Covetrus^® Connected Care Podcast

The veterinary community is increasingly turning its attention to the role of mental health in the workplace. Psychological well-being impacts everything from productivity to morale to safety, yet busy veterinary practices may be unsure how to best support staff mental health and well-being...

A trained economist, Matt Salois is a pro at parsing the latest veterinary industry data on employment, productivity and employee well-being. Salois is President of Veterinary Management Groups, where he's charged with enhancing the economic and cultural success of more than 1,800 veterinary member practices...

Addressing the demands of today’s pet parents can seem daunting, and expanding your staff may not be an option. This episode suggests three technological changes that can make a measurable impact on the health of your veterinary practice, your team and your pet patients...

Around a year ago, Covetrus^® launched a first-of-its-kind solution called Covetrus Pulse^™, a cloud-based veterinary operating system or vOS. Since then, Pulse has helped veterinary practitioners serve over 3.5 million patients across more than 14.6 million appointments. ...

Now more than ever, pet parents need help budgeting for veterinary care. At the same time, higher compliance, revenue and iron-clad client relationships remain top practice goals. Are care plans the answer? ...

Is your veterinary practice team overwhelmed by today’s hectic pace? We know practices could be more efficient, but what are the steps to get there? ...

Pet parents are seeking reliable health information about their pets — but are they finding it? When surveyed, 56% of pet parents said their top sources of information were pet retailers and the internet, rather than their vet. Given this reality, how can busy veterinary professionals take a more active role in connecting pet parents to reliable content? ...

Back in 2014, an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) survey discovered that one-third of veterinarians surveyed knew of occasions when pharmacies dispensed drugs to clients that were different from what the doctor had prescribed or were a different dosage. And 10% reported having patients harmed when outside pharmacies substituted one drug for another....

A trained economist, Matt Salois is a pro at parsing the latest veterinary industry data on employment, productivity and employee well-being. Salois is President of Veterinary Study Groups, where he's charged with enhancing the economic and cultural success of more than 1,800 veterinary member practices....

Research tells us that when veterinary visits are less stressful, there’s a stronger likelihood for early intervention and successful treatment.¹...

Technology can be a unifying force for good, connecting practices to pet parents and pet patients to improve animal health....

If you’re curious about technology, how do you choose one that will support your clinic’s goals for the long term?

In the first episode of Covetrus® Connected Care, Ying Chen, Chief Customer Officer, Product at Covetrus, outlines practical, easy-to-follow steps to find value in technology. For example, she suggests starting with certain technologies, which she calls “small t” technologies, rather than others.

There are a half-million service animals in the United States, according to ShareAmerica, and 16,766 assistance dogs certified by Assistance Dogs International....

These animals aid in so many ways, yet the cost of veterinary care may prove unaffordable for the families that adopt assistance canines after their years of service are over. Now, a new initiative aims to close the care gap with service animal care plans.

Our guest, Nick Braukhoff, is a volunteer firefighter and software manager at Covetrus. He’ll talk about the types of service animals that might benefit from these plans and how the plans enable local clinics to do good in their community, while fostering stronger bonds with pet parents.

Find out more about the pilot program by emailing serviceanimals@vcp.vet.

Please like, subscribe and review the show wherever you listen — it helps new listeners find us!

Have feedback? Email nicole.knight@covetrus.com.

Periodontal disease remains the most common clinical condition in cats and dogs, according to a recent AVMA report.... How can practices proactively address this enduring problem — beyond raising awareness of the issue during Pet Dental Health Month. What role can technology and veterinary innovation play each and every day to help solve this health problem?

In this episode, we chat with Michelle St. Mary, Director of Utilization and Coaching at VCP, about dental care plans and dental options as a means to improve oral health care. As it turns out, 65% of VCP-supported plans include dental, making the plans a significant driver of dental compliance.

Learn more at vcp.vet

Veterinary workloads are rising as practices care for more pet patients amid ongoing challenges.... Could technology provide a path forward? In this episode, Georgia Wraight, EVP and president of Global Technology Solutions at Covetrus, tells us about a new, complete solution called Covetrus Pulse.

