Industry Awards
Find out about the awards won by Baulkham Hills Veterinary Hospital.
Western Sydney Industry Awards
The presentation night for the WESTERN SYDNEY INDUSTRY AWARDS on Friday 14th March proved to be a very exciting one for the Baulkham Hills Veterinary Hospital. The practice was a finalist in two categories of the Awards and was named “SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR” in the category of Industry Training and Development. This award recognises the innovative and progressive management and training processes that the hospital has developed in the past five years. The Baulkham Hills Veterinary Hospital was also a finalist in the category of Most Successful Customer Service Relationship at the Western Sydney awards and in September 2002 won a Hills Shire Business Excellence award for staff training and development.
The Baulkham Hills Veterinary Hospital was the only veterinary practice amongst the 160 entrants and 37 finalists in the Western Sydney Industry Awards that covers fifteen categories of business activity in the third largest economic zone in Australia. Each category is judged by a panel of experts in the area involved who use information gained from the entry nomination followed by a site visit to the business before choosing a winner. The selection process is rigorous and a category will not have a winner declared if the judges feel that the high standards required have not been met.
The Hospital has been treating companion animals in the northwest of Sydney for over 30 years and now employs about 20 staff. The practice has, with the help of a Registered Training Organisation (the Australian Veterinary Nurse Resource Centre – AVNRC), developed an in-house training programme that allows non-professional staff to gain nationally recognised certificate level qualifications without leaving the workplace. The training is funded by the practice with some help from the Commonwealth New Apprenticeship Scheme and is supported by all the staff. The practice provides veterinary mentors to facilitate training of the nurses and closes for several hours each week for staff training and team meetings. The AVNRC provides training materials and support, sets and assesses assignments and awards the appropriate certificates.
The seven veterinarians in the practice are also committed to learning and the sharing of knowledge and regularly attend professional continuing education meetings both locally and nationally. They meet as a group about ten times a year to discuss journal articles, new treatments and techniques as well as developing practice procedures and protocols. The entire staff is committed to excellent customer service and to using their knowledge and training to provide the best possible veterinary care for all animals and their owners.
The award is also encouraging to those veterinarians who have recognised the need to improve veterinary practice management skills in the new business and economic climate of the 21st Century. Professional services businesses have been slow to adopt new management techniques and this award shows that modern management theory can be applied to small business policies and procedures and work in a practical and rewarding way.
For further information please contact the owner of the Baulkham Hills Veterinary Hospital Lindsay Hay at 02 9639 6399.
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