How do we celebrate staff birthdays?

Each staff member is asked to contribute $3-$5 towards your co-worker’s special day. A group text is sent out about week before to give you the opportunity to contribute and sign the birthday card.  You can always check the calendar for upcoming birthdays if it is easier to plan ahead. 

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In what situations do I contact staff that are not on duty and how do I go about it?

Everyone is issued with a contact sheet. This has phone numbers, personal emails, and emergency contacts for all staff. If you have misplaced your sheet it can easily be replaced and you can ask a fellow co-worker to look at theirs in the meantime. Contacting staff regarding work related issues while they are off duty is acceptable but we try our best to handle the situation in-hospital first. For example, although your question might be for one of the doctors it is possible that the technician who assisted may know the answer you are looking for. If that is not an option, triage how time sensitive the response is and contact accordingly. As a team, we are willing to help and do what is best for the client even when off duty.

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How do I turn on and off the security alarm?

Each staff member has their own four-digit alarm code. The alarm panel is located by the back door. Both the front door and back door need to be shut to activate the alarm. To turn on the alarm, input your four-digit code followed by the ‘away’ button which is also the number ‘2’ button. It will then make a beeping sound until you lock the door. It will often continue for a few seconds and then shut off.

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When entering as soon as the door is unlocked the alarm will start to beep. To turn off the alarm, put in your four-digit code followed by the ‘off’ button which is also the number ‘1’ button.  The beeping will then stop. If beeping continues, alarm company will be notified. They will call the hospital on line 3 and ask for a password. The password is ‘habib’.

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How do I admit a grooming patient and what happens if they need services?

Each day reception prints out the grooming consent forms for the next day. They are located in a clear bin on the counter to the far right. When a grooming patient arrives, the form is to be filled out with the best contact number for pick-up and what grooming services they would like. Chris will greeting her clients upon check-in and bringing them up after the client has paid. We have a walkie where the grooming papers are, page her to let her know when a client/patient is here to check in and when a client has paid and are ready for their kiddo. If she can’t hear you or you don’t get a response we can go the back at that point and inform her.

 

Two labels accompany the form, one for the kennel and one for the bin that will house their leash and any other personal belongings.

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If the patient is in need of medical services an estimate is usually put together by a technician ahead of time. If not, you can ask a technician if they have a moment at that time to put one together. It’s is easiest if a technician goes over the estimate incase the client has any questions and to gather any concerns the client might have about the patient. The estimate must be signed by the client. The technician may take the estimate with them or it can be placed in the treatment room in the outpatient bin.

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What are the feline grooming procedures?

Because shaving a feline is often stressful for the patient, we require that they have the FVRCP vaccine along with the Feline Rabies vaccine. We try to limit the number of felines to three scheduled in one day.

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It is possible that some felines need a sedative to be groomed. If this is the first time issuing a sedative, a doctor’s exam is needed before grooming. After the initial sedative dose has been prescribed and the feline has been seen by a doctor within a year, a doctor exam is not needed. This is reflected in the estimate and signed by the client at drop off. If we are unsure if a sedative is needed, we may have the client fill out an estimate preemptively. 

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How do I process a tip left for the groomer?

Tips can be left on a credit card or in cash. If the tip is being left in cash hand the cash directly to Chris or place in an envelope and put it on her shelf. If the tip is being put on a credit card it will need to be processed through Neo. We do not have the ability to add a tip on the credit card receipt it must be put into the invoice before checking out. By asking at check out if they would like to add a tip you can avoid having to create two transactions to check out. In the consultation input “Tips, grooming service’ in the product line. Input the amount they want to add. Then check out the total as normal. Josh keeps tally of the tips and then distributes to Chris through paychex.

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If they want to add a tip after checking out you can create a new consultation to input and check out for the tip.  

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How do I fill a prescription? Refill a prescription?

