BESTPRACTICE accreditation

BESTPRACTICE accreditation – making a difference

Thinking about BESTPRACTICE? Mike Eng talks to two accredited practices about the pros and cons.

TODAY’S VETERINARY CLINICS and hospitals operate in a tightly controlled and increasingly complex legal and ethical environment, affecting everything from health and safety to veterinary registration, CPD obligations and personal liability for directors. It can be a challenge staying on top of things while meeting client demands – not to mention keeping an eye on the bottom line.

That’s why more than 60 practices have done the hard yards to become accredited by BESTPRACTICE – New Zealand’s only quality accreditation programme for veterinary clinics and hospitals.

The NZVA BESTPRACTICE accreditation makes it easy to manage risks and compliance, and the scheme is supported by the NZVA and VCNZ. Its value is becoming increasingly recognised, with three clinics gaining BESTPRACTICE accreditation in 2019, four signed up already this year, and more likely to join the ranks in the coming months.

So is accreditation really helping clinics to be the very best versions of themselves? We asked those responsible

Vetora Cambridge clinic manager Natalie Bain says the reason they became accredited was to provide consistency across the business in their facilities and standards of care.

for BESTPRACTICE accreditation efforts at two different practices.

A TALE OF TWO PRACTICES

Franklin Vets could be described as a small corporate, although CEO Mark Hosking dislikes the ‘c’ word and instead describes it as a network of clinics with similar values. Founded in 1946, Franklin Vets is a 10-clinic practice servicing South Auckland, north Waikato and Thames/ Coromandel.

The second practice, Vetora, is a notfor-profit ‘club’ owned by its employees and with independent farmer directors. It’s been in operation since the 1940s, and now has nine clinics in Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

Both these practices seek to maintain the highest standards for their clients.

WORK THAT’S WORTH IT

In 2003 Vetora Rotorua was the first clinic in the Vetora club to be accredited. “I’d just started in my role and it was one of the first things I did,” says CEO Craig Kusabs. He was on the same page as the Vetora Board, which saw BESTPRACTICE accreditation as a way to ensure compliance and effective risk management for their clinics.

Craig says that back in 2003 there were many fewer clinics accredited than there are today, and this was a distinct advantage as an employer seeking to recruit the best people.

“It was very helpful in attracting staff who wanted to work for a clinic doing things the right way.”

He says a lot of changes were made to gain accreditation, including buying new equipment. Since then Vetora Rotorua and its staff and clients have benefited from high standards in service and quality.

“It’s a good discipline to be audited every second year; it helps keep us honest,” he says.

Vetora CEO Gavin Shepherd says he decided to get all clinics in the group accredited after acquiring several of them a few years ago.

“For us it was all about quality. Looking at our clinics we were doing some of the compliance things well, but there would be the odd time when it was clear we could do a little bit better.”

Although the long-term benefits of accreditation are clear, the process of becoming BESTPRACTICE accredited can be time consuming and demanding. Gavin says clinic managers in charge of the accreditation process have to put in a lot of work, with many putting aside a day a week to manage the transition, which can take six to eight weeks. He acknowledges that it’s a big ask given their already busy schedules, but says that in the long run it’s an effort worth making.

“When acquiring clinics it’s particularly useful to have them already accredited. To a certain extent you can transfer policies and protocols, which makes the accreditation process much easier,” he says.

THE BENEFITS OF A CHAMPION

Franklin Vets Pukekohe was the first Franklin Vets clinic to be accredited, in 2005. Its Director – Farm, Jason Fayers, says one of the keys to its success is having someone to oversee, drive and guide the accreditation process.

“You definitely need a champion,” he says, crediting Small Animal Veterinary Director Paul Eason for taking on this role. “Having someone around with strong systems and an organised approach certainly makes the whole process easy.”

These sentiments are echoed by Natalie Bain, who, as Vetora Cambridge’s Clinic Manager, led the most recent accreditation process. She says that while writing more than 80 processes and policies was “quite time-consuming” and a “reasonably costly exercise”, the process was made much easier thanks to colleague and veterinarian Adam Hittman, who was more than happy to champion the cause. Based at Vetora Te Awamutu, Adam is part-way through guiding all five Vetora Waikato clinics through the accreditation process. He says having a practice champion drive the process and provide guidance on knitting together the BESTPRACTICE accreditation policies, procedures and protocols can be invaluable for any clinic.

