{"id":2222,"date":"2024-06-11T09:39:54","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T23:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/software.covetrus.com\/apac\/?post_type=case_studies&p=2222"},"modified":"2026-08-13T12:40:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T02:40:24","slug":"inner-west-cat-hospital","status":"publish","type":"case_studies","link":"https:\/\/software.covetrus.com\/apac\/veterinary-insights\/case-studies\/inner-west-cat-hospital","title":{"rendered":"A feline delight: Covetrus Ascend’s impact on the Inner West Cat Hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A dedicated, purpose-built feline hospital, Inner West Cat Hospital was founded by Dr Michaela Avery and her colleague, Ashley McCarthy, Vet Nurse and Business Partner.\"cloud<\/a><\/p>\n

The Inner West Cat Hospital<\/a><\/span> in New South Wales, Australia, was established in 2021 with the heartfelt desire to offer a sanctuary for feline friends. They wanted to make sure that the felines’ special needs were met, both emotionally and physically, by providing them with a tranquil environment, soft-close kennels, state-of-the-art equipment designed for cats, and a strict no-dog policy.<\/p>\n

As an ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) gold standard accredited space, Inner West Cat Hospital offers the full range of veterinary GP services and is committed to the highest clinical standards of care, with a personalised approach and superior patient care.<\/p>\n

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A seamless transition<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

The team at Inner West Cat Hospital needed a cloud-based practice management solution that was simple to implement and use. They chose Covetrus Ascend<\/a><\/span> for its ease of use and efficient setup. Ashley remarked:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last thing we wanted was any friction in switching over to new software. With Ascend, it was actually very simple, smooth, and no hassle. Any minor issues were quickly resolved.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Enhancing workflow efficiency<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ascend’s intuitive interface has dramatically streamlined daily operations at Inner West Cat Hospital. The software’s user-friendly design allows staff to navigate through various functions with ease, reducing the learning curve and minimising training time. This efficiency has enabled the hospital to maintain its high standards of care without interruption.<\/p>\n

Its integrations have been particularly beneficial for Ashley\u2019s team and ensure that all patient data is centralised, easily accessible, and updated in real time. The hospital’s staff can manage appointments, medical records, diagnostics, billing, and inventory from an easy-to-use, intuitive platform, enhancing overall operational efficiency.<\/p>\n

Ashley states:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe interface is just so easy and nice to look at, it makes a difference in our day when we have a million things going on. It\u2019s also a lot less hassle than other systems I\u2019ve used in the past too. And certain features like the Inpatients Workflow are brilliant, as it\u2019s easy to see notes for the day and makes things so much smoother.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What is Inpatients Workflow? Instead of manually writing down on a whiteboard, paper or Excel sheet where patients are on the journey, Ascend\u2019s Inpatients Workflow feature allows paperless viewing of the patient journey via any modern device. This feature is particularly useful for larger clinics needing visibility on the hospital and surgery statuses of patients. The feature can be viewed on large TVs. Track the full journey from check-in to discharge and improve team visibility and client communications.<\/p>\n

Another thing the team liked about Ascend was its natural ability to complete tasks with far fewer clicks than competing cloud-based systems. Instead of “ten different ways to do one thing,” the team found greater empowerment with fast workflows, which reduced process complexity.<\/p>\n

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Saving time with key integrations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the standout features for the team is the ability to upload images either directly or integrated from their lab machines into Ascend. This functionality allows the team to efficiently track changes in lumps, skin conditions, and dental health through photographic records or diagnostic updates.<\/p>\n

Ashley shares her thoughts:<\/p>\n

\u201cI love that we can upload images straight away; it\u2019s very efficient. The integration with external labs means our receptionist no longer has to attach results from IDEXX manually, saving us valuable time and reducing administrative burden.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This type of integration has further simplified processes. Lab results are automatically imported into the patient records, eliminating the need for manual attachment and ensuring that all critical diagnostic information is available at a glance.<\/p>\n

Ascend\u2019s built-in features also helped to save time:<\/p>\n

\u201cAutomatic save on consults is handy, for example, being able to start notes in the consult room, walking away to complete another task and then coming back to it without worrying about losing notes. This is gold for us, as our vets love the flexibility of it, especially those who have children, they like to finish their notes at home and it helps provide work\/life balance.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n