STAF126-0410 : Equine Office Procedures - Continual Education

STAF126-0410 : Equine Office Procedures

INSTRUCTOR:
Deborah Reeder, BA, AS, RVT

DATES:
April 1-April 22, 2010
There are no real time sessions for this hybrid course. Participants will be required to interact in the course message boards and the course library to attain the participation required.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Office management and receptionist responsibilities in an equine practice differ from a general veterinary practice. During this course we will discuss the unique challenges in managing an equine office from the reception area, to making appointments, and factoring in the accounting. In equine offices it is often one person fulfilling all these roles. We will become familiar with the various forms, inventory, export and import requirements, admission, discharge, and scheduling. We will cover how to communicate with the people commonly involved in equine medicine including agents, trainers, multiple owners, buyers, and referring veterinarians.

This course is designed for front desk personnel, veterinary technicians and assistants, and office managers working in an equine practice. The various types and needs of equine practices with respect to office procedures, inventory management, accounting, forms, and the scheduling of equine medical procedures will be focused on. Deborah Reeder is a registered veterinary technician and has managed and consulted with equine practices for the past 15years. She started her consulting business "Pegasus Consulting" after seeing the need to bring more management tools, practical systems, education and support to the equine practice, having managed and helped to start several practices from the ground floor.
NOTE: This course requires the knowledge acquired in a basic receptionist course and at least one of the two modules Front Desk Staff (VSPN CE) is recommended; a management course may also be used as a precursor.

Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to explain

the various types of equine practices and their unique needs.
laboratory forms and export and import requirements for the equine practice.
scheduling of equine procedures and how to work in an ambulatory or racing/show environment.
inventory procedures and the stocking of trucks and treatment rooms.
the various types of communication skills needed to deal with trainers, agents, sellers, buyers, multiple owners, single new owners, referring veterinarians, export and import agents, insurance companies, specialists, farriers and equine dentists.
the differences in an equine practice such as budget, pricing, costs and how to handle client accounts.
data entry, invoicing, estimates and statements.
how to keep an equine practice or office running smoothly amid all the variables that can be found.

TEXTBOOK: There is no required text for this course; however the instructor recommends the following texts for reference:

Heinke, M. L., (2001). Practice Made Perfect. A Guide to Veterinary Practice Management. AAHA Press. VIN Store: https://store.vin.com/custom/edit.asp?p=82375
Reeder, Miller, Wilfong, Leitch, Zimmel (2009). The AAEVT's Equine Manual for Veterinary Technicians. Blackwell Publishing Company. VIN Store: https://store.vin.com/custom/edit.asp?p=99886

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1: Understanding the various types of equine practices, clientele, and industry dealt with during the overall management of the equine veterinary office.
Content: The first week will cover the various types of equine practices and the skills and knowledge needs of the veterinary support staff. We will discuss the various clientele specific to equine practice. Scheduling, admissions, discharge, and collections specific to the equine practice will also be covered.

Week 2: Forms, Regulations, Inventory, Accounting, Office Procedures
Content: The second week we will review forms, regulations, pricing procedures, budgets, inventory control, including stocking trucks and satellites and the commonly seen office procedures of equine practice.

LIBRARY MATERIALS: Library materials will be made available prior to the topic week so participants will have plenty of time to prepare for the real time sessions and discussion.

MESSAGE BOARD DISCUSSIONS: Message board discussions regarding the topic presented will begin on the day the course opens and continue for one week following the last real time session. These discussions will be held in the VSPN CE course area.

CE HOURS: 2

TUITION:
$40 ($36.00 early bird special if registered before March 18, 2010).
*Students currently enrolled in and taking at least 2 classes or 5 units at an AVMA accredited or CAAHT approved Veterinary Technician Program may be eligible to receive a 50% discount off the regular rate for this course (upon verification of student status). You must include the following information in the comments section of the CE enrollment form in order to be eligible for this discount: your program director's name and contact information (email/phone) and school name.

** NOTE: Enrollment will be closed when the maximum number of participants is reached or at 5pm ET the day of the first real time session.

**For more on how online CE works see the VSPN Participant's Resource Center

TO REGISTER:

Each person must individually be a registered member of VSPN (www.vspn.org). Membership in VSPN is free.
To enroll in any VSPN CE course click on the ENROLL NOW link below the course title on the right side of the page at www.vspn.org/CE
Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. This is our major form of communication with participants. It is highly recommended that course participants use their own, personal emails rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
VIN Member veterinarians SHOULD NOT register for their staff. Please have the staff member register through VSPN. Please email VSPNCE@vspn.org if you have questions.

Note: "This course has been submitted for approved for 2 continuing education credits in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE approval; however participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery of continuing education. Call VSPN CE at 1-800-700-4636 for further information." (Attendees are encouraged to check with their licensing jurisdiction(s) for information regarding recognition by their board).
This course has also been submitted for approval for continual education units toward CVPM requirements through VHMA.

COURSE WITHDRAWAL AND REFUND POLICY: Withdrawal prior to the listed start date of a course entitles the registrant to a complete refund or a credit toward a future VSPN or VIN CE course, whichever is preferred. Withdrawal within 1 week after the listed start date (i.e. including no more than one real-time session) entitles the registrant to a credit toward any future VIN CE course. (Does not apply to courses with only one real-time session.) After the first real-time session, a registrant may withdraw due to special circumstances and receive prorated credit towards a future VIN course. These requests will be handled on an individual basis. The amount of the prorated credit will be determined based on 65% of the time remaining in the course at the time of withdrawal. It is not possible to withdraw retroactively.
Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN office at 1-800-700-INFO (4636).

** For More Information on VSPN's upcoming CE Courses, check out http://www.VSPN.org/CE

VSPN CE Services: VSPNCE@vspn.org
1-800-846-0028 or 1-530-756-4881
Charlotte Waack (Charlotte@vspn.org); ext 193
Chris Upchurch (Chris@vspn.org); ext 197
Darci Palmer (Darci@vspn.org); ext 179
Debbie Bess (DBess@vspn.org); ext 178
Nanette Walker Smith (Nanette@vspn.org); ext 187

800.700.4636 | CEonVIN@vin.com | 530.756.4881 | Fax: 530.756.6035
777 West Covell Blvd, Davis, CA 95616
Copyright 2000, Veterinary Information Network, Inc.


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