Concierge veterinary care—are you familiar with the term? I was not, when I read it recently. I know what the words mean but when they’re put together … huh? I decided to ask my friends online what they knew about these “buzz words.”
I told them that I hoped to write an introduction to this topic for pet guardians who have no idea that such a service might be available.
I added: “I’d like to share some personal experiences. Are you a veterinarian who offers concierge pet health care? Are you a pet guardian who uses concierge pet health care for your pet/s? Do you know someone who uses concierge pet health care for their pet/s? Do you have questions about this topic, too?”
Here are a few of their responses.
Frances Dauster (Alabama) New term for me … what is it? Too lazy to get on the desktop to Google! We have a mobile vet in Mobile—he already comes to my house, his clinic is right down the road from me, too … interesting concept. We have a couple of vets who do euthanization at home, which is wonderful.
Amy Suggars (Ohio) I used a concierge service and didn’t know it was one. I used a local vet service called The Traveling Vet to come to my house when I had to euthanize one of my dogs. My dog (a 55-pound retriever) lost his mobility due to a degenerative nerve disease. When it came time to let him go, I knew a trip to the vet would just be too difficult for the both of us. Thanks to the Traveling Vet, Fizz was able to pass away peacefully at home with me petting and telling him how much I loved him. I was extremely grateful for that service and for the very compassionate veterinarian who took good care of Fizz and me at a very difficult time.
Anne Marie Zeck (Washington) I was lucky enough to get my last four dachshunds from a breeder who is also a great vet! I haven’t had to visit a veterinary specialist since I left Spokane. Can’t wait to hear your responses.
Christine Hale Vertucci (Tennessee) I don’t know of a concierge veterinary clinic, but I’d consider using one.
As it turns out, it’s not uncommon to find the use of “concierge” in descriptions of veterinary services that might not be available on site at most veterinary practices—in-home euthanasia, for example—but that may be misleading. There is much more to the current concept of concierge veterinary care.
We recognize the word “concierge” as a noun in its most common use—”a usually multilingual hotel staff member who handles luggage and mail, makes reservations, and arranges tours.” Or “a person or service that provides assistance with personal business (such as making travel arrangements, scheduling appointments, or running errands).” Merriam Webster offers the meaning of “concierge” as an adjective—“of, relating to, or being a health care practice (as of primary care physicians) in which patients pay a membership fee for enhanced access and services.” Closer!
Photo by Eric C. Baldwin
Here’s one introduction to the concept of concierge veterinary medicine.
What is Concierge Veterinary Medicine?—Symbios Animal Health
Have you ever enjoyed a concierge experience at the Four Seasons? If so, you know there is no detail left unattended.
The expectation is that they’ll not only set your dinner reservation but get you into the best restaurant in town. Or maybe your concierge gets you tickets to a show you’ve wanted to see but is sold out. The essential component to exceptional concierge service is anticipating what you need before you even know you need it.
Concierge veterinary medicine isn’t quite the same as the Four Seasons, but it does focus on anticipating every medical need for you and your four-legged family members before you think of it. Concierge medical care is centered on building proactive strategies around nutrition, health screening and a long-term relationship with your medical team to foster early recognition of health concerns and create pre-emptive care plans.
So, what should you expect when choosing concierge veterinary care?
* Dedicated team members, including your doctor, whom you see each time you visit
* Access to 24-hour tele-triage to help provide insight into your concern
* Time for education and a personal relationship with your medical team
* Anticipation of veterinary care and reminders on pet care needs
In short, concierge veterinary medicine is an elevated level of service, similar to what’s already available in human medicine, that seeks to improve medical outcomes, extend life expectancy and enhance daily life.
This website is directed to veterinary practices.
Catering to Clients—Today’s Veterinary Business
Any veterinary practice can implement key elements of concierge medicine. Imagine a clinic where pet owners can communicate with a veterinarian around the clock by phone or email, where same-day or next-day appointments are the norm, where doctors routinely spend extra time with clients and pets, and where the hospital focuses on preventive care and provides myriad payment options. Clients want all that. A fall 2021 Packaged Facts report found that concierge veterinary care, long a staple of human medicine, is in high demand.
