The Spectrum of Veterinary Care: Where Urgent Care Fits
Urgent care bridges the gap between general practice and emergency care:
- General Practice: Routine check-ups, vaccinations, and routine health issues during normal business hours.
- Urgent Care:
- Treats non-life-threatening but immediate needs (e.g., vomiting, minor wounds, ear or eye infections)
- Offers extended hours, including evenings and weekends
- Staffed by vets experienced
- Emergency Care:
- Handles life-threatening conditions (e.g., severe trauma, uncontrollable bleeding)
- Provides advanced diagnostics, intensive care, and complex surgeries
- Open 24/7 for critical cases
Urgent care provides prompt attention for acute issues when general practices are closed, without the high costs associated with emergency care.
The Rising Demand for Veterinary Urgent Care
Several factors are driving the growth of urgent care in veterinary medicine:- Increased pet ownership and spending on pet healthcare
- Overwhelmed general practices with long wait times
- Pet owners seeking alternatives to costly emergency visits
- Changing expectations for convenient, after-hours care
VCA Animal Hospitals, for instance, saw a record 4.5 million unique visits last year, with appointment wait times increasing by about two weeks during the pandemic peak.
Price Points: A Competitive Advantage
Fees for urgent care typically fall between general practice and emergency care fees. Urgent care fees are between 40% and 100% higher than general practice fees. Emergency care prices are as much as two times higher than at general practices. This middle ground can be attractive to pet owners seeking prompt care without the high costs associated with emergency visits.
Staffing Considerations
- Veterinarians (DVMs): Ideally with experience in general practice or emergency medicine
- Veterinary technicians or assistants: To support the DVM and manage patient care
- Front desk/reception staff: To handle check-ins, client communication, and administrative tasks
- Meeting these staffing needs may involve a combination of:
- Recruiting new team members specifically for urgent care shifts
- Reorganizing existing team schedules to cover extended hours
- Cross-training current staff to handle urgent care responsibilities
Keep in mind that offering after-hours services may require adjusting compensation or providing incentives for staff working less desirable shifts. It’s crucial to balance the needs of your team with the demands of extended operating hours to maintain high-quality care and staff satisfaction.
Equipment: Essential Additions for Urgent Care
To offer urgent care services effectively, you may need to invest in additional equipment if your general practice doesn’t already have these items:
⦁ Comprehensive in-house lab equipment for bloodwork and urinalysis
⦁ Digital radiography equipment
⦁ Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
Cost of Goods Sold: A Key Metric
Understanding the cost of goods sold (COGS) is essential when adding urgent care services. COGS includes direct costs such as medications, medical supplies, and labor for staff involved in patient care. For urgent care centers, COGS is typically lower than in general practices.
⦁ Urgent care centers often have COGS ranging from 12% to 18% of revenue.
⦁ General practices typically see COGS between 20% to 30%.
The lower COGS in urgent care can be attributed to a focus on high-margin services and efficient inventory management. By maintaining a lower COGS, urgent care centers can achieve higher profit margins.
The Bottom Line: Is Urgent Care Right for Your Practice?
Adding urgent care services to your general practice can be a strategic move to meet growing demand and increase revenue. The potential for higher profitability is a key factor to consider:
⦁ Urgent care typically commands higher prices than general practice services.
⦁ Lower marginal costs contribute to better profit margins.
⦁ Utilizing your existing facility and equipment for extended hours maximizes resource efficiency without incurring significant additional overhead.
Consider these factors in your analysis:
⦁ The demand for urgent care in your area
⦁ Your practice’s current capacity and potential for expansion
⦁ The initial investment required and projected return on investment
⦁ Your team’s readiness and enthusiasm for this new challenge
By thoughtfully expanding into urgent care, you can position your practice to better serve your community’s evolving veterinary needs while growing your business. This strategic move can not only increase your practice’s revenue but also enhance its value proposition in an increasingly competitive market.
