Common Questions & Answers: Got Questions? We Can Help!

Helping people work together more effectively

Veterinary Management Services FAQs From Debbie Gair

Are you a Veterinarian or a Practice Manager learning about what a management consultant / coach can do for you? This is a great place to start. If you have additional questions, contact Debbie directly.

General Concerns↓

My practice is fairly productive. How can you help me?

We offer more than 20 years of experience serving hundreds of veterinary hospitals. With our unique knowledge of operations, we can help you improve your practice and achieve your professional goals.

View your practice through fresh eyes and implement real and effective change! Some possibilities include the following actions:

Adjust appointment schedules, improving efficiency.
Introduce your practice to new profit centers, remaining competitive and relevant in an oversaturated marketplace.
Refine systems in your hospital, raising the level of care for your patients and improving service for your clients.
Train teams to leverage your DVM, allowing you to see more clients and patients during a day—without raising your labor costs.

Simply put, every practice must grow and evolve to survive and thrive in today’s economic landscape. We can help!

Is it time for me to get a practice manager?

It really depends on your practice, financial and work flow issues, current effectiveness, and your vision for the practice. Some hospitals are long overdue for a practice manager, while others have a practice manager and do not use him or her to the fullest potential.

We can help you decide if it is a wise time to add a practice manager to your hospital. If it is time, we will help you search, hire, and set up the practice manager to be an asset in his or her new role.

How do I communicate more effectively with clients and team members?

Effective communication changes everything! Communicating is an art that addresses the needs of all parties. Bridging the Gap is uniquely skilled at identifying and addressing communication gaps in your practice.

We perform specific assessments to help you identify the communication style, strengths, and weaknesses of your entire team. Then we create a plan to strengthen your communication style. By implementing communication skills and techniques that match your clients’ needs, you will increase compliance, create referrals, and improve your practice’s overall health.

Would things improve if I had a different staff?

This is a loaded question! Every team has the potential to improve and your staff is your most valuable asset. Often it is a lack of proper leadership or staff development that allows teams to be come stagnant or stale. On occasion, it is due to having the wrong people in specific positions.

There are many considerations in assessing and improving the quality of support staff. And sometimes, yes, you’ll need different staff. But, before you throw in the towel, let us assess the team you have and see if we can help you work together more effectively.

I am really feeling the stress and need to learn to laugh again. Can you help?

Work/life balance is necessary to a healthy and happy life. We are not living to work; we have to work to live. By modifying and changing dynamics within a practice, you can find time to reconnect with the important people in your life.

We help you create a whole life approach, achieving the work/life balance desired for maintaining healthy personal relationships while taking care of business. Developing a team approach to client education, administrative responsibilities, and medical services creates a healthier and more effective work environment. This frees you up to spend more time enjoying your life outside of work.

Reduce stress, improve your practice, and find the balance you deserve with help from Bridging the Gap!

Recruiting↓

Coaching↓

Presentations↓

On-Site Consultation↓

"DiSC®" and "EPIC" are registered trademarks of Inscape Publishing, Inc.

Debbie was present through the entire management interview process. She asked extremely insightful questions, which allowed me to choose the ideal candidate for my practice.

Jim Wesseldyke, DVM and Owner, Pet Vet Family Pet Care Center

Our practice manager is doing a great job. We are working well together and he makes me a better person. I am pleased and honored to tell others what a great job you have done for myself and my practice. Thank you for all that you have done to set me up for success.

Brent Johnson, DVM and Owner, Northwest Animal Care Hospital

Not only did Debbie support our vision but she gave us practical tips and strategies to ensure our success—things we were able to implement immediately.

Courtney Bohlinger, Practice Manager, Great Lakes Hospital for Animals

The Return on Investment for Debbie’s management recruiting service was realized in the first six months after I hired my new practice manager. I wish I would have taken advantage of her services sooner.

Jim Wesseldyke, DVM and Owner, Pet Vet Family Pet Care Center

Debbie has been a recruiter, coach, problem solving management advisor and personal guide to utilizing a Practice Manager. Thank you Debbie, for the many years of expertise and friendship!

