Lewisburg Animal Hospital

An office manager’s departure meant the owner of Lewisburg Animal Hospital had to tackle bookkeeping responsibilities — on top of her full-time work as a dedicated veterinarian. Supporting Strategies | Middle Tennessee took on that role and more as the practice continued to grow, allowing the doctor to return her focus to the pets and people who need her most.

Client Profile

Lewisburg Animal Hospital is a three-doctor practice providing advanced medicine, surgery and nursing care to small and large animals. Along with a vibrant veterinary practice, the business includes a popular dog grooming shop and in-demand pet boarding services.

A Sudden Shift at a Critical Juncture

In 2012, Lewisburg Animal Hospital was thriving. The hospital had recently added a second veterinarian
to its staff and expanded its services to include dog grooming. This growth put new demands on the practice, including the various business processes.

But just as the business was hitting its stride, the hospital’s office manager left to pursue a new career. Dr. Tresha Grissom, the practice owner, suddenly found herself responsible for learning all the business’ bookkeeping functions and processes — along with the demands of a full-time veterinary practice and a family at home.

Each week, Dr. Grissom spent an average of eight to 12 hours performing these bookkeeping-related tasks, which were soon taking over her weekends. While she approached the work with the same commitment she brought to every patient, she soon found herself being pulled in too many directions. With her professional and family life suffering, she knew there had to be a better way.

A Long-Term Solution to a Pressing Problem

By 2015, Dr. Grissom was looking for a solution for the practice’s bookkeeping needs. Having lost a trusted staff member’s expertise once, she didn’t want to repeat the mistake of relying on one individual.

With her newly intimate knowledge of the practice’s bookkeeping and payroll needs, she could appreciate how having a proven, dedicated, outsourced bookkeeping service could strengthen the business. Dr. Grissom brought in Supporting Strategies | Middle Tennessee.

It so happens that Dana Rathbun, Managing Director of Supporting Strategies, is a Licensed Veterinary Technician in addition to having an accounting degree and over 15 years of bookkeeping expertise.

“Since Dana is a licensed technician with a bookkeeping background and has extensive knowledge of veterinary medicine, I felt very comfortable handing over our bookkeeping tasks to her,” Dr. Grissom says. “Dana understands the unique characteristics of the day-to-day operation of a veterinary practice. Her familiarity with veterinary drugs, vendors, procedures and more is extremely beneficial in allocating expenses and reporting the financials of the practice correctly.”

Handling It All

Today, Supporting Strategies handles all of the accounts payable, payroll, account reconciliations and monthly financial statements for the veterinary practice. In addition to bringing the assurance that all bookkeeping practices are proven practices and that employee turnover in the critical bookkeeping position is no longer a concern, our involvement has delivered benefits such as these:

Streamlined processes:
The Supporting Strategies model assigns two highly experienced professionals to every account. The team’s experience across a range of tools means we can present alternatives that streamline processes and save clients time and money.

Effortless bill-paying and a more efficient workspace:
Dr. Grissom can now approve all bill payments easily on her smartphone at her convenience, a huge time-saver for the busy professional. In addition, our cloud-based platform means the practice can now store all files virtually, freeing up its physical workspace.

Efficient accounts payable processing:
Veterinary practices carry a tremendous amount of inventory. This client counts on Supporting Strategies for consistent and reliable managing of coding, invoices, payments and credits due.

Improved payroll processing:
Because of the various areas of the business involved, the clinic has different pay methods that require special attention, from salaried and hourly staff to per-diem, off-hours premium and commission. Dana’s background gives her a keen understanding of potential issues — and a sense of how to head them off proactively. Supporting Strategies expertly tracks paid-time-off, administers the company’s retirement plan and calculates bonuses based on average time worked over the year.

Supporting a Bright — and Expanded — Business for the Future

As Lewisburg Animal Hospital plans to break ground very soon on an expanded veterinary hospital, Supporting Strategies’ services have never been more essential. Dr. Grissom can focus on her growing business while we manage financial statements and other critical information and documentation.

Thanks to Supporting Strategies, Dr. Grissom is brimming with confidence in anticipation of the coming expansion. “I like knowing how our practice is performing on a daily basis, and Supporting Strategies has allowed me to keep tabs on our financial health,” she says. “They have been a lifesaver for my practice, consistently exceeding my expectations.”

“I like knowing how our practice is performing on a daily basis, and Supporting Strategies has allowed me to keep tabs on our financial health.”
Dr. Tresha Grissom, Lewisburg Animal Hospital Owner