Animal Wellness Specialist

Job Description:

The Animal Wellness Specialist position aims to oversee our Vetco Total Care hospital's veterinary team and ensure they deliver unmatched animal healthcare to all patients while offering exceptional service to owners. The leader represents our mission and obligations to all clients, vets, and hospital and store partners.

Efficient communication is a vital aspect of a hospital's success. Hospital partners must communicate effectively within the hospital system to guarantee impeccable healthcare delivery to patients:

• The primary duty of caregivers in the healthcare industry is to attend to the needs of their patients before considering any other factors
• The entire team acknowledges that they have the potential to go beyond the standard and create an exceptional customer and patient experience
• It is necessary to address contentious matters promptly and efficiently to avoid creating unnecessary tension or disrupting the workplace atmosphere
• The entire organization can thrive thanks to exemplary teamwork and a resolute devotion to common goals.

Achieve a Brighter Future for Your Furry Friends, Their Owners, and Society as a Whole!

Employees who yearn for a work environment that values positive change, professional advancement, individuality, and overall health and wellness will find everything they need at Petco.

We are devoted to our fundamental values that exemplify our commitment to improving the quality of life for pets, people and the planet.

• We treat every animal with the same love and attention we give our own pets
• The pet industry is ripe for disruption and we're the ones to do it
• Our overarching aim is to improve the overall quality of life for humanity
• Collective collaboration leads to remarkable accomplishments
• We are valued for our individuality

Petco is a leader in the health and wellness industry. Its primary focus is to improve the life of pets, pet parents, and its own staff. Petco is made up of a dedicated workforce of over 29,000 working together. Furthermore, it has 1,500+ pet care centers across the United States, along with over 250 Vetco Total Care hospitals, and hundreds of preventive care clinics. The company operates eight distribution centers and two support centers.

Our aim is to strengthen the bond between pets and their guardians while also making a positive difference in the well-being of our Petco staff.

Our Commitments:

• We are fully devoted to putting pets first and understand that their satisfaction directly benefits our company.
• Raising the bar for pet industry excellence - We're committed to taking the pet industry to new heights by combining our experience and passion to create better, healthier lives for pets.
• We believe that the love between pets and their owners is a precious thing and that it deserves to be celebrated and shared with others who cherish this bond as much as we do.
• Our focus is on delivering customized and central pet solutions that are accessible to anyone in need. Our team of experts is always on-hand to provide expert guidance and support to pet parents and their furry friends.
• Our ultimate goal is to help every pet thrive with excellent health and vitality.

Essential Job Functions:

The duties and responsibilities outlined below are a prerequisite for this position, and the candidate must be able to perform them with or without accommodation:

Leadership/Management duties:

• The top veterinarian overseeing the hospital's team.
• Build a successful partnership with the Hospital's Office Manager by promoting transparency, trust, and respect in all of your interactions.
• Help hospital veterinarians to elevate their clinical expertise, teamwork, client communication, and level of service through ongoing mentoring and coaching.
• Be responsible for fostering a culture of medical excellence within the hospital, ensuring that Petco Medical standards and legal requirements are met.
• Adherence to state practice act requirements is essential for the safety of both animals and employees in full-service veterinary hospitals.
• Hosting an open house or meet and greet event can also be a great way to introduce new veterinarians to clients and colleagues and create a positive first impression.
• Be present during interviews with hospital partners and offer valuable insights.
• In conclusion, creating and managing a schedule for veterinarians is a critical activity that requires attention to detail. It is important to identify potential gaps and work with the Hospital Office Manager and field leadership to correct them. This will ensure that there is enough staff to meet the needs of pet owners and their pets while maintaining high-quality care.
• Be diligent in monitoring hospital performance and work alongside HOM and field leadership to pinpoint opportunities for improving business outcomes through exceptional care quality and positive client interactions.
• Collaborate with the Head of Marketing and leaders in the field to drive revenue growth and exceed financial goals using a P&L monthly reporting system that is optimized for quality and efficiency.
• Continuously review the hospital's electronic medical records with a focus on patient decisions, and offer guidance and direction to hospital veterinarians to elevate the standards of patient care.
• Address all grievances and reportable occurrences promptly while partnering with the Hospital Office Manager and field leadership to find a swift resolution.
• Be responsible for keeping the hospital in compliance with state and federal DEA regulations by managing the ordering, inventorying, recording, and reporting of all controlled substances.
• Create a strong safety culture that promotes awareness and education of safety measures for our entire team.
• Collaborate closely with the Hospital Office Manager to develop and maintain policies and procedures that minimize the risks of radiation exposure to both patients and staff.

