MENTORSHIP AGREEMENT IN FOCUS GROUPS CONDUCTED WITH RECENT GRADUATES

ANCHORAGE CONCERT CHORUS HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE MENTORSHIP APPLICATION
MENTORSHIP AGREEMENT IN FOCUS GROUPS CONDUCTED WITH RECENT GRADUATES
PALLIATIVE MEDICINE STRUCTURED PORTFOLIO INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE WITH MENTORSHIP

Mentorship Agreement

In focus groups conducted with recent graduates, the veterinarians said they wanted to be mentored in practice. But more often than not this does not occur.

We believe mentorship of recent graduates can be an enriching experience for the new associate and the practice owner, one that leads to better service to the practice's clientele and patients.

Dr. Jim Wilson developed this template with mentorship in mind. It can be modified as needed, and is suggested that the prospective employee introduce the form into the employment discussion.

SAMPLE MENTORSHIP AGREEMENT:

TEMPLATE LANGUAGE FOR

MENTOR/MENTEE RELATIONSHIP AND COMPENSATION

Not For Use Without Author’s Permission

All language highlighted in bold, underlines and yellow needs to be customized to fit the needs and desires of the parties. Needs to be reviewed by retained legal counsel.

Compensation for Mentee is payable every two weeks for services rendered to Employer during the term of this agreement. Employee shall participate in a twelve (12)??, eighteen (18)?? month Mentor/Mentee relationship culminating in a Stage 3 base salary of seventy-five thousand dollars $75,000?? per year.

During the initial six (6) months of this Agreement Employer agrees to work with Employee to provide policy manuals and/or statements as well as training for Employee using the checklist attached to this document entitled Attachment A as a guide. Employee accepts that from time-to-time Employee will be expected to assist Employer with drafting, editing and/or updating various policies, procedures and/or protocols.

For the first six (6) months of the above agreed upon time period, Employee shall be called the Mentee and Employer the Mentor. Mentor shall provide Mentee with a procedures and compensation schedule as follows:

Stage 1 – During the initial two (2)?? three (3)??, six (6)?? months of the mentorship relationship, Employee will be compensated at sixty-five per cent (65%)??, sevent-five percent (75%)?? eighty percent (80%) of the agreed upon Stage 3 salary. During this period Mentor will:

Require that Mentee spend approximately one (1) week working with Employer’s Practice Manager, and Customer Service Representatives at the front desk, servicing clients and learning the practice’s policies, procedures, fee schedule and practice management software system. Mentee will defer to Mentor’s and practice manager’s decisions as far as length of time required to learn the essentials that will allow Mentee to service clients and patients and their medical records accurately, efficiently and effectively.
Require that Mentee work with licensed veterinary technicians to learn the procedures required to create and maintain anesthesia logs and monitoring sheets; controlled drug logs and inventory systems; to locate and administer emergency drugs; and to use existing and/or new hospital equipment and instruments including but not limited to blood analysis machines, dental and whole body x-ray units, blood pressure monitors, dental machines, and similar items. Mentee will defer to mentor’s decisions as far as length of time required to prepare Mentee to competently attend outpatients and hospitalized patients.
Be on the premises or provide that another reasonably experienced veterinarian will be available to advise or consult with Mentee on the practice’s premises during Mentee’s shifts for a minimum of seventy-five percent (75%)?/ of each week that Mentee is required to work, unless otherwise agreed upon;
Schedule Mentee’s appointments for longer than the normal forty (40)-minute (annual health exam) and sixty (60)-minute (sick animal) intervals until Employee/Mentee’s efficiency indicates a readiness for shorter appointments. Mentee will defer to Mentor’s decisions as far as length of time for appointments, although Mentee’s input will be considered by Mentor.
Either serve as the Mentor or assign a mentor doctor from among Employer’s experienced associate veterinarians who will lead a minimum of three, not necessarily contiguous, sixty (60)-minute surgical, medical, dental and/or out-patient shadow or assistance periods during these weeks. As the parties deem most productive, shadow or assistance periods could be with Mentor observing and coaching Mentee for cases in which Mentor is the attending doctor or with cases that Mentee is attending. With Mentee’s input and depending on the progress of Mentee, Mentor will decide which party leads each session.
Provide input on the items identified in the Checklist for New Associates set forth in Attachment A;
Provide a minimum of an average of thirty (30) minutes? per work day (and/or one and a half hours?? once weekly) for case, performance and/or medical record review sessions. Topics for these meetings will include a) reviewing the day or prior days’ cases and performance, b) identifying areas of progress or needed improvement for Mentee and/or Mentor, c) reviewing Mentee’s income production numbers, d) answering medical, surgical, financial, and/or ethical and legal questions about difficult cases, and/or e) discussing hospital policies, procedures and points of interest or importance for Mentee and Mentor; and
At the end of Stage 1, provide Mentee with the written performance evaluation set forth in Attachment B.
Note: To ensure supportive guidance and participation by Mentor’s associates, if these parties are being paid on a production-based compensation formula, they will receive production credit for procedures performed by them during shadow or assistance periods where they serve as the Mentor.

