A truly mixed practice

Mirjam Guesgen speaks to Greg Hall, Managing Director and large animal veterinarian at Energy Vets in Taranaki, about the value of being a contract practice and the importance of veterinary support staff.

What kind of practice is Energy Vets Taranaki? We’re a contract practice, which means we have a contract of service to two veterinary clubs – Inglewood Vet Services and North Taranaki Vet Services. We have two clinics, one in Inglewood and one in Waitara. Basically we’re a privately owned company but we don’t own the buildings. The clubs own those and are essentially our landlords. It’s beneficial to us because we don’t have to come up with a lot of capital for premises.

We’re a fairly typical, rural mixed practice. I think our difference is that we have a good team of people who work together well, and we have a really good atmosphere here. What I really enjoy in this business is being part of the community.

Who owns and manages the practice? We’re owned by four shareholders, who all work in the business. Three of them, including me, are veterinarians

and work day to day in the clinic. I’m also the Managing Director. The other veterinarians are Aaron Chambers, who’s also the Farm Animal Operations Manager, and Peter Benn, who’s our Resident Director at the Waitara clinic. The fourth shareholder is Kylie Lindsay, who’s not a veterinarian and works as the Stock and Clinic Services Manager. Together we set the direction and goals of the practice and look after its financial performance.

We have a two- or three-hour management meeting every second Wednesday, where we discuss any issues. It’s a structured meeting with an agenda and minutes. We also deal with issues as they come up. All the managers have opendoor policies and we can easily bring issues to each other’s attention because we’re all working together anyway. In that sense the management structure isn’t separate from the rest of the business.

How many staff do you have? We have a staff of 35 across two clinics: 15 veterinarians, six veterinary nurses, three large animal veterinary technicians, five receptionists, an on-farm salesperson who also helps in reception, and five in the administration team.

Some of our team can fit into large and small animal roles, but most are either

They’re out there in the provinces and the cities, veterinarians doing the everyday work in neighbourhood and country clinics. In this series, VetScript visits a different clinic every month.

Exceeding customer expectations – whether that’s a great groom or giving a patient a few extra cuddles – is part of Energy Vets’s philosophy. Clockwise from left: groomer Nadine Steele, veterinary nurse Tayla Willetts and veterinarian Kath Buchanan prepare to X-ray a patient, final-year veterinary student Kaitlyn Bongers and veterinarian Emma Sargent.

large animal or small animal, so we run two separate rosters. Our veterinarians have particular surgery and consultation days and some of our veterinary nurses work part-time. So it’s a kind of mix and match when it comes to rostering. Having a large team is good though; it means your weekends on call don’t come around as often as they might otherwise.

How do the veterinary nurses and technicians contribute to the value of the practice? The veterinary nurses are essential; they keep our veterinarians on task. We’re blessed with some very good veterinary nurses who help the veterinarians in many ways, whether it’s assisting in surgery and holding animals or doing tasks like cleaning and sterilising kits, dispensing medicines and sending reminders to clients. We couldn’t be without our veterinary nurses.

Equally, the large animal veterinary technicians are a hugely valuable part of our team. They phone clients to book routine procedures like disbudding, teat sealing and vaccinations and they carry out a lot of that work as well. They probably know a lot of our farmers better than some of the veterinarians do, because they have more regular contact with them.

KEEPING DIALOGUE GOING BETWEEN THE TEAM

MEMBERS IS IMPORTANT, AND IT’S WHERE TEAM MEETINGS ARE GREAT. I OFTEN TEXT STAFF TOO, JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE OKAY.

Left: Cats and dogs make up the majority of the companion animal patient list, but the clinic also gets its share of what Managing Director Greg Hall calls “oddballs”. Recently they treated a ruru and a harrier hawk.

Opposite: Kaitlyn and Kath work together to clean a cow’s hoof.

WHEN WE WENT FROM ALERT LEVEL 4 TO LEVEL 2 WE HAD A MAD SIX WEEKS… PEOPLE HAD ALSO

STARTED NOTICING DIFFERENT THINGS JUST BY SPENDING MORE TIME WITH THEIR ANIMALS.

How important are the relationships between farmers and veterinary technicians and veterinarians? They’re hugely important. Often it’s the little things that make a big difference to our farmers. Things like knowing someone doesn’t have great facilities and we need to send two people to do a job when normally one would go.

Also, the trust built up through regular contact means that if something goes wrong the farmer isn’t going to go off at someone. They trust that whoever is there can work through the problem, explain why it happened and learn from it.

How does the practice support new graduates? We’ve had several new graduates over the years and they’ve always been buddied with experienced veterinarians. We have a very supportive large animal and small animal team, and our small animal team is very experienced – all bar one graduated more than 30 years ago.

