Front Office Management for the Veterinary Team

Learn to navigate the day-to-day skills you need to be a valuable member of the veterinary office team! Front Office Management for the Veterinary Team, 3rd Edition covers veterinary office 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 two all-new chapters on strategic planning and leadership, updated coverage of office procedures, veterinary ethics, and technology. In addition, this complete guide to veterinary practice management features step-by-step instructions, making it easier for you to master vital front office tasks!

• UPDATED! Chapters include the most current information on team leadership, veterinary ethics and legal issues, human resources, and finance management
• UPDATED! Coverage of technology and procedures includes new computer screen shots and new photos
• Comprehensive coverage of front office skills includes telephone skills, appointment scheduling, admitting and discharging patients, and communicating with clients
• Review questions and suggested activities reinforce important concepts presented in each chapter
• 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
• 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
• Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) Critical Competencies are highlighted in each chapter

• NEW! Strategic Planning chapter discusses how to strategically plan for the successful future of the veterinary hospital, and will include details on growing the practice, planning the workforce, meeting consumer needs, and increasing the value of the practice
• NEW! The Leadership Team chapter discusses how leadership affects the paraprofessional staff, provides suggestions for effective leadership strategies, and methods to set expectations for employees, including attracting and retaining employees, leveraging, empowering and driving employee engagement
• NEW! Standard Operating Procedures provides a checklist of important tasks associated with that chapter that must be addressed/completed in the veterinary practice setting

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.