Commerce Village Vet – Team Portal

Hi ladies,

Please triple check your schedule.  There have been a few changes and the schedule is different a few weeks due to being only one doctor.  Please let me know if you notice any issues or mistakes!!  Thank you.

Please triple check yourself when you are adding charges to an account.  I know we have been busy but we need to slow down and make sure all charges are put in correctly for the correct patient.

Please also double check yourself when counting medications and/or writing a prescription label.  We need to make sure that medications are under the correct patient, for the correct medication, at the right dose with the correct quantity!

I think the meeting next month will be going over some protocols as well as lymes, hw, fleas and protocols on those things and preventatives.

Thanks!

Hi ladies,

Thank you for all your hard work.  Everyone has been doing a great job!

We have been still missing some things at night when we close so Jenna has put together a check list.  Thank you Jenna for taking that on! Please go through the checklist every night and initial next to what you did and make sure everything is marked off for the night before everyone leaves. Whether you leave at 6 or 7 please check the list and communicate to your team what still needs to be done.  Please make sure all the patients are taken care of in the back before anyone leaves at 6 (iv’s pulled, patients cleaned up and ready to go home, treatments done on patients who are staying, inpatient area cleaned, etc).

We will be having team meetings every couple months.  We have one planned for March 17.  Please bring ideas, concerns, questions.  The topic of the meeting is yet to be decided…..any suggestions?  We will be going over anything important that needs to be discussed.

Please make sure you request any time off you need at least a month in advance.  I try to stay on top of the doctors and team schedule to make sure it all coincides.  There have been many time off requests already for the summer.  Please submit any time off you need for the summer asap.  If you have not requested time off for the summer then please do not ask for time off April 1- April 10, July 1 – July 10, July 21 – July 24 or August 6 – August 14.  We have multiple people taking time off already and unfortunately can not spare any other team members during that time.  I apologize for any issues.  Thank you in advance for your understanding.

It’s time to start voting for Best of the Best!!! Please vote multiple times per day and tell everyone you know to do the same.  The link is  http://mi.journalregister.com/theoaklandpress/bestofthebest/

Thank you!

We have increased prices as of 1/5/16.  We will honor treatment plans and prices from the previous 60 days.  Just make sure to transfer the treatment plan so it will transfer with the old pricing.  Any estimate older than 60 days is no longer valid and will need a new estimate with the current pricing.  Please familiarize yourself with the new pricing.

Everyone has been doing an amazing job!  The team work has been great!  Everyone has been putting forth 110% and we really appreciate it!  It’s a joy to come into work with all of you everyday:) Congrats to Katie who is the December employee of the month!  Thank you to Jaci and Dianna who are picking up extra shifts in reception…..it’s great to work with you gals more! Great job to Katie, Jenna and Sarah.  You ladies rocked out a very busy surgery day yesterday. It went very smooth and organized.  Great patient care, customer service and team work! Way to go! Laurel and Beth, you have been giving amazing customer service to all clients as they come in and leave. Thank you! Heather and Jenny, you always do a great job in the lab on Mondays!  Dr. Nap is turning into the dental queen with rocking out AMAZING extractions flawlessly! Dr. Rutsey you are just simply awesome.  Good luck on your trip!  Dr. Putt, with out you, none of this would be possible…..you’re a gold star super star!!!

While I am gone, please check the email daily for any new online orders that need to be authorized and please authorize them.  There is also a list on the fridge of the most common places I order inventory from.  Please refer to that list if you need anything.  I have placed a double order this week to hopefully get us through until I come back…………if I come back;)

Thank you!!

Hi everyone!

We had a gentleman come to our door after hours on Tuesday night and ask for money.  CREEPY!! Absolutely, no exceptions everyone must leave with someone, there has to be at least 2 people here, never leave someone by themselves and do not open the door for anyone.  If someone comes to the door, call 911 if you feel threatened!

Safety always comes first!

Hi everyone, PLEASE make sure to empty the mop bucket every night! Clean all dirty cages! PLEASE check in all orders, INCLUDING FOOD ORDERS, AND PUT IT AWAY! PLEASE come in 5-10 minutes before your shift ready to work. If we are slow and do not need all the team members who are here, please know you may be sent home.  We will make it as fair as possible so everyone will get a turn. Thank you!

