Month: March 2020
Social Media Post:
To make sure our clients, staff, and patients stay as safe and healthy as possible, we are utilizing telemedicine for many appointments via the [TELEMEDICINE APP]. While not suitable for urgent or emergency care, telemedicine is easy and convenient to use for follow-up care, allergies, coughs, diabetic care, gastrointestinal problems, medication refills, hospice care, parasite prevention and treatment and more. Download [TELEMEDICINE APP] here: [Link to app download or refer them to App Store or Google Play] Questions? Just give us a call at [HOSPITAL TEL NUMBER].
Newsletter Article:
We Offer Telemedicine To Help Your Pets
In light of COVID-19 concerns, we have taken steps to make sure our extended community remains as safe as possible. We are now offering digital appointments to complement ongoing in-office care through [TELEMEDCINE APP].
If you are interested in connecting digitally, you will need to download the [TELEMEDCINE APP].
Some important details:
- [TELEMEDICINE APP] connects you with our veterinary team, not a third-party veterinarian. [NOT TRUE WITH ALL APPs]
- Consultations will cost [AMOUNT, DIFFERS FOR EACH APP]
- Not all ailments are good fits for telemedicine, and [TELEMEDICINE APP] is not suitable for urgent or emergency care. Currently, only clients with smartphones will be able to utilize this service.
What is suitable for telemedicine visits?
- Allergies
- Coughing, sneezing, URI signs
- Dermatology
- Diabetic care and management
- External parasites (fleas, ticks, mites, etc.)
- Gastrointestinal upsets, intestinal parasites
- Hospice care
- Lameness evaluations
- Limited mobility patients and clients
- Medication refills
- Nutritional counseling
- Progress exam
- Stressed/anxious pets
- Suture checks
Please call us immediately at [HOSPITAL TEL NUMBER] if you think your pet may need urgent or emergency care.
We are going to do our very best to be available to you and your pets; however, coverage is limited to working hours. You can anticipate a one-hour turn-around around in response, but we may occasionally be delayed due to an in-office emergency.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has announced a stay-at-home order–aka as a shelter-in-place order–across the state as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Only essential businesses are allowed to stay open, which at this time includes veterinary facilities. The order is in effect until April 6th. Read more here.
↓ 6.8%
Revenue
↓ 8.5%
Transactions
↑ 2.0%
ATC
↓ 19.9%
New clients
Summary: Friday data was the weakest of the workweek with Transactions taking a tumble. Month to date Revenue and Transactions are still positive although slowing as the months progresses.
iVET360 data source: 706 hospitals across all 50 states. Ave hospital size $2 million. Daily stats are compared to the same weekday last year (ie. Tuesday to Tuesday comparison). Month to date stats is based on calendar month over last year.
With new directives about social distancing and shelter-in-place being announced daily, it’s understandable if you as a practice owner might be feeling overwhelmed, confused, and anxious, particularly in light of the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
This legislation, passed by Congress on March 14 and signed into law by the president shortly thereafter, is a comprehensive relief bill aimed at softening the financial fallout of COVID-19 on working families.
This law goes into effect April 2, meaning no one has much time to adjust to its mandates. You’re probably wondering, “How does this bill impact me as the owner of a small business in the healthcare field?” We’ll try to answer that question here.
Let’s begin with the Emergency Sick Leave provision of the bill. This section states that employers with fewer than 500 workers must provide employees who cannot telework with paid sick time off if the employee is:
- subject to a quarantine or self-isolation order
- advised by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine due to coronavirus concerns
- currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis
- caring for an individual in quarantine
- caring for a child whose daycare or school is closed and other child care cannot be obtained due to coronavirus precautions
- an employee who is experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified by HHS in consultation with the Treasury and Labor Departments.
This provision is complicated and multi-faceted, but here are a few key takeaways: full-time employees are entitled to 80 hours of sick leave, and part-time workers are granted leave equivalent to their average hours worked in a two-week period. All employees who meet the above criteria are eligible for this benefit, regardless of how long they’ve worked for you.
The bill does offer some wiggle room to small enterprises. If you employ fewer than 50 people and can prove that the imposition of such requirements would jeopardize the viability of your business going forward, you can appeal to the Department of labor for an exemption.
Let’s move onto to the second section of the bill, which applies to Emergency Family Leave. Under this provision, you’ll be required to provide up to 12 weeks of family leave for employees who’ve been on the job for at least 30 days and are unable to work or telework because they have to care for a minor child if a) the child’s school or place of care has been closed, or b) if the child care provider of that child is unavailable due to a coronavirus emergency.
The first 10 days of leave can be unpaid – your workers might opt to use accrued vacation days, for instance – but after that, they’re entitled to 2/3rds their normal pay rate. Paid leave is capped at $200 per day and $10,000 total.
The same potential for exemption that applies to the Emergency Sick Leave provision of the law applies here, too. You can appeal to the Department of Labor if you employ fewer than 25 people and can show that payouts to workers while they’re on leave will make it impossible for you to stay in business.
If you’re thinking at this point, “I am not going to be able to afford to follow this law,” there’s hope. To help you shoulder the significant financial burdens you might face in complying with this bill, it also includes a third provision dealing Employer Tax Credits.