Guy Osmun, DVM and Owner, Companion Animal Hospital of Linden

Thank goodness for my Practice Manager! You tutored her well and she continues to grow in her position. I am happy to report we boast a staff with maturity of employ and energy. I have never had it so good. Many thank yous to you.

Dennis White, DVM and Practice Owner, Companion Animal Hospital of Tecumpseh

Debbie is a highly enthusiastic, knowledgeable member of the veterinary profession. Her extended experience, along with her exceptional ability to connect with people, makes her an excellent coach.

Jan Currey, Independent Training and Consulting

Debbie has a strong command of the veterinary field and was a tremendous asset to our practice. She is thorough and personable and goes above and beyond to assure her client's satisfaction.

Stephen John, Practice Administrator, Northwest Animal Care Hospital

I have hired Debbie to help with several issues in our veterinary practice, as well as to help locate, screen and mentor a Practice Manager. She was very intuitive, honest, hard working and effective in her style and understanding of our needs. I highly recommend her talents for any business that needs a qualified business consultant.

Ed Farnham, DVM and Owner [retired], Woodland Hospital for Animals

Debbie uses her knowledge and experience to help create a favorable working environment. She utilizes various materials to provide a foundation for your practice to grow and prosper.

John VanDaele, DVM & Practice Owner, Animal Alley Veterinary Hospital

Debbie has been a wonderful educator and resource to colleagues and veterinary professionals. She's a go-to person for questions about veterinary practice management and client and team communication. Debbie's insights on communication and employee behavior give her a unique perspective.

Portia Stewart, Editor, Firstline, Advanstar Veterinary Healthcare Communications

Debbie is very personable, knowledgeable and helpful business consultant. We have put her many suggestions into place, with excellent results. I recommend Debbie to anyone in need of a veterinary practice consultant.

Kathy Applegate, DVM and Owner, Standale Veterinary Hospital

"I have worked with Debbie for several years. Initially, I hired her to find a Practice Manager. With her help, we hired a manager who is a perfect match for my style. The benefits show in many ways. We have continued to use Debbie's coaching services, because her advice is unbiased, professional and very helpful. If we are having employee issues, she always seems to come up with very insightful ideas. I recommend her highly."

Kathy Eckler, DVM and Owner, Gull Lake Animal Hospital

"By the time I owned my practice for a year, I knew that I needed to hire a practice manager. Debbie took the guess-work out of the hiring process. My Practice Manager has been a tremendous asset to my practice. I was very happy with the recruiting process and strongly recommend Debbie to anyone looking for a Practice Manager."

Eric Peterson, DVM and Owner, Northside Veterinary Hospital

"Debbie is a treasure to veterinary medicine. She has the job experience of managing a practice and is the DiSC expert many veterinary consultants and hospitals turn to for guidance. She gets results and she guides you over the troubled spots in your practice. I call on Debbie whenever I need and outside eye to be objective and achieve results that last."

Mary Ann Vande Linde, DVM and Consultant, Vande Linde & Associates

"Debbie made major positive impact on my professional career. As our Practice Manager, she fostered an environment that allowed employees to take on new responsibilities and learn new skills, which contributed to the growth and success of the practice. She taught us that mistakes (or in her words, "challenges") could be turned into a positive end-result. Our staff felt comfortable and encouraged to share successes as well as mistakes, as these were used as learning opportunities. Debbie is a strong proponent of the "can do" attitude; she passed that philosophy onto her staff."

Julie Delauter, LVT , Veterinary Technician Program Professor, Macomb Community College

"The thing that makes Debbie invaluable is her unique approach to management challenges. She taught me that success is just as much about the people as it is about the processes. She taught me how to understand and blend different personality styles to create cohesive teamwork among staff members. She showed me how to teach my team to provide exceptional customer service by focusing on the customer's individual needs."

Christine Johnson, Practice Manager and Owner, PetsFirst Wellness Center

"Debbie's approach was tailored to ME. She truly listened and helped me to articulate and achieve my own goals. She pushed me and challenged me and held me accountable, which made me a better manager than I ever thought I could be. She laughed with me, encouraged me, and sometimes even cried with me; and then, when the tears were dry, she picked me up and dusted me off and put me on the path again. She was so much more than a management coach. She was my partner and friend."

Christine Johnson, Practice Manager and Owner, PetsFirst Wellness Center