Stage 2 – During the following two (2)??, three (3)?? months of the mentorship relationship, Employer will compensate Mentee at eighty percent (80%)?? of the agreed upon Stage 3 salary. During this period:

Mentee’s appointments will be scheduled for shorter, twenty (20)?? minute intervals for annual health exams to forty (40)?? minutes for sick animals, more in keeping with the schedule for experienced veterinary associates but still as determined by the parties (with Mentor having the final say);
Mentor or Mentor’s associate veterinarians will lead, on average, up to two (2), sixty (60)-minute surgical, medical, dental and/or out-patient shadow or assistance periods per week during which time revenue production will go to the Mentor as in Paragraph a. viii above;
The parties will complete, on average, a minimum of two, thirty (30)?? minute (or three if needed/wanted) weekly and/or one, forty-five (45(?? minute or longer record review session to discuss problematic cases from the prior week’s schedule as well as other points of interest or concern for Mentee; and
At the end of Stage 2, Mentor will provide Mentee with the written performance evaluation set forth in Attachment B.
Note: To ensure supportive guidance and participation by Mentor or Mentor’s associates, if these parties are being paid on a production-based compensation formula, they will receive production credit for procedures performed by them during shadow or assistance periods where they serve as the Mentor.

Stage 3 – During the final six (6) months of this Agreement, Employer will compensate Mentee at the rate of one hundred percent (100%) of the agreed upon Stage 3 salary. During this period:

Mentee will be scheduled with appointment times that match experienced associates at the practice;
Shadow or assistance periods will be absent unless agreed upon by Mentor and Mentee;
Mentor will provide medical record review and Mentee productivity reports and/or case review sessions for approximately thirty (30) minutes on a weekly basis or as sixty minute (60) sessions every other week, at the option of either party, unless agreed upon differently by Mentor and Mentee; and
Mentor will provide Mentee with the written performance evaluation set forth in Attachment B within a month of the end of the third and fifth months of Stage 3.
Depending on Mentee’s progress, either the Mentor or mentee may insist on having more shadow and review sessions and the opposing party will make reasonable efforts to comply.

Attachment A

A Checklist for New Associate Orientation

The Parties will discuss these topics with new associates before their first day at work and during Stage 1 of the mentorship contract to get everyone off to a great start.

General Policies	Charging Guidelines
Requirements for physical examinations before:  Surgery  Dentistry  Vaccinations The practice’s vaccination protocol & policy on:  Puppies  Kittens  Past due vaccinations  Boarding patients  Grooming patients  Elective surgeries that involve overnight stays  Recommended age for neuters & spays De-worming schedules for:  Puppies  Kittens  Adults  Pregnancies  Pre-anesthetic blood recommendations or requirements by age __________ Paperwork required for:  New clients  Hospital admission  Boarding  Need for and use of written consent forms  Grooming  Other services  Euthanasia policies and procedures	 Verbal estimate policies  Providing written estimates – who? when?  How to handle situations where fees are likely to or will exceed the estimate  Senior citizen and/or multiple-pet discounts  Credit policies and applications for credit before allowing clients to charge  Handling pets with insurance policies and their invoices and claims forms  Itemizing anesthesia-related services, such as pre-anesthetics and inductions agents  Handling services in which the anesthesia fee is bundled with the procedure fee, e.g., spays, neuters, de-claws  Fees for and handling other bundled services (puppy & kitten well-care programs)  Charging for items not readily found on the fee schedule  Handling clients who dispute charges  Authorization to adjust accounts  Staff discount policies
Monitoring Chronic-Disease States	Controversial Topics
 Chronic renal failure  Congestive heart failure  Dental disease  Dogs on thyroid supplementation & Cushing’s meds.  Animals with atopy in which steroids are prescribed, including diagnosis and monitoring recommendations	 How complaining clients are handled  Alternative medical therapy  Cat de-clawing  How we handle questions about ear cropping  Euthanasia on demand  Euthanasia for behavior problems
Referrals	Medical Record Keeping Policies
 Policy for & preferred hospitals and/or specialists  How to handle presence or absence of overnight post anesthetic/surgical situations where patients ought to have supervision	 What goes in & what stays out of the medical record  Different people making medical entries  What gets entered where & by whom in computer generated records

Attachment B

Written Performance Evaluation

1 UNSATISFACTORY:

Many job requirements have not been achieved; needs unusually high level of supervision. If improvement not met within specified time period, job termination may result.

