Communication, Education, Awareness

The Roundtable Discussion held recently and led by our own Dr. Tom Butera is just one piece of the education and communication that is precedent to awareness within our practices and within our affiliated communities.  Fritz Wood provided us all an awareness of what is happening from a business perspective in our profession at a time of economic challenge throughout our Country.  Dr. Amanda Donnelly connected that reality to advice on how better to communicate with our clients as they reach out for information and service.  Dr.  Chris Pappas from Schering-Plough presented industry education on Canine Influenza and Dr. Steve Ettinger, one of the greatest minds in our profession, more than adequately discussed and responded to the Pet Partner participants on all things regarding medicine.  It was another step forward for Pet Partners in our quest to make what we do daily solely about veterinary medicine and to support this medicine with strong basic business disciplines and structure.

The information that was discussed in the fully participated webinar last week is a mechanism for the same information being disseminated to our clients and their communities.  Over the past year we have slowly and methodically developed a plan to better allow us to communicate within our affiliated practices and also to our clients in their communities.  This plan has been created by a team of professionals at Fetching Communications in conjunction with the leadership of Pet Partners.  This ongoing development allows the Pet Partners Team to communicate a weekly e blast to our 400+ employees about anything of interest from within. We now have a solid Referral Program for clients who refer new clients to any one of our practices and rewards their effort.  We also now communicate with those who have not returned for whatever reason within a designated time frame.  In spite of a solid reminder system our internal research indicates those not coming in are not aware they should. It has nothing to do with economics.  They are basically not aware that good preventative medicine can and will support increased longevity for their family pet.  We do know every pet owner wants that result and we are working hard to make sure the client is AWARE.  As a profession it is not in our medicine that we falter but in our communication to our clients to help create needed awareness and education.

In this age of “information” the veterinarian has taken a back seat in regard to educating clients and being the source of all things related to pet health.  We as a profession have sat back and watched the internet, new and sometimes misguided periodicals, mainstream press and all those jumping on the bandwagon of a pet services market that is predicted to exceed $34 Billion in gross revenue by 2013.  We have allowed others to dictate the information as we become “bus riders” instead of “bus drivers”.  At Pet Partners we are attempting to turn the tide of this paradigm.  Our managers, our regional support teams and our Operations Support Center in Saratoga Springs are all on board this effort as we work hard in conjunction with Fetching Communications to communicate, educate and create awareness.  The health of all those pets entrusted to us is at stake and it is responsibility we take seriously.

Happy Labor Day as we all go back to school, back to work and back to our passion!