As we navigate through the changing norms that COVID-19 dictates we understand the existing protocols in our Veterinary Hospital and Golden Clinic can be a challenge and be the source of frustration. Please know the reason for the protocols is not only to ensure the safety of our clients and their pets but also our Veterinary staff, so we may ensure continued operations. The demand for veterinary care has increased exponentially over the past 6 months and we continue to change direction as needed to provide the best possible care.
We recognize at times it is difficult to get through on the phone lines, we are aware as we are on the other end of the line speaking to clients. Just a helpful hint, when possible try to avoid calling on Mondays or a Tuesday after a long weekend as the call volume is typically higher those days. Also, we are booking appointments further out than we normally have had to in the past. Backlog is another new “norm” that we all must work with and work on.
We are currently working on a retail order website that can be accessed through our clinic website invermereveterinaryhospital.com. Having a website where clients can order directly will cut down on the number of calls coming into the clinic. As well in the fall, we will be looking at changing our operations in terms of clients with appointments accompanying their pets into the clinic. There are several safety protocols we must have in place prior to making any changes.
Although from the outside looking in our systems may seem cumbersome, they do work well. The process from patient admitting to discharge is quite streamlined all while keeping within the boundaries of COVID-19 protocols which is to ensure the safety of clients, patients, and our Veterinary team.
Please be assured everyone has been working extremely hard to provide the best possible customer service and care. For many that may not be aware our Veterinary Team cares for clients and their pets from Invermere to Golden and the surrounding communities as well as our neighbors from Alberta that call Invermere their 2nd home. Currently we have the equivalent of just less than 2.5 veterinarians, and we continue to try and find Veterinarians and Registered Veterinary Technicians to join our team, but many small communities have the same struggles in filling these positions. Our Veterinarians travel from Invermere to Golden to ensure those that cannot travel to Invermere have access to veterinary care.
As we are not located near an urgent care facility our Veterinarians share after hours evenings and weekends, taking the urgent care phone home to be available to take calls for dire emergencies that can not wait for regular business hours.
In closing we would like to reiterate at it is of the utmost importance to us, that our team of professionals is committed to the care of our community pets and we sincerely appreciate your continued patience as we all work together as the new “norm” continues to evolve. We ask that everyone be kind to everyone, which includes being respectful to our wonderful Client Care Team that pick up every call that comes into our clinics. Rest assured our entire team treats every patient that enters our hospital with the care as if it were their own.
Thank you
