COVID-19 & Crisis Management
June 30, 2020
Managing an unexpected crisis requires all hands on deck. In relation to COVID-19, crisis management at VetCor has meant finding new ways to collaborate from a distance while looking for additional ways to provide the best possible support to our practices. Through leveraging our connections within the VetCor community, we were able to help our practices achieve more together and successfully navigate the extraordinary circumstances they were facing.
For our practices, navigating the pandemic has meant quickly adapting to a new way of treating patients. Our veterinarians have been able to continue caring for our furry friends by implementing low contact appointment models and processes such as curbside service, telehealth appointments, drop-off appointments, and drive through food and medication pickup.
Our practices have been able to make these changes quickly and efficiently thanks to being a part of a large and diverse network. Through the use of video platforms, email discussion groups, and one-on-one conversations, our teams can collaborate, share best practices, and solve issues they've never had to face before. By working together and using all available communication channels, they’ve made a quick and successful transition without compromising the quality of care they provide to their patients.
To ensure our hospitals could continue focusing their energy towards caring for pets and creating a safe environment for clients, they were provided with a crisis management tool kit. The tool kit consists of a curbside service action plan, door signage, closure and limited hours email templates, breakroom flyers, remote support and telehealth options, website alerts, social media messaging, and more. Thanks to our internal communication platform, we were able to deliver these resources to our practice leaders with ease.
Because many of us look to the web for knowledge, social media has been used to effectively spread important information during a crisis. VetCor practices are utilizing social media to keep clients engaged and up-to-date with new processes during the pandemic. To help our hospitals make the most of social media, we encouraged them to consider the following questions prior to posting or tweeting:
- Who is my audience?
- What do they need to know? (what is different and/or what is staying the same)
- Is there a timeline? (how long the information I'm sharing is going to remain valid)
- Where is the best place for my audience to get the latest information?
- Who should they contact for more information and how?
Sharing videos, photos, articles, or infographics is also a great way to keep your clients engaged and entertained with relevant information. We recently created a guide for our practices that demonstrates how to create entertaining educational videos to engage their clients and keep them informed about any changes taking place.
As a result of COVID-19, we’re being encouraged to limit our physical presence in public, but that doesn't mean we need to limit our online presence too. A large part of our crisis management plan has been providing useful resources to our practices so they can provide valuable information to their clients. Thanks to the power of social media, we’ve been able to help our practices keep their clients in the know about how they’ve successfully and safely made changes to their care models during this unprecedented crisis.