The recently announced technology brings all of your software applications into a single, seamless veterinary operating system, letting practice teams focus on what matters most — caring for pet patients and building client relationships.

Find out more about Covetrus Pulse at cvet.co/pulse.

During the pandemic, pet insurance rates rose 23%, per the latest report from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.... In this episode, Dr. Doug Kenney, author and host of the Pet Insurance Guide Podcast, outlines the value of pet insurance and pitfalls to avoid. We also explore the intersection of wellness plans and pet insurance and how the two services can work hand in hand in your practice.

Wellness Plans

Chronic Illness Plans

Pet Insurance Guide Podcast

Wellness, Dental, Chronic Disease Plans Make Pet Healthcare Affordable - Veterinary Care Plans (VCP) - Episode 67

More than 20,000 veterinary practices here in the U.S. rely on Covetrus practice management software. ... Coming innovations to this technological backbone will give vets and their staff new tools to work more efficiently and achieve better clinical and business outcomes. In this episode, Sara Swenson of Covetrus provides us with a sneak peek into the future of practice management software at Covetrus. She also describes the differences between wellness modules and VCP's platform and reveals when VCP will be integrated with AVImark, eVetPractice, and ImproMed.

Monument View Veterinary Hospital launched its wellness plan program in December 2020 in the thick of the pandemic.... And they signed up about 140 pets in just a few months! In this episode, Practice Manager Miranda Schroeder shares their blueprint for wellness plan success, such as involving employees early on and building a culture of wellness. She explains that VCP's customization capability proved instrumental to help them truly tailor preventive care plans to each pet to show value — while providing appropriate doctor-recommended care.

The latest episode features an interview with Donny Lamey, CEO of Link, a company that makes an innovative wearable pet device.... Donny explains how the device, which has GPS and many other features, helps position veterinarians as trusted advisors — to build loyalty and set the practice apart from the competition. This episode is a must-listen for veterinary professionals curious about the intersection of "big" data and pet wellness.

Find out more about Link. Visit the VCP Talk show page.

This episode features an interview with Dr. Karen Felsted, a doctor of veterinary medicine, consultant and CPA, who is widely recognized for her expertise in wellness plans.... Our wide-ranging conversation covers the business aspects of wellness plans, innovative new thinking around chronic care plans, and program applications. We talk about wellness plan benefits — namely providing better care and increasing revenue both in-plan and out-of-plan, all while driving client loyalty.

You can find Dr. Felsted at PantheraT.com and learn more about VCP at here. Visit our show page.

Cat parents, just like dog owners, need to be educated about their cat’s overall health, breed traits, and oral health.... Now, that education can include genetic information about each cat's unique makeup. This knowledge can not only improve cat health, but also can foster stronger client relationships and increased revenue for veterinary practices.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Kash Kuruppu of Basepaws about feline DNA tests for oral health and overall health. She describes how the results of the Basepaws test typically lead to immediate action in 15% of adult cats, 1 in 5 senior cats, and 2 in 5 geriatric cats. This translates to increased visits and increased treatment, and greater trust between the pet owner and doctor.

Find out more about VCP. Learn about feline DNA testing by going here.

An innovative new canine DNA test can help veterinarians form more airtight bonds with pet owners and put pets on the road to a lifetime of better health.... In this episode, we chat with Lauren Thorne of Neogen about the ideal candidates for canine DNA testing and how the test is a natural fit for wellness and treatment plans.

Learn more about the test and Neogen here.

Well-run wellness plans can be a tremendous driver of loyalty.... But what are other complementary strategies to cultivate loyalty? Today our guest, Dr. Stacee Santi, shares impactful ideas on generating loyalty and growing compliance and revenue at your animal hospital.

Wellness plans are popular with pet owners, but some veterinarians are leery of the plans after hearing horror stories.... But are these stories TRUE? VCP's Bob Richardson and Ron Nelson, along with host Nicole Knight, get to the truth about the six most common myths. Find out the six myths — and whether they're true or not — in this informative episode!