Emergency Case Overload with Brandon Zweerman

VHMA Manager to Manager

Things are very overwhelming right now, and emergencies seem to be coming in constantly. When emergency facilities are full, what is the solution? Today’s guest is Brandon Zweerman from Ottawa Animal Emergency and Specialty Hospital, and he has worked in several different roles in his career. He is a strong believer that happier employers can build a better practice.

Today, Brandon and I discuss emergencies and how this surge in caseloads across North America is creating the need to make new decisions. Brandon offers excellent advice on cooperative communication, scripts for effectively saying no to clients, and managing the team in a way that makes them feel supported.

Show Notes:

[2:17] - Many practices are having to stop emergency services because of the overwhelming case load.

[3:46] - Brandon explains how he met with other emergency facilities to come up with a plan to work together.

[6:17] - Cooperative communication is key but in this industry, we are notorious for working alone.

[7:12] - Brandon reflects on the surge of emergency caseloads and how he was driven to make new decisions.

[8:49] - How do you tell clients that you aren’t able to see a patient? Brandon gives an example of a script he has been using in his practice.

[11:01] - Employees need to know that they are supported.

[12:28] - Even general hospitals for people are at capacity and Brandon used that information to explain the problem for the clinic as well.

[14:38] - Brandon triages out anything that is not immediately life-threatening.

[15:50] - Some people realize their capacity but others struggle with saying no.

[17:14] - Meeting at least once a month to discuss problems and solutions is critical.

[18:56] - Financially speaking, saying no is particularly hard.

[20:32] - The money is so good, but what are the consequences of taking an overwhelming case load?

[23:40] - Debbie shares how not everyone is preparing clients for what to expect.

[25:38] - There needs to be a symbiotic relationship between emergency clinics and general practice.

[27:00] - How can you shift around tasks and decisions to alleviate pressure on doctors?

[28:02] - Talk to your team and get their perspective.

Thank you for listening. Remember you are not in this alone. Visit our website for more resources.

Links and Resources:

• VHMA Web Page
• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Ottawa Animal Emergency and Specialty Hospital Website