As a veterinarian-owned start-up clinic, we cannot overstate our appreciation for the support and insight we received from Aimee and Heather as part of the Open Door mentorship program.  They gracefully straddled the fine line of guiding us through general financial stewardship for our budding practice without overwhelming us with tasks or information. They provided keen insight in so many realms of veterinary medicine- both personal and professional, with patience and gentle humor.  They exposed us to ways of thinking about access to care that are a subtle twist on traditional ways of thinking and decision making. While we are not able to fully embrace their incredible access to care model quite yet, we are convinced of its benefit all around and have a plan to put pieces of that puzzle into place as our practice grows and steadies its financial footing.  We feel more confident as new practice owners that we have the tools and knowledge to provide care to a greater proportion of the pet-owning community.

Thank you so much for putting this information out there on the Financial Triage online training! I had no idea there were so many options to help pets and pet parents without compromising the well-being of veterinarians and their practices. I will absolutely use this knowledge after graduation, and I hope options will get even better by the time I start practicing. Thank you again!

The Open Door Mentorship was an absolute game changer for us and our practice. Even though we had already been operating for over a year before we started working with Heather and Aimee, their insight and guidance helped us troubleshoot issues we were experiencing, but also reassured us that we were on the right track in other areas! The team calls and training helped solidify our team and ensured that we were all on the same page regarding goals and metrics. Our practice has been an invaluable addition to our organization – expanding the impact of our mission to include pets and people outside of our shelter services, while also producing a sustainable source of revenue. We’re still using ODVC mentorship materials (daily financial spreadsheet for the win!) every day. I cannot recommend them highly enough! 

Thank you for your grant through the Veterinary Fund. Duke is not just a family pet but is a member of our family. He has been such a vital support for my autistic son Jaydan. Duke is a curious dog and tried to escape out metal chainlink fence and cut a very deep gash in his leg. I called multiple emergency vets but no one would care for him because I am going through a financial hardship. Dayton Humane got Duke in same day and they were very understanding of my financial situation and took care of the injury and also neutered him and gave his vaccines at no cost to me which was such huge blessing to me and my family. Duke is now healthy and enjoying his life.

Open Door came at the perfect time for us at the Louisiana SPCA. We had been through years of significant deficits in our Community Clinic, and Open Door gave us the tools to implement a break-even model. Their program provided us with the tools to analyze and measure data, from daily goals and no show rates to daily expenses. This data was critical in order to help us identify problem areas and set goals. Their process also helped us implement ways to help our clients afford care. After years of heavily subsidizing care, we were able to implement payment tools for our clients to sustain our operations.

Our client’s Pet Uber was a success! We were able to provide transportation, discounted vet care, and dog food from our pet pantry to her. When our client was departing she gave staff a big hug and said, “I love you.” Thank you for your support with this new initiative!