The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast

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.

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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...

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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/

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This week on the Uncharted Podcast, Stephanie Goss and Dr. Andy Roark dive into another intriguing submission from the mail bag. This time, they tackle a question from a practice owner who's embarking on the journey of opening a new clinic and is pondering what type of client experience to deliver. The practice owner is eager to establish a distinctive client experience for their new venture but is uncertain about the direction to take. Stephanie and Andy emphasize the importance of aligning the client experience with the practice's vision and values. They get a little spicy in debunking the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach, emphasizing that the client experience should be tailored to reflect the unique identity and goals of the practice. Stephanie and Andy provide actionable steps to help the practice owner extract their vision and values and translate them into tangible practices for their new startup team. From defining core values to training the team, they offer practical guidance to empower the practice owner in shaping a client experience that resonates authentically with their practice ethos. Let's get into this episode... LINKS

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This week on the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and veterinary practice management whiz, Stephanie Goss dive into a heartfelt letter from a listener grappling with burnout in the veterinary world. Despite swimming in a sea of perks—great pay, abundant time off, and a tight-knit support system—the listener finds themselves treading water, feeling stuck in the profession's turbulent waves. They're struggling to keep their head above water amidst rising client demands and a sinking sense of passion. Andy and Stephanie embark on a buoyant journey through the listener's challenges, sprinkling in their trademark ride to Camp Tough Love. Together, they explore different mindsets and paddle through practical strategies to reignite the listener's love for veterinary medicine. Let's get into this...

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In this week's episode of The Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss dive into a letter from the mailbag. It's from a kennel technician grappling with a toxic workplace culture. This dedicated individual is working tirelessly in the kennels for experience requirements for vet school. However, the atmosphere within the kennels is far from supportive, with the kennel manager engaging in gossiping and making side remarks. Despite reaching out to the practice manager for assistance, the situation remains unchanged, leaving the kennel attendant feeling frustrated and unheard. Andy and Stephanie provide valuable insight about looking at the big picture and how to navigate these kinds of conversations. Let's get into this episode....

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In this episode of the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark jumps into a crucial mailbag but this time with special guest Dr. Sarah Wolff. Together they tackle a pressing question from a practice manager struggling with maintaining the personal touch in client interactions after transitioning to digital communications. Sarah Wolff, a seasoned veteran of the veterinary field, embarked on her journey inspired by James Herriot's tales. Over her 22-year career, she's navigated every role imaginable in a veterinary team, from humble beginnings as a kennel assistant to the esteemed position of medical director. Through her extensive experience, Sarah has witnessed the dynamic evolution of veterinary care, but one principle has remained constant: client relationships are the cornerstone of exceptional veterinary medicine. Today, she's dedicated to helping teams cultivate these relationships, fostering excellent client experiences that enrich both the practice and the individuals within it. For more insights from Sarah, visit her online at www.DrSarahWolff.com and follow her on Twitter @DrSarahWolff. In this episode's mailbag entry, our featured practice manager voices a common concern among modern practices: striking a balance between efficiency-driven digital communications and maintaining the human connection with clients. With technology streamlining communication processes, practices risk losing the personal touch that sets them apart in the hearts of their clients. Let's get into this episode!

Do you have something that you would love to hear discussed on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag

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Care is Your Calling

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This week on the Uncharted Podcast, practice management super nerd, Stephanie Goss invited special guest Bill Schroeder to come discuss something all of our practices should be getting ready for - the big slow down. We know that some clinics still have clients coming out their ears while others are experiencing a very rapid slowing of appointment volume. So many of us have been focusing on hiring and retaining team members to support our case loads that we've put things like marketing, updating reminder protocols and website updates on the back burner. Bill Schroeder owns InTouch Practice Communications (www.InTouchVet.com), a full-service digital marketing agency built specifically for the veterinary community. As an entrepreneur, international speaker, veterinary thought leader, and digital marketing enthusiast who has leveraged his love of people and pets to help veterinary practices grow and thrive - Stephanie thought Bill would be the perfect guest to talk strategy with. Bill's team and their more than 8,000 client success stories are the basis for his speaking sessions and his drive to help practices learn how to actually implement these things in your practice. Bill serves on the Board of Directors for VetPartners, teaches within the MBA program at Purdue University, and can be found teaching from many of the veterinary conference stages around the world. Stephanie asked Bill to come discuss the three most important things every clinic should be doing right now to keep clients coming in the doors. Between outsourcing google ads and online reputation management, Stephanie and Bill give you realistic tips that you can put into practice today. Let's get into this episode...

Do you have something that you would love to hear discussed on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag Upcoming events: unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Mentioned in this episode:

Care is Your Calling

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Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

Dr. Andy Roark and practice management super geek, Stephanie Goss are back with another letter from our mailbag. This time a manager writes in who is struggling with communication in her practice. This manager's newish to practice ownership DVM struggles to communicate with the team as a whole. The manager is fielding complaints from the team about the holes in communication. And to make it more challenging, the practice owner's wife is also heavily involved in the practice, despite her lack of veterinary background. This manager is struggling with knowing how to address the team's concerns when they share some of them as well as struggling to find their own place in the triangle between the practice owner, their partner and the manager. This one is a doozy, let's get into this....

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Care is Your Calling

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On this week's episode of the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and practice management super nerd, Stephanie Goss take on a new kind of mailbag. This time, our listener struggles with writing a recommendation letter but not for the reason you might think. This person cannot stop gushing over their rockstar vet tech and is wondering what even makes for a good recommendation letter in the first place. Together, Andy and Stephanie give their tips for effective recommendation letters and how to politely decline if you may not be the right person to write it. Let's get into this episode....

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag Upcoming events: unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us for the Medical Director Summit!

Get the Protocol Training Game Here!

Care is Your Calling