All prescriptions have to be dosed by a doctor. The patient needs to have been seen within the past year and a recent weight is needed. When a prescription has been put into an invoice a label is printed. The labels are usually filled by a technician but can often be filled by a receptionist if the techs are busy. A few medications, such as interceptor and Bravecto are the easiest to fill. Make sure the box corresponds to the correct weight and quantity on the label.  When the prescription has been filled initial the label and place in the upper right cabinet of the reception area. Controlled medication must be counted by two people before being dispensed.  

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If a client calls to refill a prescription, enter the patient’s record and check that the patient has an up-to-date exam and bloodwork if needed. Verify the amount the client wishes to refill then create a new consultation. When creating a new consultation, the first thing you want to do is set the provider name in the top left corner to the prescribing doctor’s DVM refill option. Then input the prescription name in the ‘Product/ Service’ column. In the ‘Label’ column type out the dose with your initials at the end. Neo will automatically set the quantity to “0” or “1” make sure to change to the correct quantity. Then save the invoice and print the label. Fill as mentioned above.

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Who am I allowed to refill prescriptions for?

Legally patients need to been seen within the past year for us to give medical prescriptions to. Check the reminders tab in the patient file for a valid exam. Check the notes in the patient’s history. If it is a medication that was only given on a one-time basis check with a doctor that it is a medication the patient needs to continue. If it is a long-term prescription such as Soloxine or Fluconazole, make sure their bloodwork is up-to-date. If in doubt, check with the prescribing doctor. There are occasional exceptions but those are usually noted in the patient’s alerts.

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Where are controlled medication kept and how do I access them?

There is a safe that sits on the filing cabinet of the Doctor’s office. Only select staff can access them. If a prescription needs to be filled or if you need to retrieve a prescription that had already been filled approach Dr. Josh, Dr. Trupp, Tina, Liam, Amy or Mel. Tramadol and hydrocodone, along with some injectables, are controlled medications located in the safe. Unlike the other medications, even when counted and labeled, these medications remain in the safe until the client comes to pick up these medications. 

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What if a client wants to get their medication elsewhere?

Clients are welcome to get medication from any pharmacy that carries it. We can provide the client with a written script if they wish to go deliver it to the pharmacy. They can pick it up I person, we can fax it, or mail it to them. This option works best if the client is unsure of where they want to fill it or plans on asking around for the most cost-effective option. If they know which pharmacy they are going to use we can call the script in. However, some controlled drugs require a written script and cannot be called in. Receptionists, Technicians, Vet Assistants, and Doctors have the ability to perform this action.

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If they are looking to purchase from an online pharmacy, they simply need to go online and process the order. The pharmaceutical company will contact us via fax or phone to get authorization. Give the form to the appropriate doctor to fill out and fax back to the pharmaceutical company. The form is then scanned into the patients file.

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How do I check voicemail?

If the phone has a green message light, that indicates that there is a new voicemails. Since the messages are left to each extension they can only be checked from the phone that has the message light. 

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How long do I schedule an appt for and do I schedule it for a doctor or tech?

As a standard, most appointments are booked for 30 minutes or 30 minutes for each pet If it is a multiple pet room. If a appointment is booked for a new client/new patient, schedule 40 min. Saturdays is a 'one-doctor' day and we usually have a smaller staff so if an appointment is book for a sick patient, schedule those for 40min. A euthanasia can be blocked for 60 min. with at-home euthanasia’s scheduled for longer. All exams and rechecks are to be booked with a doctor. Blood draws, k-laser treatments, Lepto boosters, Cytopoint (after the initial injection), Toe-nail trims, expressing anal glands, and suture removals are considered tech appointments. They are scheduled for 30 minutes in the tech column. If an animal is being dropped off to see a doctor they are scheduled in the tech column, even though they are here to see a doctor, because a technician needs to check them in. This ensures that we have a technician available to talk to the client. Drop off appoinmnets are only offered to established clients. All new clients must be present for the first exam.   

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There are certain occasions where a tech appt is needed for a consult in nutrition, pain management, behavior training, or dental health. A half hour block would then be blocked in the tech column with the reason ‘Tech talk with owner’.

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During what time frame do we charge a recheck exam fee vs a full exam fee?

Since it is the doctor’s service that it is being discounted, the recheck exam fee is at the discretion of the doctor. If they feel that the exam was a true recheck and no other issues presented themselves they will often charge a recheck.