I think there’s always a fear among new graduates that they’re going to be dropped in at the deep end and left to their own devices, with no-one to call if they run into trouble. We give them a run-up period of about three months before we put them on after-hours. We want to make sure they’ve found their feet.

We also have regular large animal meetings where people can discuss cases they’re unsure of, and we use WhatsApp on the go. If there’s a case on a farm that someone, not just a new graduate, is concerned about, they take a photo and one of the team will be there to offer helpful suggestions. We were all new graduates once, so we try to be as helpful as we can. I’ve been in practice 35 years and I’m still being presented with problems I’ve never seen before!

What are some of the challenges of veterinary practice? I think you have to expect change all the time. This year, especially, we’ve been sent some challenges that no-one could have foreseen. You have to keep communicating with staff to make sure everything’s going okay. During the COVID-19 lockdown this was especially important because people were isolated while working from home. Keeping dialogue going between the team members is important, and it’s where team meetings are great. I often text staff too, just to make sure they’re okay.

There’s always some degree of challenge in being a veterinarian or owning a veterinary business. I think you just have to try to stay grounded and practical and come up with sensible solutions to problems as they arise.

Is there anything that worked well during the lockdown that you’ve since put in place permanently? A couple of things. Telemedicine worked well for some cases, for both us and our clients. We had some Zoom calls with clients, or they’d send photographs so we could decide whether the situations were emergencies or not.

We also had Zoom meetings for CPD, which we’ll definitely continue. They meant people could learn something in an hour at a computer. What used to take almost a whole day, with travel, can now be done during lunchtimes.

I also learned how to talk with clients when they’re scared about other stuff and how to reassure people in a different way.

What about now; have your aspirations for the business changed at all? No. I think our advantage is that we have a truly mixed practice. We have a strong dairy farming focus, a very strong, and growing, small animal department and quite a strong equine focus as well. Our main goal is to be a business that’s part of the community, provides up-to-date veterinary care with a customer focus and offers a place where people like to work.

Has the fact that people were spending more time with their pets translated into more veterinary visits or spending?

When we went from Alert Level 4 to Level 2 we had a mad six weeks. There were catch-ups, of course, but people

had also started noticing different things just by spending more time with their animals. Lameness, ear conditions, bad breath… all those things that they may have ignored before suddenly became things they wanted looked at.

How that’s going to translate going forward, I don’t know. I think sick animals are still sick animals and people want to get them treated, but decisions on luxury items – such as whether they buy prescription food or cheaper options at supermarkets – will depend more on people’s incomes.

Are you actively doing or thinking about doing anything to keep the cash coming in? We’re anticipating growth in companion animal care, so we’ve convinced our landlord to invest in an extension of our small animal hospital facilities. We’ve put in new cat and dog wards and a grooming room.

We also want to handle more hospitalisations and intensive care, and now have an in-house laboratory for speedy diagnostics. Clients like to see that their animals are in a comfortable hospital environment and that the animals are being well cared for. It’s really important and makes clients advocates for you.

What about the future of the profession in general? Veterinary practices have to be attractive businesses for people to want to buy into them. They need to have a future. That’s a concern for the long term. It seems a lot of the corporate-type companies are buying smaller businesses that otherwise wouldn’t sell.

I think in rural New Zealand people need to be able to visit and talk to the boss if they want to – not have the owner in a far-off land. You still have to be able to talk to someone who can make a decision for you. I hope that’s not lost.

AS WE SETTLE INTO OUR ‘NEW NORMAL’ AFTER A VERY CHALLENGING YEAR, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE POSITIVE FEEDBACK WE’VE RECEIVED ABOUT THE WAY THE NZVA HAS RESPONDED TO MEMBERS’ REQUIREMENTS DURING LOCKDOWN.

Some of the things we learned during this intense period have helped us to refine the way we work for you. In particular you will have noticed the COVID-19 resources and regular updates, the Wellbeing Hub and regular Zoom meetings with members and stakeholders, our increased media presence in regard to both COVID-19 and advocacy work around issues such as the shortage of veterinarians, plus a whole lot of online CPD. During this busy time we’ve also been able to confirm our strategic plan and priorities with the Board and Member Advisory Group (MAG) following the completion of the change project.

IN WORKING FOR YOU OUR TOP THREE PRIORITIES ARE Workforce and business sustainability.

Translating wellbeing into practice. Public confidence of veterinarians in evidence-based animal health and welfare.

We are stronger together because your involvement with the NZVA and feedback help us to better meet your needs. Please keep in touch and stay involved. WHAT HAS CHANGED?

One membership fee – there is now only one membership fee to join the

NZVA and special interest branches, giving you all-inclusive access to any technical information you want.

Most fees have gone down – membership fees have been reduced and discounts applied.