Clinical Care duties:

• Optimize patient welfare through exceptional care-giving by undertaking extensive physical evaluations, accurately diagnosing and managing illnesses, and offering effective preventive healthcare plans that cater to the patient's specific signalment, lifestyle, and environment.
• Implement a problem-oriented approach to patient care that involves drawing up a thorough list of identified issues, a comprehensive list of potential root causes for each problem, designating an appropriate course of diagnostic testing, and administering the best treatment option based on diagnostic test results.
• Ensure that all entries in the medical record are formatted in a clear and easy-to-read manner, with appropriate headings and subheadings where necessary.
• Expertly conduct surgical procedures, including spays/neuters, exploratory laparotomies, and mass excisions, among other techniques, for the effective treatment of patients.
• Experienced in conducting both routine and complicated dental procedures, which include complete dental assessment, assessment of dental radiographs, simple and complex teeth removals, and oral surgeries.
• Generate complete care strategies for patients undergoing daytime hospitalization, utilizing a detailed problem-based diagnosis. Transfer patients to long-term care as required and communicate effectively with referral hospitals and clients to maintain continuity of patient care.

Along with their core job functions, employees may be required to perform supplementary tasks and responsibilities. These could include tasks that are outside of their usual scope of work or that support the overall functioning of the organization. Such tasks are vital to ensuring that the organization runs efficiently and achieves its desired outcomes:

• As a medical professional, taking part in rounds is crucial at the beginning and the end of each shift since it is an effective way of providing accurate and up-to-date information about patients.
• Enhance patient and client satisfaction levels by disseminating knowledge to the hospital staff to improve care and communication.
• Attend to any further tasks as directed by the authority.
• Keep current on all mandatory state permits and hospital vendor accounts pertaining to healthcare facilities.

Nature of Supervision:

All patient care-related activities will be supervised directly by the Area Medical Director for the Hospital Medical Leader. Patient care decisions are the prerogative of the Hospital Medical Leader, with adherence to the Petco Veterinary SOPs a crucial requirement. Through reviews of electronic medical records, the Area Medical Director will offer guidance and feedback to elevate patient care and client interactions in the hospital, which the Hospital Medical Leader should readily accept.

The efficacy of a hospital's veterinary department lays in the hands of its staff, who must work cooperatively while upholding codes of conduct and amicability.

When approached correctly, planning can enable individuals and teams to address complex problems successfully, overcome obstacles, and achieve success:

Solid problem-solving capabilities are a crucial aspect of veterinary medicine, and it's imperative for a prospective candidate to demonstrate a flair for this skill to help diagnose and treat animals quickly.

Impact:

The successful candidate will work tirelessly to uphold these values of care and professionalism. This position demands a keen eye for detail, especially for patient outcomes. They should be solution-oriented and able to identify challenges and devise effective solutions. An ideal candidate should also have good communication skills as they will be interacting with staff, patient families, and the larger community.

Supervisory Responsibility:

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing all veterinarians working at the hospital, including those who work full-time, part-time, or on a temporary basis.

Education/Experience:

• Completion of a degree program that is equivalent to Doctor of Veterinary Medicine obtained from an AVMA-approved veterinary school is necessary for veterinarians.
• The job posting requires a minimum of one to three years' worth of practical experience as a veterinarian.
• Applicants who have experience mentoring or coaching veterinarians will be given preference.
• Being allowed to work in the state where the hospital is present as a vet with no conditions or having the potential to attain it before the work commencement.
• Current DEA license.
• The hospital mandates that a Current Controlled Substance License be held by all prospective employees, or they should be capable of obtaining one before their start date.
• USDA Category I (minimum) Accreditation is a compulsory credential, or it must be accomplished two months after the day of employment.
• Expert in delivering anesthesia and performing routine surgical interventions, such as cat and dog sterilization, mass excision, and dental scaling, among others.
• The ability to express ideas proficiently through both written and spoken mediums is a prerequisite.
• Having the capacity to show compassion and maintain a professional demeanor in intense or emotional settings is key for success in this field.
• It is necessary to have telephone and computer proficiencies.
• The right person for the job must be a team player who is willing to learn new methods and treatments, generate innovative ideas, and be adaptable to changes.

Work Environment:

At the Vetco Total Care veterinary full-service hospital is where most job duties for this position are conducted. Tasks involving bending, kneeling, lifting (up to 30 pounds, as needed), and standing for long periods will be a regular occurrence. Additionally, the partner will spend a considerable amount of time engaging with clients and their pets.