A complete guide to veterinary office management, Front Office Management for the Veterinary Team, 2nd Edition focuses on the day-to-day front office skills you need to become a valuable member of the veterinary team. It covers duties ranging from scheduling appointments to billing and accounting, managing inventory and medical records, marketing, using outside diagnostic laboratory services, and communicating effectively and compassionately with clients. This edition includes an updated chapter on pet health insurance and wellness programs as well as updated coverage of office procedures and technology. Step-by-step instructions simplify essential front office tasks!
- Comprehensive coverage of front office skills includes telephone skills, appointment scheduling, admitting and discharging patients, and communicating with clients.
- Coverage of clinical assisting ranges from examinations and history taking for patients to kennels and boarding procedures, as well as radiology and laboratory procedures.
- Veterinary Ethics and Legal Issues chapter helps you protect the practice, and run an office based on ethical principles.
- An Evolve companion website lets you practice front office tasks with exercises in bookkeeping/accounts receivable, appointment management, and charting.
- Downloadable working forms offer practice in completing sample checks, laboratory forms, and incident reports.
- Review questions and suggested activities reinforce important concepts presented in each chapter.
- Information on electronic banking and tax forms ensures that you adhere to the latest financial guidelines.
- Information on security in office communication covers the most current methods of safe, electronic communication.
- Practice Point boxes highlight practical information to remember while on the job.
- UPDATED Pet Health Insurance and Wellness Programs chapter describes how pet insurance and wellness programs may integrated into a successful business.
- UPDATED chapters include the most current information on team management, human resources, marketing, inventory management, and preparing and maintaining a budget.
- UPDATED coverage of technology and procedures includes new computer screen shots, new photos, revised What Would You Do/Not Do boxes addressing real-life situations, and a glossary, helping you make a smooth transition into the workplace.
Heather Prendergast is a veterinary practice management consultant, educator, and industry thought leader with more than two decades of experience advancing leadership, operational performance, and team development in veterinary medicine. She is the author of Practice Management for the Veterinary Team, an Elsevier textbook now entering its fifth edition. Heather has delivered more than 300 hours of continuing education nationally and regularly speaks on leadership, team utilization, and practice sustainability. Through her consulting firm, Synergie, she partners with veterinary hospitals and organizations to strengthen culture, improve operational systems, and support long-term business growth. Her work focuses on building practical leadership frameworks that empower veterinary teams to deliver exceptional patient care while maintaining healthy, high-performing workplaces. Heather remains actively engaged in shaping the profession's future through education, mentorship, and industry collaboration.