Please make sure that you are taking the time to print all info on cremation forms clearly and dark enough so all  info is easy to read.  We had a private cremation returned to us with the wrong name labeled on the urn due to unclear writing of the name on the cremation form.

Yes we are busy but we still need to take time to complete all tasks and give 100%.  Make sure all forms are filled out (this includes exam sheets, surgery sheets, admittance sheets, etc) so that there is no confusion.  Also, communication is so important.  Even small details help everyone.  Be helpful to all team mates. For instance, if a receptionist comes to you and says I have “Fluffy’s owner on the phone wondering when she can go home and did we find anything?  You may not know one thing about that pet.  So instead of saying I have no clue I know nothing, think……. what doctor could have seen the pet and who is working with that doctor today then tell the receptionist to check with those people.

Thank you!

The September schedule is done so please view it carefully and let me know if there are any issues.  There are many changes due to everyone’s schedules so please look at it carefully.

We have been very busy!  We appreciate everyone’s hard work and dedication to trying their hardest to offer great patient care and customer service even when you are stressed and frustrated.  PLEASE come to me whenever you are overwhelmed or frustrated.  We can not help if we don’t know there is a problem.  We are still trying to hire a receptionist and technician.  Hopefully that will help everyone!  Please let me know if you need an extra hand whether it’s in reception, lab, surgery, phones, cleaning up a pile of poop in the lobby.  Whatever…….I can help!

COMMUNICATION!! Please try your best to communicate.  With being so busy, we have lost some communication between team members, mistakes are being made, exam forms are not being filled out, charts are not getting prepped, etc.  PLEASE try your hardest to stay focused and finish what you have started, completely fill out forms, triple check charges and communicate to all team members!

We really have an amazing team filled with amazing, hard working woman!  Let’s continue to work well together and continue to make this place outstanding!! Each of you are appreciated and an asset to this clinic!!  Thank you!!!!  I really appreciate all of you!

Erika

Hi everyone,

This is a friendly reminder to always grab the chart whenever a stool sample is dropped off, record all conversations with clients in the chart and look at each stool sample that is dropped off to look for any abnormalities (tapes, rounds, diarrhea, sticks, etc) and note any abnormal findings in the chart and on the lab sheet that is going to antech.

Please do not book more surgical or dental appointments than what is allowed in easytime with out asking the doctor that will be in surgery for that day.  (No more than 3 dentals on Thursdays!!)

Please be cognizant of cell phone use.  Do not reply to texts, emails or answer calls during the work day unless you are at lunch or it is an emergency.  It would be best to give your family our work number to use if there is an emergency.  If there is personal business that you need to take care of during your shift then please do it during your lunch break and clock out if it is something that is extensive.

Everyone is doing a great job!  Great teamwork!!

I forgot one thing!!  When you are completing an appointment and putting in charges please put a check mark next to each item that you have entered into the computer then put your initials at the bottom of the page which states you have entered all charges and have double checked that everything is in and complete.

Then walk the chart up to reception.  The receptionist will then double check by crossing off the check mark that all charges are in.  MAKE SURE THE RECPEPTIONISTS RECEIVE YOUR CHARTS!!  They have no idea if all charges have been put in, if we are waiting on meds, etc. if they don’t receive a chart.  The receptionist must receive a chart to finalize all appointments.

Please also make sure all charges are in, homecare done and chart and homecare bag are in reception.  It makes life so much easier for the receptionist to be able to grab the chart and bag and get the client in a room rather than having to hunt down the chart and the bag and the right technician that knows where the chart and bag are, answer the phones, check in other appointments, check out appointments, answer the phone, still hunting down the right technician, answer the phone…..get the point?

Thank you to each of you for all you do.  You each are really amazing!!!

Hi everyone,

Here are the changes we have made from receiving the results from our AAHA inspection:

*Wipe down the pill counters after each time.  There are baby wipes on the pill counter countertop to use to wipe them down.

*We have secured the Proin and Gabapentin.  They are now in the safe along with the other controlled drugs.

*There are CE Tracker forms in the hospital policy book under the Training/CE tab.  There is a CE Tracker form for each of you with your name on it.  It is your responsibility to log all your CE yourselves.  You need to log everything!  Conferences, lunch and learns, seminars, reading, etc.  I have logged everything up to the inspection.  Log anything that you have done after that point.

