VCP Talk Podcast: Recent Episodes
Veterinary Care Plans (VCP)
VCP Talk is a podcast for veterinary professionals who want to help more pets — and practices — to thrive. Each episode is a deep dive into today’s most pressing industry topics. Whether it’s how to run a successful wellness plan program, increase compliance, boost customer loyalty, grow revenue, or achieve business insights, VCP Talk is your go-to listen from a team with nearly a decade of veterinary industry experience.
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: https://vcp.vet/preventive-plans/ Chronic Illness Plans: https://vcp.vet/what-are-chronic-illness-plans/ Pet Insurance Guide Podcast: https://www.petinsuranceguidepodcast.com/ Wellness, Dental, Chronic Disease Plans Make Pet Healthcare Affordable - Veterinary Care Plans (VCP) - Episode 67: https://www.petinsuranceguidepodcast.com/2021/04/wellness-dental-chronic-disease-payment-plans-make-pet-healthcare-affordable-veterinary-care-plans-v.html
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 at https://www.linkmypet.com. Visit the VCP Talk show page at bit.ly/34MRgVI.
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 www.PantheraT.com and learn more about VCP at https://bit.ly/3uSdqAy. Visit our show page at https://bit.ly/34MRgVI.
The article we discussed, "Wellness Plans Offer Substantial Benefits," appeared in the April issue of AAHA Trends Magazine.
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 at https://bit.ly/3uSdqAy. Learn about feline DNA testing by going to https://basepaws.com/pages/vet.
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 at www.neogen.com/igenity-canine-wellness.
Episode 2 - Generating Loyalty at Your Animal Hospital 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!