Mentioned in this episode:

Office Hours

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Join Dr. Andy Roark for Office Hours at the Uncharted Veterinary Community!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

This practice owner aims to develop a plan for both a new, eager graduate and an established associate who is less enthusiastic about development. Dr. Addie Reinhard, CEO of MentorVet, joins Dr. Andy Roark on this week's podcast to tackle this unique challenge. Dr. Reinhard brings a wealth of expertise to the conversation, as the founder of MentorVet—an organization known for its evidence-based approaches to promoting well-being within veterinary medicine. Her extensive research, including her role in the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study, focuses on developing interventions to support mental health and well-being in the veterinary field. All of this making her the perfect person to help us with this week's mailbag. Together, Dr. Addie Reinhard and Dr. Andy Roark discuss the importance of tailored development plans, employee ownership, and provide actionable steps for any practice leader looking to enhance their mentorship programs. Let's get into this..

Mentioned in this episode:

Office Hours

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Join Dr. Andy Roark for Office Hours at the Uncharted Veterinary Community!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

An associate is struggling with their perception that the management team is not holding an otherwise exceptional team member accountable for excessive call-outs, resulting in gaps in coverage. This week on the Uncharted Podcast, Stephanie Goss and Dr. Andy Roark respond to an email signed from "A motivated associate who needs my support team to show up to work and the management team to hold them accountable." They discuss a team member who is excellent at their job but has chronic migraines causing constant absences. Andy and Stephanie aim to move from frustration to a positive mindset to tackle this mailbag question, head on. Let's get into this episode...

Mentioned in this episode:

Office Hours

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Join Dr. Andy Roark for Office Hours at the Uncharted Veterinary Community!

Clients are feeling extremely frustrated by not being able to get seen with a sick pet quickly enough for their liking and unfortunately, the front desk is taking the brunt of the client frustration. This week on the Uncharted Podcast, Stephanie Goss and Dr. Andy Roark jump headfirst into another mailbag episode. They received an email from a practice who is absolutely drowning in clients. They have 5 doctors offering care weekdays AND weekends and they still can't keep up. This practice is pleading for suggestions on not letting the constant backlash wear them down at the desk or on the phones. The team feels like this can be an amazing field to work in, but are feeling like its hard not to dread coming in when the bad calls start to outweigh the good. Let's get into this episode...

Mentioned in this episode:

Office Hours

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Join Dr. Andy Roark for Office Hours at the Uncharted Veterinary Community!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

One experienced doctor's toxic behavior is jeopardizing team morale and driving away staff and new graduate veterinarians. In this episode of the Uncharted podcast, practice management expert Stephanie Goss and Dr. Erica Pounds from Banfield Pet Hospital dive into a critical issue faced by many practice leaders: dealing with toxic behavior from a team member. The episode begins with a heartfelt email from a frustrated practice leader detailing the challenges their practice has faced since losing several doctors after a corporate buyout. Stephanie and Dr. Pounds explore actionable strategies to address this issue effectively. Let's get into this episode!

ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Erica Pounds is the enthusiastic Program Manager for Team-based Care with the Veterinary Affairs Team at Banfield Pet Hospital. Since graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011, she has climbed the ranks at Banfield, taking on pivotal roles such as Chief of Staff, Area Chief of Staff, and Interim Director of Veterinary Quality. Erica has a fervent passion for learning and particularly cherishes opportunities for leadership development. Outside the office, Erica's life is full of adventure and creativity. She's not only the supermom to four amazing boys and a partner in crime to her husband in the bustling world of superheroes and soccer, but she also finds joy and tranquility in quilting. Her sewing room is her sanctuary, a place where colorful fabrics and intricate designs come to life, providing a perfect balance to her dynamic professional life.

Mentioned in this episode:

Office Hours

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Join Dr. Andy Roark for Office Hours at the Uncharted Veterinary Community!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures.

Register for The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit Today!

This practice has spent a lot of time and energy to work on their culture and the team that is there loves working together, loves their clients and the management. Yet people are still leaving the practice! This week on the podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and practice management nerd Stephanie Goss are talking through an email they received in the mailbag. This letter might be short on details and the challenge this practice is facing is definitely long on the challenge. We know we can't control losing people to life events and yet this writer is finding themselves shouting at the top of their lungs "What am I doing wrong!?!?!?" Let's get into this...

Content Warning: Mentions of suicide may be triggering to some listeners. What are some key practices in preparing the clinic for a team member returning from a mental health leave? Dr. Phil Richmond joins us to help a veterinary practice manager wondering how they can prepare a safe space within their clinic, for a team member to return to. Together, Stephanie Goss and Dr. Phil Richmond tackle many action steps and offer valuable resources to get the right work policy in place for any team. Let's get into this episode...

LINKS AND RESOURCES JAVMA Article Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015: https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/254/1/javma.254.1.104.xml EEOC Resources: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/enforcement-guidance-ada-and-psychiatric-disabilities AVMA EAP Resources: https://www.avma.org/news/exploring-employee-assistance-programs-veterinary-practices-are-they-bother-or-benefit Return to Work Checklist (US Friendly) - Page 37: https://workplacesuicideprevention.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/20220630-FINAL-FINAL-HR-EmploymentLaw-WhitePaper.pdf Not One More Vet: https://www.nomv.org/