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| A Day In the Life of... for (VMTH) Field Services |
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Coordinating the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) Field Service's activities is no easy task but Sharee Shields handles the challenge with ease. As the administrative assistant for field service, she answers the phone and dispatches the trucks for all three VMTH Field Services: equine, equine reproduction and food animal reproduction/herd health. She takes down all the pertinent information about each case, makes an assessment of its emergency nature and coordinates an appointment with the appropriate service or refers the case to other veterinarians in the appropriate service area. In an emergency situation, she calmly advises the owner what to do before the veterinarians arrive. She also keeps track of where all the veterinarians are and reroutes trucks when emergencies occur. As the first point of contact for the public, she deals with a wide variety of personalities and subjects which can be very challenging. The public interaction is one of things Sharee really enjoys about her job. "Field service is similar to working in private practice where you interact with the same clientele and get to know them on a personal basis," she said. "It is very rewarding when clients call and ask for you specifically (opting to call back if you're not available, or even calling you at home when it is an emergency) because they have gained trust in you to get them the help their animals need." Dr. Joie Watson, faculty member on the VMTH Field Service said, "Sharee is very good with people. She has a real talent for calming down a distressed owner. She is able to go through a checklist of warning signs with the owner which gives us vital information prior to our arrival, and helps the owner focus on the task at hand. Sharee is the 'brain center' of our service. She is indispensable. She takes care of the clients, me, the doctors, the students - I would be lost without her." Originally, Sharee worked at the UC Davis Medical Center as a hospital unit service coordinator in 1987. Because of her interest in animals, she transferred to the VMTH and worked as a "floater" backup/relief person for the large and the small animal clinics and the field service office in 1990. When a permanent position in the field service office was available in 1995, she was happy to step in. Sharee's responsibilities are quite varied. She processes all billing for services, answers billing questions, explains procedures and provides price estimates. She relays pertinent laboratory or other test results to clinicians, accepts calls/messages for doctors, students and staff and follows up on calls to ensure that patients are served. She prepares monthly statistics on services, calculates pharmaceutical dosages and supply charges for invoices, and establishes, prepares and maintains medical records including after-hour records. She prepares State and Federal forms for animal shipment and testing (EIA, Brucella, Interstate and International Health certificates, etc.), reviews/analyzes records for accuracy and completeness and processes purchase orders for supplies, repairs, correspondence, etc. As if this list isn't enough, she also coordinates the annual Horseman's Day event which is a continuing education seminar for field service clients and the general public. The educational process is important to Sharee. "Without Horseman's Day, I think a lot of people would miss out on essential information for their horses and knowing when to call the vet. I also enjoy meeting the clients on Horseman's Day. It's nice to put a face to the names," she said. Sharee also enjoys participating in the educational process. "I particularly enjoy listening to the doctors and students discuss their cases. It's a great learning experience!" So when you call the UC Davis VMTH Field Service, you can be assured that the voice on the other end of the line is someone who really cares about you and your animals. She will find an answer to your questions and she will make sure that you receive the best service possible. Reprinted with permission of the copyright holder and the Center For Equine Health. The materials offered in this article are intended for educational purposes only. Always consult your veterinarian in matters regarding the health of your animals. The research conducted by the UC Davis Center for Equine Health is supported with funds provided by the Oak Tree Racing Association, the State of California pari-mutuel fund, and contributions by private donors. Please visit The UC Davis Center For Equine Health website for additional information at http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ceh The Horse Report: Writer/Editor: Laurie Fio,Editor/WriterCenter for Equine Health School of Veterinary Medicine University of CaliforniaOne Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616-8589 Phone: (530) 752-4434 Fax: (530) 752-9379 e-mail: ltfio@ucdavis.edu |
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