Summer Is the Most Demanding Season and the Least Planned For
Summer, which consistently produces the highest appointment volume of the year for most general practices, is the season clinics most often try to manage with the same staff levels they had in February.
It does not work. And every summer, the same clinics are overwhelmed in July and exhausted by August.
Three Strategies That Work
Plan vacation coverage before June. Most staff vacation requests land in June and July. If you approve them without a coverage plan, you are setting yourself up for a staffing crisis at peak demand. Build your relief vet coverage into the calendar when you approve the vacation, not after the gap appears.
Add a relief DVM one to two days per week through July and August. Even one extra doctor day per week can absorb 18 to 22 additional appointments and take pressure off your permanent team at the peak of the season.
Use relief LVTs and veterinary assistants to extend your team’s capacity. More support staff means your DVMs see more patients per hour. Your Neighbor Vet places relief technicians and assistants as well as relief DVMs.
The Clinics That Get Ahead of Summer
The practices that come through summer strongest are the ones that made decisions in April and May. They contacted Your Neighbor Vet early, built a coverage calendar, and entered June already staffed. By the time their competitors were scrambling for last-minute relief, they were running smoothly.
Ready to take the next step?
Summer is here. If you do not have your coverage plan in place, now is the time. Contact Your Neighbor Vet at 425-448-8882 or yourneighborvet.com and let us build your summer staffing strategy together.
Related reading: High Demand Seasons and How YNV Clinics Stay Ahead · October Holiday Weekend: Coverage Planning for a Long Weekend