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During what times do we schedule tech appointments?

Avoid scheduling tech appointments at open, close, and during lunch. During the first part of the day technicians are assisting with procedure and grooming drop-offs and would be unable to fulfil a scheduled appointment. Starting tech appointments at 8:00am insures that there is a tech ready and available for that appointment. Keeping the last tech appointment before or at 5:30pm allows techs to complete the end of the day cleaning and stocking procedures.  From 12pm – 2:00pm is when the doctors are at lunch. At this point the technicians rotate for their lunches. There is often only one tech on staff so we avoid scheduling tech appointments at this time.

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On the rare occasion that the technicians will be away for a CE, at-home euthanasia, etc. the schedule is blocked out to avoid booking tech appointments during that time.

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How do I check-in a client?

When a client come through the door greet them and mark them as arrived in Neo. If the dog is 2olbs or heavier weigh patients on the lobby scale if they are a smaller dog or a cat a technician will use a baby scale in the room. Guide the client and patient into the room and offer a bottle of water. We have color coded cards for each Doctor:  Pink-Dr. Brown Green- Dr. Josh Orange-Dr. Trupp. Please indicate the patient's name and weight along with the client's name on the card and clip to the basket on the door. Whoever checks the patient in goes into the room each time with the client and using the computer in the room to update their information (phone #, address, and email). This allows the client to give us their personal information in a private and quieter environment. Our goal is to have an email on file for every client. If a client declines giving their email,  please write decline@decline in the email section with your initials. Exit the room and inform the technician that the patient is here and which room they are in. ​

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What do I do if someone is requesting the records of a patient?

We have the ability to fax, email, or mail a patient's records. When faxing records to outside facilities, we use a googledocs document called "Records Sent Out" to keep track of records we are sending to outside hospitals, clinics or clients. Please list the Date, Name of Patient, Where we are sending records: hospital/clinic name or to the client, Why we are sending records: o's traveling, changing vets, etc. If you send records out but are unable to update the googledoc sheet please let someone in reception know the information listed above and we can update accordingly. If the records are being sent because they have moved out of state or are switching to another veterinary office please in-activate the client (or get someone who has the permissions to do it for you). This keeps our active client list up-to-date and will not negatively affect our compliance scores. 

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How do I clean the x-ray cassette screen and how often?

The x-ray cassette screen should be cleaned every six months by a technician. In order to clean the screen, you will need exam gloves, cleaning supplies, and the cassette. The cleaning supplies are located in a small square clear tub. While wearing gloves, lay the cassette flat. The barcode window and tabs should be at the top, facing you. Pulling down the two tabs simultaneously lift on the top to expose the screen. Pull it out and place on top of the cassette black side facing up. Spray the cleaning solution onto the green microfiber towel. DO NOT SPRAY ON SCREEN. Wipe down the black side. Make sure to dry it with the towel. When it is dry, slide the screen back into the cassette black side up. The bar code should show in the display window. Log and initial the ‘CR Cleaning’ sheet in the blue binder and put all supplies away.  

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How “fresh” does a fecal have to be for Idexx to test it?

The fresher the sample the better. Idexx however will accept a sample up to 48 hours old as long as it was kept in cool conditions.

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What bloodwork or medical procedures require fasting?

All surgeries and ultrasounds require fasting preferably withholding food after 10pm the night prior. Water is okay as long as they do not gulp down large amounts.  The patient should be fasted when coming in for a bile acids test and glucose curve. With a glucose curve, the owner should bring the patients food with them to be given during the day, as well as any insulin.

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Fasting is not required for a T4 Test, LDDS or an ACTH Stim test but they do have specific instructions. A T4 test should be scheduled for 4-6 hours post medication, an ACTH Stim test takes 2 hours, and a LDDS test takes the full day.

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What documents are needed for cremation?