2 PARTIALLY MEETS EXPECTATIONS:

Has not achieved all job requirements; requires more than normal amount of supervision. Employee and owner should

develop plan to improve performance

3 MEETS EXPECTATIONS:

Basic job requirements performed satisfactorily; requires normal supervision and encouragement.

4 EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS:

All basic job requirements in this section mastered. Exceeds expectations in most areas; requires minimal supervision.

Job Skills		Rating
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE -Medicine: Possesses knowledge to perform routine medical examinations, selects appropriate and cost effective diagnostic procedures, and establishes appropriate therapeutic protocols.
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE -Surgery: Possesses knowledge to perform routine and specialized surgeries. Knows when to ask for advice and / or assistance.
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE - Laboratory Analysis: Demonstrates ability to recommend and use medically appropriate and cost effective laboratory testing to assist in establishing diagnoses. Possesses knowledge to interpret these tests properly.
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE - Radiology: Demonstrates ability to properly recommend radiographic procedures as an aid in establishing diagnoses. Possesses knowledge to properly interpret radiographs.
TREATMENT PLANNING: Demonstrates thoroughness and accuracy in planning treatment regimes.
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
PATIENT CARE: Demonstrates humane treatment, compassion, and concern for the well-being of the patients. (Evaluation by hospital technicians.)
RECORD KEEPING: Maintains accurate records. Uses modified SOAP, especially D dx, T dx and plan or recommendations.
RECORD COMPLETION: Completes case records and associated client charges in a timely fashion
	Job Skills	Rating
	PROF. RESPONSIBILITIES Cont'd
	CASE FOLLOW-UP: Demonstrates a concern for the welfare of patient through case follow-up communications with the client.
	HOSPITAL POLICIES: Knows, understands, and follows the established rules and policies which govern the normal operation of the hospital.
	CLIENT-RELATED SKILLS
	CLIENT ACCEPTANCE: Perceived as a competent and compassionate veterinarian by the average client; clients happy to make future appointments with this veterinarian. (Evaluation by hospital receptionists.)
	CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS: Actively listens. Able to express thoughts clearly so client understands recommendations for the patient. Expresses empathy and compassion.
	CLIENT SERVICE: Maintains client satisfaction. Conveys to clients the impression that they have received an honest value for the cost of services rendered. (Evaluation by hospital receptionists.)
	CLIENT ESTIMATES: Makes use of estimates, when appropriate, to inform clients of their projected expenses before services are rendered.
	HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT
	LEADERSHIP: Communicates objectives, motivates others, promotes teamwork, builds and maintains morale. Demonstrates “take charge” capabilities. Takes an active role in hospital staff meetings.
	INTRA-STAFF RELATIONS: Promotes cooperative working environment. Understands the value of teamwork and shows an enthusiasm and willingness to perform as necessary to help the hospital function as a unit.

Job Skills	Rating
PROFESSIONAL/PRACTICE GROWTH
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH: Maintains currency in professional literature; attends local, state and/or national continuing education meetings.
INTERNAL PRACTICE PROMOTION: Promotes to clients the role that quality veterinary care can play in the health of their pets; keeps clients informed of new advances in the profession; takes an active role in developing and encouraging projects which promote the practice; assists in the production of client information handouts.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: Involved in community activities which directly or indirectly promote the practice, ie, service organizations, Scouting, 4-H, community educational system, etc.

Job Skills	Rating
HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT Cont’d
EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT: Performs an active role in the in-hospital training and education of the support staff. Encourages and assists support staff in learning new concepts related to the profession.
PERSONAL QUALITIES
INITIATIVE: Seeks out new assignments and responsibilities.
JUDGMENT: Identifies essential facts and evaluates alternatives. Makes timely decisions.
APPEARANCE: Maintains neatness and dresses in accordance with the professional nature of the position.

This individual has demonstrated positive performance of growth and development in the following areas:

Areas where improvement in performance and effectiveness can be shown by this individual:

PLAN OF ACTION / GOALS TO ATTAIN

Employee__________________________________________________ Date ______________________

Signature (Acknowledgement of appraisal only)

Employee __________________________________________________ Date ______________________

Signature of person conducting appraisal

Date of Next Appraisal _____________________

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