Support staff – if all veterinarians in a clinic are members of the NZVA, support staff will receive access to the Wellbeing Hub, discounted CPD and other non-technical information.

Membership categories and fees for 2021 Most membership fees have been reduced this year as there is only one membership fee to join the NZVA and special interest branches (SIBs). You have all-inclusive access to any technical information you want.

Membership category

Veterinarian Practising or Industry

Veterinarian New Graduate

Veterinarian Non-practising (online only)

Associate Members (online only)

Retired Members Subcategory

Full-time Part-time Locum Contractor Self-employed Consultant Year 1 Graduate Year 2 Graduate Year 3 Graduate

Time out Academic/Researcher Overseas Postgraduate Practice Manager Industry Partner (non-veterinarian) Large Animal Veterinary Technician Other NZVA single membership fee (before discount) (GST excl) (GST incl) $860 $989 NZVA single membership fee (after discount) (GST excl) (GST incl) $745 $856.75 Description

Veterinarian living in New Zealand, registered with VCNZ, practising and working as per the subcategory.

$600

$300

$280

$0 $690

$345

$322

$0 $521

$253

$245

$0 $599.15

$290.95

$281.75

$0 Veterinarian living in New Zealand, registered with VCNZ, in their first, second or third year of practice after graduating from veterinary school. Veterinarians living in New Zealand who are not working or who are studying. Veterinarians who are currently living overseas.

Veterinary professionals who work within the veterinary industry and are not veterinarians.

Veterinarian who is over the age of 65 and has been a member of the association (or a similar organisation in another country) for more than 30 years may apply for free membership.

Member benefits at a glance

Member benefits

Wellbeing Hub Veterinarian Practising or Industry

Technical advice

Voting rights Regional network membership Special interest membership Hold office in NZVA or in branch

Eligible for the Board VetScript NZVJ online (optional hard copy available for $95 per year) SciQuest

VetLearn Update NZVA conference discounts

CPD discounts

MyCPD Eligibility for scholarships, grants and subsides Mentoring Members only, Facebook, membership Veterinarian New Graduate Veterinarian Nonpractising Associate Members

Online Online only Life/Retired Members Student Members

Online only

Free student events

Member benefits for 2021

AT A GLANCE

NZVA Conference – 50% discount.

National network of 15 regional branches for learning and connecting with.

Fourteen special interest branches to build species-specific knowledge and professional relationships.

Facebook groups, online forums and social media channels.

Subscriptions to veterinary publications.

VetScript (professional members’ magazine, 11 issues a year).

New Zealand Veterinary Journal (peer-reviewed scientific journal; online access to six issues a year).

SciQuest (fully indexed and searchable e-library of veterinary scientific articles and proceedings).

VetNews (your online newsletter).

PROFESSIONAL AND INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION The NZVA advocates and lobbies on your behalf on a wide range of issues and sits on a range of stakeholder groups to actively represent your views. A recent example is the work carried out to help alleviate the shortage of veterinarians which was made worse by COVID-19. This included meetings with Ministers and officials and significant media coverage, which helped facilitate change on your behalf.

ONLINE CONNECTIONS www.nzva.org.nz – for the latest news, tools and resources, guidelines, policies and position statements, social media networking options, and more.

Learning and professional development. Exclusive member discounts for NZVA-accredited CPD.

VetScholar online learning courses. Conferences, events, workshops, webinars and road show.

MyCPD – your personal online space to record and keep track of all your CPD activity. VetCPD stamp of quality.

WELLBEING

Wellbeing Hub with free resources to enhance your wellbeing.

Elizabeth Veterinary Benevolent

Fund – providing vital support and services to our membership in times of needs. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MENTORING

BESTPRACTICE accreditation programme.

New Mentoring Programme – helping you at any stage of your career.

Find-a-Vet – online directory of member practices to help make it easy for customers to find you.

Find-a-job – our classified ads are the go-to place for veterinary jobs in

New Zealand.

Awards, grants and scholarships – professional recognition, acknowledgement and support. Quality assurance and risk management programmes – BESTPRACTICE, Leptosure, Elbow Dysplasia, Control BVD, microchipping, calf disbudding, grooms.

DISCOUNTS Member-only discounts and offers through:

Avis Rental Cars

MAS Healthy Practice

Mobil Card

New Zealand Office Supplies

PerksCard (multiple discount opportunities)

Westpac.

New benefit for 2021 We are excited to bring you the PerksCard app that provides you with discounts on your favourite brands and a digital membership card.

Visit https://perkscard.co.nz/discounts to view all the discounts available!

Download the app and present it at participating retailers or use the codes for your online purchases. Renew your membership and PerksCard will send you an email with a link to signup. Complete your signup and then download the app and starting saving! Categories include: adventure, auto and transport, clothing, entertainment, food and drink, health and beauty, lifestyle.