When a patient is in for a euthanasia a ‘Euthanasia’ form needs to be printed. This is found in the patients account under forms. This is filled out by the client and informs us if they want the cremains returned to them or not. Animal Cremation Services is the company that does our cremation for us. They pick up on Fridays and deliver the cremains from the previous week. They have a ‘paws e track’ online clinic portal. The tech stations are already signed in. Fill out the patient information and print out the form. Once printed it is to be placed into a plastic tag and zip-tied around the tied portion of the blue plastic bag. The clinic portal allows you to track the cremains if there is an issue with delivery.

 

What do I do if we run out of supplies?

If we run out of an item, list it on the clipboard located on the side of the kennels, above the exam gloves in the treatment room. The Inventory Manager will check and order supplies accordingly. Try to write the item as soon as you realize the item is getting low. Try to avoid waiting until the last item is used. This allows us a few days to get the shipment in.

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What can a client return?

Our suppliers have a 100% guarantee if an animal does not like the food or dental treats, such as CET chews or Oravet, the client simply needs to return it in the original packaging, even if the product is more than half way gone. We will give them the refund on our end and the company will in turn reimburse us. Please inform the Inventory Manager of the return so they can contact the supplier.  

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Unfortunately, medications cannot be returned. If they wish, they can be donated so that a dog from a rescue or a patient whose owner cannot afford it can benefit from the medication. There is a bin in pharmacy that is dedicated to donated medication.  

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In what scenarios do we give out estimates over the phone?

If they are a current client and are looking to see how much their annual exam with vaccines will be, we can certainly do that. Bigger procedures are harder to explain over the phone so we prefer to go over those with them during their appointment. Especially because most procedures like dentals, are dependent on what they find once the procedure has started.

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We do not give estimates to new clients. If they would like to know what our exam fee is we can certainly tell them or the standard cost of each vaccine. Further then that it is difficult to give an accurate estimate without an initial visit.

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What do I do when a client needs a product we do not have in stock?

There is a clipboard in the cabinet up at reception that contains a “Special Order” list. All food or medication requests can be put on this form. It is then ordered by the Inventory/Purchasing Manager. When a shipment comes in, whoever unpacks it is to check the list and call the client to tell them that the item has arrived. Label the item with their name and input into a consultation. Food is set aside in the hallway and medications are placed alphabetically by last name in a cabinet behind the reception desk.

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If sending a patient home with a new Hill’s Diet, how do I know how much they should eat each day?

Check for a recent weight. If there isn’t one in the system, try your best to obtain one. Use that knowledge to reference against the Hill’s Key to Clinical Nutrition book on Amy’s desk. If the patient is trying to lose or maintain their weight, using the healthy weight protocol program is a more accurate option.

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How do I process a refund?

When giving a refund it can either be applied as a credit to their account, the funds can be returned onto the card they paid with, or in cash if that was the form used. When applying the refund as a credit, go to the patient’s account in NEO. In the right column, there is a ‘give refund’ button. Once clicked it will appear as a consultation screen. Input the item they wish to return and the amount will automatically generate a negative value that reflects the items price. If they are returning multiple items enter them separately. This will ensure that the item is put back in stock and the sales of that item reflects accordingly. Once you have entered each item being refunded click the little box in the lower right-hand corner that says ‘is this refund ready to be paid?’  A check mark will appear in the box and automatically save the consultation. On the top of the screen ‘Refund has been saved’ will appear. At this point the refund will remain unpaid and left as a credit on the account.

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When applying the credit to a bill that the client has, go to the Client tab from the menu bar at the top of your screen and take payment as you normally would.  However now when in ‘Outstanding Invoices’ you will see the credit listed with all invoices.  Make sure each invoice is selected by clicking on the empty boxes to the left of the invoice number. A check mark will appear to note that the invoice has been selected. This will give you the new total if an amount is still owed or a negative amount if there is still credit left on the account. Once the boxes are checked, press the green “Pay” button.

