Can AI make veterinary hospitals more efficient without replacing the people who make veterinary medicine special?

In this episode of Leading Veterinary Teams On Air, Suzanne Thomas sits down with veterinary operations leader and AI consultant Tracey Johnson to discuss one of the biggest topics impacting veterinary medicine today: artificial intelligence.

With more than 25 years of experience leading general practice, specialty, emergency, and urgent care hospitals, Tracey shares a practical perspective on how veterinary leaders can leverage AI to improve efficiency without sacrificing critical thinking, leadership development, or the human connection that defines great patient care.

Together, Suzanne and Tracey explore:

• How AI can support veterinary leaders without replacing them
• Why critical thinking and mentorship still matter in an AI-driven world
• Common workflow bottlenecks in veterinary hospitals
• Strategies for improving hospital efficiency and team-based care
• The importance of technician development and leadership pathways
• Building trust between veterinarians and veterinary technicians
• Leadership lessons learned during COVID-19
• Creating a culture where people grow, thrive, and lead

Whether you're a practice manager, hospital administrator, veterinary technician, veterinarian, or aspiring leader, this conversation offers actionable insights for creating stronger teams, better workflows, and a more sustainable future for veterinary medicine.

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that AI should be viewed as a tool, not a replacement for people. Suzanne and Tracey discuss how leaders can embrace technology while continuing to develop communication skills, mentorship, and leadership capabilities.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
03:00 Tracey's veterinary leadership journey
05:00 AI as a tool, not a replacement
11:00 Developing future leaders
22:00 Identifying hospital bottlenecks
31:00 Training veterinary teams effectively
43:00 Technician leadership and career growth
59:00 Books, leadership lessons, and final advice

Connect with Tracey Johnson:
Lead Forward Solutions
LinkedIn

Subscribe to Leading Veterinary Teams On Air for more conversations on leadership, culture, operations, and professional growth in veterinary medicine.

#VeterinaryMedicine #VeterinaryLeadership #AI #PracticeManagement #VetTech #VeterinaryTechnician #HospitalManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #ArtificialIntelligence #VeterinaryPractice

“You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

Burnout in veterinary medicine is bigger than wellness programs — and in this episode, Cait Deppe and Suzanne Thomas unpack the leadership, communication, and systems issues that are quietly exhausting veterinary teams every day.

In this episode of Leading Veterinary Teams on Air, we discuss:

• veterinary burnout and compassion fatigue
• leadership mistakes that increase team stress
• psychological safety in veterinary hospitals
• grief support and emotional exhaustion
• technician utilization and trust within teams
• neurodiversity in veterinary medicine
• communication breakdowns in clinics
• how better leadership can reduce burnout
• why support systems matter more than surface-level solutions

Cait shares insights from her background in shelter medicine, specialty and emergency practice, ophthalmology, education, consulting, manufacturing, and veterinary distribution — offering a uniquely broad perspective on what veterinary teams actually need to thrive.

This conversation is for:
• veterinary technicians
• veterinarians
• practice managers
• hospital leaders
• CSRs
• and anyone passionate about improving veterinary culture

If you’ve ever felt emotionally exhausted, unsupported, overwhelmed, or frustrated by the systems inside veterinary medicine, this episode will resonate deeply.

📘 Workbook: www.lvt.vet/workbook

From Competent to Capable: https://amzn.to/4dINtvD

🔗 Connect with Suzanne:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/therealsuzannethomas
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/suzannethomaslvt
Newsletter: https://leadingveterinaryteams.beehiiv.com/

🎙️ Listen to Leading Veterinary Teams on Air: https://leadingveterinaryteamsonair.riverside.com/

Leading Veterinary Teams:

Website: www.lvt.vet

Instagram: www.instagram.com/leadingveterinaryteams

👤 Connect with Cait Deppe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitdeppe/

Subscribe for more conversations on veterinary leadership, burnout prevention, onboarding, communication, technician utilization, and sustainable veterinary medicine.

#VeterinaryMedicine #VetTech #Burnout #VeterinaryLeadership #CompassionFatigue #VetMed #PracticeManagement

Most veterinary practices are making software decisions without a real roadmap — and the consequences impact everything from workflow efficiency to patient care.

In this episode of Leading Veterinary Teams, Suzanne Thomas sits down with Adam Wysocki, founder of VetSoftwareHub.com, to talk about veterinary software, PIMS transitions, AI in veterinary medicine, workflow mapping, data ownership, and the operational realities most hospitals are completely unprepared for.

Adam has spent more than 35 years building software and leading technology companies, including serving as CEO of a veterinary software company before launching VetSoftwareHub.com — the largest independent veterinary software directory online.

This conversation is essential listening for:
• Veterinary hospital managers
• Practice owners
• Lead technicians
• Operations leaders
• Anyone evaluating veterinary software or AI tools

In this episode, we discuss:
• Why most veterinary software demos are misleading
• The biggest mistakes practices make during PIMS transitions
• Workflow mapping before implementation
• Hidden software costs and contract pitfalls
• AI scribes and the future of veterinary AI
• Open APIs and veterinary data ownership
• Why veterinary leaders need better software education
• What happens AFTER go-live during implementation
• The operational impact of poor software decisions

One of Adam’s most important insights:
“The demo is the midway point — not the start.”

If your hospital is considering:
• changing PIMS
• moving from server-based to cloud software
• implementing AI tools
• improving workflows
• evaluating integrations

…this episode will save you time, money, and operational frustration.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Why Veterinary Software Decisions Matter
05:28 The Power Imbalance in Software Sales
11:36 The Reality of PIMS Transitions
20:59 Common Software Evaluation Mistakes
24:56 Why Sandboxes Matter
27:18 How Long PIMS Implementations Actually Take
29:12 APIs, Data Ownership, and Migration Challenges
36:30 AI, Decision Support, and Veterinary Teams
46:59 The Future of AI-Powered PIMS
53:12 Building VetSoftwareHub
55:26 Adam’s Upcoming Book on PIMS Transitions

Connect with Adam: https://vetsoftwarehub.com/
Follow Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-adam-wysocki/

Take the Free CLARITY Assessment: https://suzanne-xlfkmtbz.scoreapp.com
Join the Leading Veterinary Teams Community: www.lvt.vet/community

#VeterinaryLeadership #VeterinaryMedicine #VetMed #PracticeManagement #VeterinarySoftware #VeterinaryAI #PIMS #VeterinaryOperations