This is perhaps the most complex and legalese-heavy portion of the bill, but here’s what you need to know: as an employer of fewer than 500 workers, you are eligible for a refund of the 6.2% employer portion of the Social Security tax to help you cover wages paid to employees for time off under the sick leave and family leave program.
- The sick leave credit for each employee will be for wages (including qualified health plan expenses relating to those wages) of up to $511 per day while the employee is receiving paid sick leave to care for himself or herself, or $200 if caring for a family member or child whose school has closed. The credit will be limited to 10 days per employee per quarter.
- The family leave credit for each employee will be for wages (including qualified health plan expenses relating to those wages) of as much as $200 per employee per day, and $10,000 in the aggregate for all calendar quarters.
- To prevent a double benefit, employers must include the amount of credits received in their gross income.
A complete list of the statute’s requirements and benefits can be found here.
↓ 1.8%
Revenue
↓ 4.2%
Transactions
↑ 2.4%
ATC
↓ 17%
New clients
Summary: Thursday presented similar numbers as of Tuesday, revenue, and transactions down, with ATC up. New clients down by 17%. Month to date stats continues to be suppressed by recent daily numbers coming in.
iVET360 data source: 705 hospitals across all 50 states. Ave hospital size $2 million. Daily stats are compared to the same weekday last year (ie. Tuesday to Tuesday comparison). Month to date stats is based on calendar month over last year.
Preparing your Team
As small businesses across the globe brace for the potential impacts of COVID-19, iVET360 wants to ensure you and your team are as prepared as possible.
We know that your employees are asking many questions, many of which you likely do not have the answers to yet. One question we absolutely do have the answer to is: how to best clean, disinfect, and protect ourselves from COVID-19.
We have seen an uptick in the number of claims regarding OSHA 11- C retaliation claims, OSHA complaints around lack of training, OSHA complaints around lack of access to appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and more.
We are advising all Veterinary Facilities to hold a staff meeting to cover this very important topic to ensure:
- Your employees feel trained and equipped to prevent the spread of infection.
- You are not setting your business up for any litigation due to a lack of training and preparation.
What should we discuss?
We are advising that you cover four key subjects: Increased Sanitation Protocols, Cleaning vs. Disinfecting, PPE and How to Use it, and Inventory Management.
Let’s dive in!
Increased Sanitation Protocols
Very likely, you have already told your team to, “Kick the cleaning list into overdrive!”. For that, we commend you. However, now more than ever, it is imperative that you outline exactly what this means to your staff.
You should discuss:
- How frequently each area of the hospital should
be cleaned
- Take employees to each section and SHOW them how to properly clean the area
- Walk employees through the clinic to identify areas of high risk that should be cleaned immediately after use
- Ensure the entire staff knows where to locate ALL cleaning supplies and refills to said supplies
Cleaning versus Disinfecting
We have all been there. It’s the end of the day, you walk past a technician who has been “cleaning” the same square foot of exam table until their shift is complete. Those days are over.
We must ensure that the staff understands the difference between “cleaning” and “disinfecting”. Per the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control:
- Cleaning – refers to the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. Cleaning does not kill germs but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.
- Disinfecting – refers to using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.
We suggest that you physically show the staff how to first CLEAN an area and then how to properly DISINFECT an area. Repeat the same process for laundry, ensuring that you have the entire staff watch you properly load laundry into the washer and the dryer.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
PPE is only as effective as it is properly utilized. Most facilities have rigid SOPs in regard to when and how to wear PPE; are your staff up to date on these policies? Regardless of whether or not it may seem like common sense, if a staff member feels under trained on how to use PPE, you can be held accountable.
You should discuss:
- The entire SOP regarding WHEN to use PPE
- The entire SOP regarding HOW to use PPE
- Highlight, star, bolden, how these SOPs have been adjusted in response to COVID-19
- Demonstrate proper usage of PPE
- Show the staff where all PPE is located and where to restock from
Inventory Management
By this point, you have outlined how we are going to utilize all resources within the hospital. Now, we must explain how to achieve these new standards of minimally acceptable sanitation without wasting valuable and, potentially, finite resources.
You should discuss:
- Expected allocation of resources to each cleaning event
- Highlight the inability to predict how hard it will be to restock cleaning materials and PPE
- Increasing inventory counts to twice weekly
As stated above, we are establishing a minimally acceptable standard of sanitation. We do not want employees to waste resources, but, we also do not want them to restrict themselves to the above cleaning guidelines. If you are able to allocate additional resources, we highly encourage staff to clean beyond what is outlined above.
How do I hold the team accountable?
We are glad you have asked! Using the most current information supplied from the CDC and EPA, we have crafted a “Hospital Cleaning and Inventory Management” acknowledgment for you to have each employee sign at the end of your meeting. The document outlines all the information above and has an acknowledgment page for both the employee and their manager to sign.
Help With Office/Sanitary Supplies
Clorox – Clorox offers veterinary specific and patient-friendly cleaning products for your practice. Orders may be placed online, by calling your Covetrus territory manager, or Lawrence Lamb at (951) 837-3076 [email protected]
Home Depot Pro – Keep your clinic stock with all your janitorial needs discounted with free shipping for orders over $150. Check out their website at HomeDepotPro.com/Institutional.
Reach out to you PSIvet Area Manager for a Letter of Participation to receive your discount today.