Jim Gill realized he was missing the know-how of management. Then he found Sterling Practice Management in Glendale, CA and all of that changed.

“After working as an associate in a multi-doctor practice, I bought a practice of my own from a retiring veterinarian. I went from working in someone else’s practice to owning my own, and being its only doctor. I was completely unprepared for the workload ahead of me.

“I had to perform too many duties myself. Although I had been a swim coach for 110 kids, I had trouble managing 4 staff. I worried that asking too much might result in them leaving so I did a lot of the work myself. Things just got worse.

“Working seven days a week plus the “homework” of ownership caused high stress and little time for my family. As a result, I resisted seeing more patients which inhibited our growth. The basic problem was I didn’t know how to manage a practice. I was good at organizing and leadership-minded, but I was missing the overall management know-how. When I heard about a Sterling workshop, I attended with my staff. After receiving a consultation, I signed up for their program, never suspecting how much it would change my life.

“Sterling taught me how to be an executive which is very different from being a veterinarian. Like veterinary medicine, being an executive has its own rules and responsibilities, and its own approach to issues in the practice such as making staff productive.

“I had seen other consulting companies and coaches offer quick fixes or mini-solutions to problems on the fringes of a practice. By contrast, the Sterling program provided a solid foundation on which to manage my practice and gave me the tools to do so. Now I am in control of the practice instead of it controlling me.

“Since starting with Sterling, my production and collections have increased by 600% and my profitability by 500%. Additionally, I’ve been able to build a state-of-the-art facility for my patients. Better yet, I have a life again. With a team of competent, caring staff and veterinarians, I’m able to take 6 to 8 weeks of worry-free time off every year and enjoy a more relaxed weekly schedule. Sterling was the solution to the overwhelm and overwork of my practice.”—Jim Gill, DVM