Partner Hospital Clinical Reference Manual

Maximizing Your IndeVet’s Shift

Associate IndeVets are held to the highest standard of care and are skilled at working in different team capacities with paraprofessional competencies. Appropriate staffing is important for top-quality patient care, and that is why we ask that there are at least two paraprofessionals working with each Associate IndeVet for the entirety of their shift. This can include one vet assistant or licensed technician and a receptionist. If your appointment lengths are shorter and you also see walk-ins or drop-offs, we recommend at least two assistants/technicians and a receptionist. The following is a list of best practices for your Associate IndeVet’s first shift:

  • Have your staff wear their name tags!
  • Greet the Associate IndeVet and show them around the hospital. Include a brief overview of your pharmacy and who to go to (or call) if they have questions.
  • Prepare your practice management system for the Associate IndeVet before their first day. If you have questions about how to enter new users in your PIMS, please ask another member of your team or corporation, or give us a shout and we will help.
  • Allow new Associate IndeVets time to become acquainted with the software and have a staff member available to give a brief tutorial. 
  • Associate IndeVets may arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of their first shift at your hospital, but this is not required. Consider blocking off additional time at the beginning of the shift if more time is needed to get them set up at your practice.
  • Pair your Associate IndeVet with a dedicated and experienced paraprofessional who can help them with questions regarding hospital policies and protocols.

Building an Associate IndeVet’s Appointment Schedule

  • Our doctors carefully review your hospital’s profile in our scheduling system before they arrive. We’ve found that it reduces confusion if you schedule our doctors consistent with the guidelines you have placed in your hospital profile.
  • We recommend scheduling fewer appointments by adding appointment blocks or setting longer appointment times for an Associate IndeVet’s first shift at your hospital. This allows the doctor to adjust to your hospital’s workflow and become as efficient as possible! This could look like 45-minute appointments instead of 30-minute appointments and/or added morning and afternoon 30-60 minute blocks.
  • We follow state practice act regulations requiring completed medical records. Associate IndeVets are required to have all their medical records completed prior to their departure. This may mean staying after the scheduled end of their shift if there is not adequate time between appointments to complete records.
  • Please be mindful that Associate IndeVets expect to be present at our Partner Hospitals for the scheduled duration of the shift. Associate IndeVets may not have the ability to stay late after a shift, therefore we recommend your team discuss adding additional patients or procedures with our Associate IndeVet.
  • Consider all the ways you can use our Associate IndeVets varied skills. When there are slower times in the schedule you can ask them to help with tasks like callbacks, cleaning, and even staff education.

Protecting an Associate IndeVet’s Licenses and Signatures

State Licenses 

  • A printable copy of an Associate IndeVet’s state license can be found on the Associate IndeVet’s profile in CATS.
  • If your state requires publicly posting licenses, please remove the license at the end of the Associate IndeVet shift and keep it in a secure place or shred it for security. 
  • If you do not find the documentation that you need in the Associate IndeVet’s profile page in CATS, please contact [email protected] prior to the shift.  

DEA licenses and Controlled Dangerous Substances (CDS) Certificates 

  • Every Associate IndeVet has an active DEA license, and a state CDS license (if applicable)
  • These licenses contain sensitive information and are not available on the Associate IndeVet’s profile page in CATS. 
  • If you need the number of a DEA or CDS license, please reach out to your Associate IndeVet’s managing Director of Clinical Excellence or reach them at [email protected]. 
  • If you obtain a copy of an IndeVet’s DEA or CDS license, keep it in a locked location. 

Signatures 

  • We do not allow hospitals to save Associate IndeVet signatures to medical record software. 
  • If you need a signature for a rabies certificate or prescription, please present the physical document to an Associate IndeVet. 
  • Associate IndeVets will not sign:
    • rabies certificates for animals they did not personally administer the rabies vaccination
    • controlled drug prescriptions for patients with whom they do not have a valid VCPR

The End of a Shift

  • Associate IndeVets are required to complete their medical records prior to their departure. Please make your Associate IndeVet aware of any additional tasks they need to complete before leaving. These tasks may include pharmacy refills, lab work callbacks, client question callbacks, discharge instructions, or report cards.
  • Please instruct your Associate IndeVet on how you would like follow-ups handled.
    • It is best practice to communicate pending lab work results to clients as soon as possible, especially when abnormal results need to be addressed.
    • If an Associate IndeVet is not returning to your hospital within 24 hours, we recommend having a system in place to manage those patient follow-ups sooner.
      • Keeping a list of pending lab work in your EMR or on a clipboard that is checked daily by a dedicated staff member
      • Rounding Associate IndeVets with staff doctors on cases of concern 
      • Using computer-generated reminder calls 
      • Entering lab work under the doctor who will be doing the follow-up rather than under the ordering doctor
      • Conducting an audit of the Associate IndeVet’s schedule the day after a shift to determine a patient's need for follow-up
      • Instructing the Associate IndeVet to put a call back reminder in following an appointment
  • When an Associate IndeVet must stay after hours to finish records, please have a staff member remain with them until the work is completed.
  • We understand that sometimes you may have follow-up questions for an Associate IndeVet that worked in your hospital. The best way to contact that doctor is to email our clinical team anytime at [email protected].
Clinical Standards
Controlled Substance Handling