The Practice Success Prescription: Team-Based Veterinary Healthcare Delivery by Drs. Leak. Morris Humphries
Thomas E. Catanzaro, DVM, MHA, FACHE, DACHE
(Please circle the number, or assign a mid-point number)
General Questions
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1. Does your current invoicing system allow for efficient preparation and printing? |
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Yes |
= 0 |
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No |
= 10 |
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Not important to us |
= 2 |
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2. Does your current system allow for close tracking of receivables? |
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Yes, easily |
= 0 |
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Not closely enough |
= 4 |
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Not important to us |
= 6 |
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Not easily |
= 8 |
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No |
= 10 |
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3. Does your current system automate monthly client billing? |
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Yes, easily |
= 0 |
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Not important to us |
= 2 |
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Yes, but with difficulty |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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4. Can your current system change client message based on aging of accounts? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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With close personal effort. |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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5. Does your current system allow you to manage cash flow and payables? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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With close personal effort |
= 5 |
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Takes substantial analysis to maintain |
= 8 |
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Not managed well |
= 10 |
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6. Are you on an automated vendor check printing system? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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With close personal effort. |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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7. Does your current system maintain a perpetual balance inventory? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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With close personal effort |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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8. Are client estimates an automated process? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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With close personal effort |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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9. Do the end-of-month financial reports match income centers to expense centers? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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With close personal effort |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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10. Does it take extensive staff training time to learn the tracking systems? |
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No, easy and automated system |
= 0 |
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Not much; procedures are keyed to recurring reports |
= 4 |
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With multiple recycling |
= 6 |
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Yes |
= 10 |
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11. Are end-of-month financial reports generated in-house? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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With close personal effort |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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12. Does the accountant convert the cash-based program data to tax-based data? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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Yes, quarterly, with our guidance |
= 4 |
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Annually, with close personal effort |
= 7 |
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No |
= 10 |
System Flexibility Issues
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1. Have you modified the AAHA Chart of Accounts to meet your own needs? |
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Yes |
= 0 |
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Use them unchanged |
= 3 |
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We use one from our accountant |
= 6 |
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We don't have a system |
= 10 |
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2. Do your current tracking systems change with the practice's evolution? |
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Yes, easily |
= 0 |
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No |
= 10 |
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3. Can your current system develop customized reports to track trends? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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With close personal effort |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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4. Is your word processing integrated with a spread sheet system? |
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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Separate programs, manual combining |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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5. Are you willing to change computer systems or add accounting software? |
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Yes |
= 0 |
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Yes, but not happily |
= 4 |
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Only if you can prove a major cost benefit |
= 8 |
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No |
= 10 |
Networking Concerns
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1. Are you "on the net" for veterinary computerized resource access? |
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Yes, VIN or NOAH (or both) |
= 0 |
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Yes, but not for clinical exchanges |
= 4 |
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No |
= 10 |
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2. Do you use a management review system for your practice operational data? |
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Yes, practice consultant |
= 0 |
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Yes, "twenties---type" group |
= 4 |
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Yes, regionalized |
= 6 |
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Yes, with a close friend |
= 8 |
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No |
= 10 |
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3. Can your current system develop customized reports to track trends? |
|
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Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
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With close personal effort |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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4. Is your word processing integrated with a spread sheet system? |
|
|
Yes, easily and automatically |
= 0 |
|
Separate programs, manual combining |
= 5 |
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No |
= 10 |
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5. Are you willing to change computer systems or add accounting software? |
|
|
Yes |
= 0 |
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Yes, but not happily |
= 4 |
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Only if you can prove a major cost benefit |
= 8 |
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No |
= 10 |
Reporting Systems
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1. How long does it take, after the close of the month, to complete the reports? |
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Ten staff hours or less |
= 0 |
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Eleven to forty staff hours |
= 5 |
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Eleven to forty doctor hours |
= 8 |
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We don't do it |
= 10 |
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2. Would you prefer a supporting organization compile reports? |
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Yes, with a practice-specific contract |
= 0 |
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Yes, but as a group |
= 4 |
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No |
= 10 |
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3. Does the monthly tracking system effectively track tax and benefit issues? |
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Yes, informally monthly and formally quarterly |
= 0 |
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Yes, but not routinely |
= 4 |
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No |
= 10 |
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4. Do you have an annual budget? |
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Yes, program-based |
= 0 |
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Yes, expense-based |
= 5 |
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Yes, but not routinely used |
= 8 |
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No |
= 10 |
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5. Does the monthly tracking feed the practice's program planning process? |
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Yes, informally monthly and formally quarterly |
= 0 |
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Yes, but not routinely |
= 4 |
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No |
= 10 |
Quantitative Scoring
50 points or less: Your current system puts your veterinary practice into the top ten percent. You may want to contact a consultant to fine-tune your system, but the consultant should have an integrated, people-based approach. You crunch your numbers well!
51-100 points: Your current system is not grossly obsolete, and you are still securely in the top half of veterinary practices, which means above average. There may be upgrades, which can assist your practice. You are a good candidate for fine-tuning assistance.
101-150 points: You have an average practice. Average equals the best of the worst or the worst of the best. This means program planning is probably not operating effectively, and program-budget systems are not well integrated. With the help of your consultant, you can make money.
151-200 points: Your current system is most likely inadequate to keep pace with the changing demands of this profession. Problems are likely to overtake you, add frustration, and lead to burnout. If you are not working with a consultant, you should start shopping for one now!
201 points or more: To score this high, your current system would have to be almost nonexistent. This means a major practice philosophy change, more team work, and re-looking at the future vision of the practice leadership. The consultant you select, since your score proves you can't do it yourself, must be able to:
1. Integrate the programs with training and non-threatening tracking techniques.
2. Have veterinary profession-specific experience.
3. Provide a multi-faceted team to support your efforts.
4. Convince you change is critical for survival.
Note: If your score exceeds one hundred points, a veterinary-specific consulting group, such as Catanzaro & Associates, Inc., should be added to your research list of potential practice resources. Catanzaro & Associates, Inc., has a diverse team of consultants and a telephone consulting capability that makes tailoring programs to practice personalities and practice philosophies far easier than those offered by outsiders to our profession, or the "one-deep" veterinary consulting firms. Visit our web page at www.drtomcat.com, or contact this consulting team at 303-277-9800, fax 303-277-9888, or e-mail Cat9800@aol.com for additional information.