b'EMPOWERED TO INSPIRE, ACHIEVE AND LEAD TOGETHEREMPOWERED TO INSPIRE, ACHIEVE AND LEAD TOGETHEREMPOWERED TO INSPIRE, ACHIEVE AND LEAD TOGETHEREMPOWERED TO INSPIRE,VETERINARY WOMAN CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGEACHIEVE & LEAD TOGETHERJess Marshall TRAINING AND IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER AT VET IT Jess Marshalls role as Training and Implementation Manager at Vet IT gives her the opportunity to get deeply involved with how practices work and explore how IT solutions can really make a difference, not just to the practices business, but also to the lives of the practice team. Jess was nominated by her colleague, who said Jess isworking in dispensary, really allows me to really delve into how passionate about the veterinary profession and extremelypractices work and where they see their shortfalls are. Although knowledgeable. Every practice she is dealing with is special toall practices run differently and have their own methods and her and she genuinely wants to help them make things better,ways of working, there is a generalised goal of being able to because she believes that even a small change can mean awork efficiently, effectively and resourcefully.great deala bit more efficiency might mean that a vet or aAs well as providing practices with training on how to make nurse suddenly has time for a cup of tea which helps them tothe most out of their practice management system, I look at keep going (and THAT is a BIG thing). Her way of championinghow to make it work to the best of its ability for that particular S U M M A R Y change is to get better and better herself and then use herpractice. I can also take back suggestions and improvements understanding, knowledge and experience to help others. into development so we can really use this to tailor changes to Ihad always envisioned working in thePlease summarise how you are working towards changesuit our customers. veterinary industry, however as Im notin the veterinary professions and why do you feel thisthe bravest when it comes to blood, Iis important? What motivated you to want to change things?opted to stay outside of the consult roomPractice management systems and technology play a huge partAfter working in practice, I fully appreciate the difficulties and study Equine Science at University. in the veterinary profession, whether this is the ability to lookthe veterinary profession faces as well as the uniqueness to Here I was able to explore a range ofup clinical history and medication, booking consults, producingthe industry.A vet practices time is very often undervalued, modules, including developments withininvoices, managing stock or taking diagnostic images. Forand sometimes veterinary staff are treated as if it has been equine research. From this I becamepractices to thrive, they need suitable tools.forgotten that they are also human beings. The difficulties in interested in risk analysis, especially forrecruiting and retaining employees, the ever-growing overheads, event riders, which became the basis forI am in the fortunate position where I can see the advanced,increasing cost of living and rising demands on veterinary staff my dissertation.cutting-edge technology coming through and carry forward thisaffect wellbeing and increasingly impact peoples daily lives, inI then became an administrator forinformation to those who will benefit from it, driving change.and out of work. And it was for these reasons that I wanted to an equine ambulatory practice whichThis might be in changing how a practice uses software, helpinghelp change what I can. provided me with experience andthem become more resourceful and enhancing their business,If technology can help generate positive change for these enabled me to progress to Practiceor the change may be in how Vet IT can develop future softwarepractices, making their working lives easier and more Manager.or find other means to assist practices. streamlined, they can perhaps spend that extra time in a Speaking to a range of people from across the veterinary sectorconsult with the patient, or allow their team to take that five-including small animal vets, large animal ambulatory practices,minute break rather than constantly feeling its all too much. It nurses, practice managers, admin staff members and thosecould help make a real difference to someones day. 50www.veterinarywoman.co.uk'