Concierge medicine emerged on the human side 25 years ago when physicians looked for ways to deal with overwhelming caseloads and high levels of career dissatisfaction. Also called “retainer-based,” “highly attentive” and “boutique medicine,” concierge care allows physicians to limit their patient numbers and offer exclusive services in exchange for an annual fee. Patients get unlimited office visits, in-office diagnostics and procedures at no extra charge, but are responsible for the cost of hospitalization, specialist visits and tests performed outside the practice.
The human model of concierge practice has not translated fully into veterinary medicine. Instead, two components of concierge medicine are available to pet owners: memberships and subscriptions.
Luckily, one friend who responded to my questions is a veterinarian who is considering the addition of a concierge membership model to her practice.
Here are her thoughts on the topic.
Summer Storm Kingery DVM (North Carolina) My hospital is already very high touch; our motto is “living longer, better, together.” That outlines our focus on doing everything we can to increase quantity of life while maintaining good quality, for pets and for people (including the people on our team). We have a minimum of 30-minute appointments and many are an hour. We keep meticulous notes on favorite treats, favorite distractors, best methods for sample collection, preferred handling, etc. We also work very hard to see our own patients during business hours, it’s practically guaranteed that we will if the owner calls before noon. We also do most of our own surgeries, including emergency surgeries, and doctors even stay the night with patients when needed.
I am also fortunate to have clients who are, for the most part, realistic about their pet’s temperament and their own financial constraints. I have clients who range from having kennels larger than my own home just for their dogs, to folks who are barely scraping by on functioning farms while battling cancer. So we have clients who do everything, including flying their pets overseas for unique care. Adding a concierge membership model will enable us to provide more extensive care for our high-end clients while keeping prices as reasonable as possible for our clients facing financial challenges.
The model we are considering is tiered membership. At the most premium level, we would visit the home or do an in-hospital visit monthly (some of my patients receive care every two weeks), unlimited telemedicine, call-out emergency services (i.e., you get us, one of your doctors, to come out for the genuine emergency along with a support-team member), guaranteed same-day access, transport offered, and kennel care provided (for breeders or large-number households). The next tier would allow for quarterly visits covered in-house or at practice, unlimited telemedicine triage, and the potential for doctors to come in for emergencies (and if we aren’t coming in, for us to work with the ER doctors directly—i.e., call ahead), guaranteed access within 24 hours. The third tier would allow for annual visits, telemedicine triage, guaranteed access within 48 hours (working days).
Some of this is also because we are a bit protective of our patients. I find it terrifying when my kidney-transplant kitty patient ends up in a random ER. Thankfully, so far, our local ERs give sq fluids and ship back to me (peek and punt). It makes my stomach ache to find out a client had to pay $10K for a foreign-body surgery (I am not saying that is excessive—the cost to pay folks to work at 2:00 a.m. is high, and to have all the stuff available) when I know we can manage that, and I hate when someone takes the senior QOL patient off our carefully customized pain management protocols because “maybe that caused the episode of vomiting” which will take us six weeks to get pain under control again. I am fortunate to have an associate veterinarian who feels the same way, and likes the adventure.
I came to the idea when one of my “do-everything, private-kennel” clients said “Doc, you know I want to keep them up on everything, but I simply can’t manage it all myself. Can I just have you show up regularly and do it? How much would that cost?” So now we are looking into how it would impact our insurance, what we would need to cover travel and vehicles, how we account for traffic issues in our city, etc.
Thanks to Dr. Kingery for her thoughts! We hope to follow her plans’ progress.
Is there a concierge veterinary service near you? Don’t be confused—it’s quite common, in listings, for veterinary practices that offer occasional off-site services like at-home euthanasia, to use the word “concierge” to describe their services.
To find out if a nearby veterinary practice offers a concierge care format that you think might work well for you—text, e-mail, phone … ASK!
Additional Information for Clients and Veterinarians
The Rise of Pet Concierge Services: A New Era in Veterinary Care—Health Doctor Blog
Veterinary Concierge Medicine: What It Is & How It Can Boost Your Practice’s Revenue—Our Pet Doctor