*Write down what the pet is eating at each appointment.

*Sarah has made an anesthetic machine maintenance log.  Please use that log for all maintenance, changing sodasorb, weighing f-air cannisters, etc.  It is in the Housekeeping Binder under the autoclave. Thank you Sarah!

*We no longer have to keep a radiology log!!  Yay! You can still print out the xray label and use that to input all your info into the xray software and stick the label on our sheets we have been using but you don’t need to write anything down.  When registering the pet’s info into the software please add your initials under comments.  Tht way our software will be our log from here on out.

*There are new safety posters hung in surgery and radiology.

*There is now a map of our emergency action plan hanging on the kennel door along with all the other posters.  A written version of our EAP is in our binder under workplace safety.

*Please initial every entry into the patient’s charts.  If you write in a chart….put your initials after what you have written.

*Buprenex and metacam need to go home in a 60 dram pill vial.  They can not go home in a plastic baggy!!  Preventatives can still go home in a baggy because they are still in their original packaging.

*Each patient needs their own admittance sheets, cage cards, treatment plans, etc. even if they are in the same family.  A client may have a dnr for one pet but not for the other, etc.

*Please be careful of your conversations with other team members.  Clients can hear all conversations that are happening in the lab and sometimes even in the back.  Please try to stop all idle conversations if we have all exam rooms full and people waiting up front.  If we are that busy please have your conversations with team members during lunch, after work or during down time.  Our first priority is getting our client and patients needs met!  Please also be conscious of interrupting or joining a conversation that you are not a part of.  Sometimes there are conversations going on and it can add confusion and/or frustration if another person takes part.

*We have been extremely busy!  We are still on the look out for another employee!  Please try to prioritize tasks and keep time management in mind!  If all rooms and lobby are full and you are doing a discharge in the kitchen then we are BUSY!!! Please try to be as quick as possible with discharges and appointment.  Here are a few helpful tips…………

Closures for discharges / Chatty Clients

• Politely take control of the conversation immediately.
• If the client keeps talking over you or interrupting you, stop talking, let them finish their thought, then say “I am going to go over all the important details real quick with you then when I’m finished I’ll answer any questions or concerns you have”.
• If you are stuck in a room when putting an appointment in, say “I think that everything you’re telling me is important for the doctor to hear so let me go see if I can get her in here as quickly as I can.”
• Know when you need to speed up and know when it’s ok to slow down.  If it’s the client’s first pet and first surgery then you will probably have to spend more time going over things but if it’s the client’s 10^th dog getting their 10^th dental then you will only have to hit on the important info and that’s it.
• Less is more. Everything is written down for the client so keep that in mind.
• If you get stuck in any situation say “I need to excuse myself.  Dr. _______ needs my help with a patient.
• If you are not crazy and you and the client have time, then go over all discharge instructions at the post-op phone call.  That way you can keep the actual discharge extremely brief.  You should only have to ask if there are any questions and explain those and all other important info.
• If children are in the appointment or at discharge and they keep persistently asking questions say “It is very important that I go over ________ instructions with your mom, dad, grandma, etc.” Ignore the child until you are fully through!  We are not being rude but sometimes parents do not intervene.  We all love kids but we need to be punctual, quick and get it done!  Tune the kids out if needed……..
• Give important info at discharge and that’s it.  Stop talking.  Ask the client what questions they have.  Finish by saying: Alright, I have gone over all the discharge info with you Mrs./Mr. _________.  Please call with any questions or concerns.  I will now take you to Beth/Laurel to have her finish up with you.  I will go and get ______ for you.  Thank you so much.
• If the client needs help to the car then do just that!!  Help the client/patient to the car and then turn back to the building saying Call with any questions. Thank you so much!!  Do not get stuck taking the patient to go potty, for a walk, or have a lengthy conversation, etc.
• There is a difference to being punctual and professional and being rude.  We are not being rude if following these protocols.  A lot of times there is an urgency to being as quick as possible.  This also helps with the flow of clients, wait time and cars in the parking lot!!!

That is all!!  I know that is a lot of info……..let me know if you have nay questions!

Erika