Examples of discounts:

Torpedo 7 – 15% discount Beaurepaires – 15% off tyres Pit Stop – 10% discount Specsavers – 25% off glasses, 50% off eye exam The Coffee Club – 20% discount The Safety Warehouse – 35% discount Big Save Furniture – up to 30% off Dulux – excellent discounts Domino’s – 30% off traditional or gourmet pizzas

Frequently asked questions

HOW DO I RENEW MY MEMBERSHIP? If your employer pays for your membership – many veterinary employers in New Zealand pay the NZVA membership fees for their staff. We gratefully acknowledge employers for showing this commitment and support to you as their employees. We sent an email to your employer in early October to check that your current subscription is correct and you are linked to the correct practice. On 30 November an invoice will be sent to your employer for payment for all members within your place of employment. If your subscription needs changing, your employer will advise us accordingly. If you pay for your membership – we sent you an email in early October to check that your current subscription is correct. On 30 November an invoice will be sent to you for payment. If your subscription needs changing please advise us accordingly.

HOW DO I GET THE DISCOUNTS? Discounts vary according to whether your membership is paid in full by 31 January 2021 and/or 100% of eligible veterinarians in your business are members. Rebates will be provided once your membership has been paid and the analysis of your discounts is completed. NZVJ Would you like a printed copy? As an NZVA member you receive electronic access to the New Zealand Veterinary Journal (NZVJ) through SciQuest. If you would prefer to receive a hard copy you can purchase this for $95 for all six issues. Contact membership@vets.org.nz to purchase your hard copy! WHEN DO I PAY? Invoices will be generated on 30 November and will be payable by 20 January 2021, unless other arrangements have been made. If membership invoices remain unpaid by 28 February 2021, all membership privileges will cease. The membership year runs from 1 January to 31 December 2021.

CAN I JOIN MORE THAN ONE SPECIAL INTEREST BRANCH? Yes. If you are a veterinarian or veterinary student member, you can join up to three special interest branches and then indicate what other branches are of interest to you. There is no additional cost to join a special interest branch.

HOW DO I JOIN MY REGIONAL NETWORK? Members are automatically added to their regional network based on where they live.

CAN I PUT MY MEMBERSHIP ON HOLD FOR PARENTAL LEAVE? Yes. Membership fees will be adjusted during your parental leave period under our ‘time out’ membership category.

By keeping your membership, you will be

Te Hautaka Tākuta Kararehe o Aotearoa

Volume 67 | Number 1 | January 2020 | ISSN 0048–0169

In this issue • Review: Wildlife diseases: an update and future challenges • Prevalence and risk factors for subclinical hypocalcaemia in dairy cows • Effect of Ca treatment after calving in dairy cows • Unexpected nematode parasites in calves • Use of a vaccine for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in sheep • Oxygen supplementation in dogs • Ophthalmic complications after dental surgery in cats Te Hautaka Tākuta Kararehe o Aotearoa

Volume 67 | Number 1 | May 2020 | ISSN 0048–0169

In this issue • Review: Wildlife diseases: an update and future challenges • Prevalence and risk factors for subclinical hypocalcaemia in dairy cows • Effect of Ca treatment after calving in dairy cows • Unexpected nematode parasites in calves • Use of a vaccine for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in sheep • Oxygen supplementation in dogs • Ophthalmic complications after dental surgery in cats

Volume 67 | Number 1 | September 2020 | ISSN 0048–0169

In this issue

Review: Wildlife diseases: an update and future challenges Prevalence and risk factors for subclinical hypocalcaemia in dairy cows Effect of Ca treatment after calving in dairy cows Unexpected nematode parasites in calves Use of a vaccine for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in sheep Oxygen supplementation in dogs Ophthalmic complications after dental surgery in cats able to stay in touch with the profession while you are on leave. You will be able to access everything you could access before.

CAN I BE A MEMBER IF I’M NOT WORKING OR A PRACTISING VETERINARIAN? Our membership options reflect your personal circumstances, whether you are a postgraduate veterinarian studying full-time, a retired veterinarian or a veterinarian on parental leave, or leave because of illness. We also offer associate memberships for people working within the profession or in the wider veterinary industry who are not veterinarians. They must be nominated by an NZVA member.

WHAT ARE THE CORE BENEFITS? You will use some NZVA services more than others, depending on your career and life stage, but the value and core benefits are always there when you belong to the NZVA. As a member, you will: stay connected, informed, and up to date keep learning and upskilling with the best

enjoy networking and socialising with your peers give or get a helping hand when needed

get support to boost your career or business

enjoy discounts and special offers.

WHO DO I CONTACT? Our membership team is ready to answer any questions. Email us at membership@vets.org.nz or call us at national office on 04 471 0484.