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If giving the refund via credit card or cash, after the ‘Refund has been saved’ appears on the screen, click the green ‘Pay’ button found just under the words ‘Refund has been saved’. The ‘Outstanding Invoices’ screen will appear. Make sure the credit invoice is selected by clicking on the empty box to the left of the invoice number. A check mark will appear to note that the invoice has been selected.  A red ‘Refund’ button will appear on the top left. Once clicked a refund pop up box will appear. The amount will automatically appear but do remember to choose whether the amount was refunded by cash or cc. If not, it will throw off the end of the day reports. Once the refund is completed in Neo either hand the client cash or use the CC machine to put the funds back onto their card. You will need the credit card or the number of the card used.

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On the CC machine touch ‘OTHER’ on the touch screen. A menu of options will appear, touch the ‘REFUND’ option. You will be prompted to enter the amount being refunded. Then either swipe, insert card, or input the card number. After the refund is complete a receipt will print for the client to sign. You will have the option to print a second receipt for the client. It is import to process the refund via the credit machine and NEO so that the clients balance will reflect the correct amount and the end-of-day reports match. 

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What age is it recommended to spay/neuter a pet?

We recommend that cats be spayed/neutered 6 -9 months of age, female dogs of any breed size and small/medium male breed dogs are also recommended between 6-9 months. Large male breed dogs are the exception in which we recommend waiting until 9-12 months of age.

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When are free exams offered?

We offer free exams for animals adopted from local rescues and shelters within 3 months of their adoption date. This is offered as a wellness exam or to finish up a round of vaccines. On occasion, free exams may be offered through a promotional campaign or as a raffle prize and are only valid within the specified qualifications, such as with coupon, new client, etc.

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What to do when a client calls regarding a found animal?

If the found animal is healthy they can swing by the office to be scanned for a microchip. If there is any owner information we can attempt to contact the owner but we do not take or care for found animals. If the cat or dog is injured and the client calling is going to take financial responsibility of the animal it can be seen here. If they would like to release the responsibility to someone else they can contact Animal Care and Control at (602) 506 3011. The shelter will take every action to try and find the owner and care for the pet in the meantime. If they would like to care for the animal while finding the owner they can post on websites such as, Nextdoor, Straydar, Facebook, etc. while caring for the pet.

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If it is an animal other than a cat or dog, such as a rabbit they can try contacting KC Animal Hospital. They are the nearest practice that treats ‘other’ animals. If they would like to release the medical responsibility to someone else they can contact Animal Care and Control to release the dog and they will seek medical attention for the found animal.

If it is a wild animal that is injured it is best not to approach it and call Arizona Game and Fish Department Office or Radio Dispatch at (623) 236-7201.

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When is it appropriate to inform a client about our price matching policy?

Although it is a service we offer, it is not one widely advertised. We offer it as a way to help those clients who seem to be deterred by the price of medication. We do not offer price matching on food or treats. If a client mentions buying medication online or that the price is too expensive informing them of the price matching policy allows them the convenience of getting it here, the comfort of the best price, and it keeps us from losing the sale while maintaining our relationship with the client. Often our rebates, which are only offered through a veterinarian’s office, make the price cheaper than online however, a price-match and rebate cannot be combined. The companies require an invoice be uploaded in order to qualify for the rebate.

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In order to qualify for price matching the client must bring proof of price either by printing the checkout page or emailing us a screen shot of the checkout page. We match the price that is listed plus any shipping charges. If the online company has the medication priced per bottle than we will match the bottle. If they price per pill we will match the per pill price. Unfortunately, we cannot take a take a per bottle price and split it into a per pill price. The per bottle price is lower because of the ‘bulk’ quantity purchased and that ‘bulk’ price is what we honor.  

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Who do you contact if we forget to clock in/out?

If you punch in or out incorrectly send Dr. Josh an email at his joshsosnow@yahoo.com account. Make sure to include the date of the incorrect punch and the correction that needs to be made.

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Do I get paid for continuing education?

Continuing education is required to re-certify as a CVT. Other staff members can also benefit from attending CE's and are encouraged to do so. Josh provides funds to cover the fees to register for the CE. The price of each CE session varies. Attendance at the CE is considered unpaid hours unless the event takes place during your scheduled work hours. There may occassionally be an exception if the event is mandatory for all staff, such as the Dental Extravaganza. All CE must be approved by Tina and JNS.