Team-based care is evolving with significant benefits
By Dr. Amanda MacDonald
As a DVM and clinic owner, I’ve spent my career on the front lines of animal health care and understand the challenges today’s teams are facing. In this workforce crisis, many of us have been doing more with less when instead
we may want to optimize the resources we already have.
RVTs taking wellness appointments is an industry shift that is helping clinics thrive. By redirecting a portion of the daily caseload, clinics are easing the burden on doctors, opening up appointments, and increasing the amount of face-to-face time they spend with clients. DVMs are prioritized for surgery and higher-level medical cases, while improved job satisfaction is reducing staff turnover.
As highly trained and skilled professionals, RVTs are embracing these new roles by using their communication skills and building on their existing companion animal wellness knowledge.
As RVTs prepare for the change, how can you ensure the rest of your team and your practice culture is also ready?
The process of integrating RVT wellness appointments into your clinic care delivery model takes forethought and planning, but the resulting longterm success is worth the effort.
What does integration look like?
The prospect of integrating RVT wellness appointments into an existing practice leaves many clinic owners with more questions than answers. Change is exciting but can be daunting when you’re used to doing things a certain way. You may be unsure of where to start.
Reshaping your clinic to incorporate RVT wellness appointments is a process. These steps offer guidance:
- Understand your capacity to meet current wellness appointment demands
- Plan your future wellness schedule and analyze staffing needs
- Understand the regulations
- If you have associate DVMs, get them on-board
- Select your RVTs and provide any necessary additional training
- Assign a mentor DVM
- Practice, evaluate readiness, and showcase the new skills
- Make a communications plan for your clients
- Work with receptionists on messaging
- Measure your success through client feedback
A team-based approach to care enables veterinarians to leverage the extensive skills of their RVTs, and also address many of the day-to-day challenges. Mobilizing RVTs to take wellness appointments can potentially offer a range of benefits.
- Avoid burnout: Veterinarians need relief from 20-appointment days without lunch breaks and additional hours spent doing records. RVTs can take on a portion of this caseload.
- Stop the brain drain: RVTs want to apply their extensive skills and knowledge. Training RVTs to take on wellness exams keeps experienced team members engaged and strengthens the practice.
- Keep clients happy: In busy practices, clients will appreciate longer appointments offered with RVTs.
- Improve patient outcomes: Care providers can better understand their clients’ needs and achieve more successful patient outcomes.
- Prepare for regulatory changes: Updated regulations are giving RVTs a broader opportunity to share practice outcomes and accountability.
- Embrace positive change: In Ontario, the veterinary care delivery model is evolving towards team-based medicine with an emphasis on the role of RVTs in wellness appointments.
RVT Integrations 