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A Valentine Gift for the Heart
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Dana L Durrance, MA
What if all of the parties can’t agree?
Step one is find out what the areas of greatest
differences are. Each party explains their
position and rationale and a common ground
is sought. In most cases, with some compromise a system can be created.
In those cases where no agreement is attainable, table the discussion and have each
doctor consider the others’ treatment plan and
even try it out during a case that comes in.
There will always be some differences
When it comes to billing for a procedure there
definitely should NEVER be a difference
between two doctors performing the same
procedure. Unless you want clients to ask for
the cheap doctor or the doctor that doesn’t
think my dog is fat or the doctor who doesn’t
talk about dentistry.
Consistent care; consistent communication;
client satisfaction; patient work up without
forgetting certain diagnostics or medications.
Everybody wins!!
Protocols are your recipes for success in providing consistent care, communication and
client satisfaction.
F
irst of all…I have to confess that
Valentine’s Day has always been a bit of a
mystery to me. Of course, we’ve all heard that
it was created by greeting card and chocolate
candy companies. But really…what exactly do
we all celebrate on this day if we celebrate it at
all? I know…ask a silly question….I understand that it’s supposed to be a celebration of
“love” but that is one monster sized category
we’re talking about. As with other holidays,
you may find that many pet owners experience
profound grief on this particular day. So for
this month, I want to remind you of some basic
grief principles so that you can support your
clients with “hurting hearts.” Below I have
attached a brief synopsis of grief and how it
can manifest itself in the first year after a difficult loss. I encourage you to share this information with your grieving clients. We can call
it my “Valentine” to you!
There are no “absolutes” when it comes to the
grief process. Sometimes grief can be made
more intense by situations and circumstances
around the loss. Each loss is a unique experience just as every relationship with a pet is
unique.
There is no set time frame for the grief process.
It simply cannot be rushed and it’s not helpful
at all to compare yourself to others. You
cannot put an artificial time frame on your
emotions and it’s pointless to compare yourself
to someone else who is grieving. Grieving is
highly personal and individual….it will take as
long as it takes. It’s also important to remember that people