“With the constant changes in regulatory and compliance requirements, BESTPRACTICE accreditation is the best tool available to ensure that we don’t slip between the cracks.”

He says it’s important to not rush things. “Give yourself at least a year to adopt all the BESTPRACTICE accreditation requirements. The goal

“OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM KNEW EARLY ON THAT BESTPRACTICE ALIGNED WITH OUR BRAND VALUES AND IDENTITY. WE KNEW THAT IF FRANKLIN VETS

WANTED TO BE KNOWN FOR WORKING AT A HIGH LEVEL IN TERMS OF QUALITY STANDARDS, WE NEEDED TO SIGN UP.”

is to maximise value by absorbing BESTPRACTICE into everyday practice, rather than having a set of stand-alone policies that you blow the dust off just before the next audit.”

He says fostering a team environment and ensuring continuity of care are more of a challenge in multi-clinic practices, but it means they can get the most out of BESTPRACTICE accreditation.

“If a team member walks into a sister clinic they’ll be familiar with all the systems, processes and protocols. This makes things so much easier for everyone,” says Adam.

BEST FOOT FORWARD

For Franklin Vets CEO Mark Hosking, consistency across clinics is just part of the story.

“Our leadership team knew early on that BESTPRACTICE aligned with our brand values and identity. We knew that if Franklin Vets wanted to be known for working at a high level in terms of quality standards, we needed to sign up.”

He says there was support from corporate clients who understood the value of the accreditation.

“Over time more clients will become aware of BESTPRACTICE and the quality assurance it offers. At the end of the day, they want to know they’ll get the same level of service, no matter which of our clinics they go to.”

As a busy CEO, Mark also gets peace of mind. “I try to get around our clinics as often as I can, but I can’t be out there checking them all the time.”

NEXT STEPS

Vetora and Franklin Vets are different practices but when it comes to the business benefits of BESTPRACTICE accreditation for clients and clinics, they’re both singing from the same hymn sheet.

So what’s next? Mark Hosking says four of Franklin Vets’ 10 clinics are accredited and he plans to increase the number in the next few years. He says his leadership team will decide when the time is right for each clinic.

Given that clinics in this country come in many shapes and sizes, this may well be the right approach to take. For example some have space limitations that can make accreditation difficult since there’s less room to build new facilities.

Vetora CEO Gavin Shepherd says all five Waikato clinics are likely to be accredited this year. The remaining clinics, all based in the Bay of Plenty, will follow. If the practices’ recent track records are anything to go by, they could sign up sooner rather than later.

WHY BESTPRACTICE ACCREDITATION?

The Chair of the NZVA’s BESTPRACTICE Committee, Hans Andersen, says accreditation offers many benefits to veterinary practices.

“Well-developed systems help you get it right first time more often,” he says. “They save you time and money, you get fewer complaints and clients appreciate the consistency of service, communication and pricing they bring.”

The NZVA will this year launch the Practice of the Year award, a new award for accredited practices only.

“This will be a good promotion for the short-listed practices, and of course the winner,” says Hans.

BESTPRACTICE is New Zealand’s only quality accreditation programme for veterinary clinics and hospitals. It covers all aspects of veterinary care, from surgical, medical and nursing practice to diagnostics, safety procedures, facilities, equipment, CPD and training. It is governed by the BESTPRACTICE Committee, which liaises with the relevant regulatory authorities in researching, negotiating and clarifying veterinary compliance standards in New Zealand.

Being BESTPRACTICE accredited makes it easier for clinics to meet or exceed these standards. It involves ensuring that a clinic meets minimum standards for quality in all its operations, and that it has the right policies, protocols and procedures to continue to do so. Accredited practices are audited once every two years.

BESTPRACTICE provides guidance for helping veterinary practices navigate a myriad of regulations, from surgical to CPD.