Veterinarians - Do you dream of getting home earlier but are trapped at work due to typing reports and managing records?
Into the evening, do you often find yourself saying, “I wish I could take care of this at home”? After running around for 10 hours, the last thing you want to do is spend another two hours at work writing reports.
I recently had the pleasure of riding with Dr. Seth Wallack, Chief Radiologist and CEO of the Veterinary Imaging Center of San Diego (VICSD), on a day that he was booked solid with mobile ultrasound appointments. During this time, I witnessed firsthand how he takes advantage of freeware (free software) in order to be more productive.
Dr. Wallack came to the office at 7:30 a.m. to say good morning to the staff, grab his book of appointments, and immediately leave for his first consult. When he arrived, the staff was already prepared, and he quickly set up the mobile ultrasound machine and worked the ultrasound probe with ease. After a half hour, the assessment was complete and he fired up his laptop. He connected to the internet with a cell phone wireless card and opened a web browser session that operates the PC in his office through LogMeIn. LogMeIn allows him to use his machine as if he’s in the office in front of his PC. In less than 20 minutes, he was able to complete his report, fax the report to the client, and also bill for the procedure.
Thanks to secure freeware software such as LogMeIn, he’s able to complete his reports while the cases are fresh in his mind, put the the study in the hands of the client, which is great for customer satisfaction, and also bill the client right away, which keeps the hospital administrator happy.
For the stationary veterinarian, LogMeIn can be put on a hospital computer and securely accessed remotely from anywhere with an internet connection. Just imagine being able to get home at 6pm again. Oh the joy! (Now if only LogMeIn could write those reports!)
Free software has been offered for years and has fortunately matured enough to help you run your business more efficiently. This allows you to be productive while also being easy to get up and running, even for those who are not very tech savvy.
The Free Trial edition offered by LogMeIn is a slimmed down version of the Pro edition but provides the core necessary functionality. Remote Access vendors like LogMeIn also sell iPhone and Android apps, which allow you to access and control your host computers from your phone.
Each month I will be blogging about webware (mostly free webware) that could help you run your business (or your life) more efficiently, and I hope you find some or all of the recommended sites useful.
About me: I spent my previous life as a techophile working for IBM but have since seen the light and am following in my father’s footsteps to become a veterinarian. Seeing this industry firsthand, I have realized how hard veterinarians work and how little time they have to “explore” webware options that could help streamline their day. That’s where I might be able to offer a hand until I get my DVM. If you have any specific questions or comments, drop me an e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
-Josh Yoo, Head of IT, Veterinary Imaging Center of San Diego (VICSD)
