08/20/2024
A message from Dr. Harris:
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3
First of all, we want you to know it’s our honor and joy to serve the Bluewater Bay, Niceville and surrounding areas. Caring for your pets is a high calling and we do not take it lightly!
We want to be honest and transparent with our beloved clients during a significant time of change and transition. Some of it is really positive. Some of it is really hard and we want you to be in the know.
We have encountered some unexpected changes and set backs with our staffing. Our office has been running with 7 wonderful employees (technicians and receptionists), but due to some sudden and unexpected changes (military moves, etc.) our staff has been nearly cut in half and we currently only have 4 technicians. In order to cover the front desk, surgery and appointments, we are spread very thin. We are, of course, trying to hire new folks, but this takes time. And training new people up to speed takes even more time.
On top of that, our remodel will soon be moving to the next phase that will include closing our front desk/reception area temporarily, followed by the closing of our current hospital space and moving into the new half (we have chosen to remodel in phases in order to stay open as much as possible). This will require a great deal of adjustment on all our parts. It will take us some time to get used to working out of the new space and create the best possible work-flow. We will be communicating with all of our scheduled appointments each day to instruct you where and when to enter as we go through this transitional period.
In order to consider the health and well-being of my remaining staff as well as myself, and to ease client frustrations, we will begin scaling back our schedule until the remodel is complete and staffing is replenished.
As you know, it has always been our goal at Bluewater Bay Animal Hospital to provide exceptional care to each of our patients and to see as many animals in need as possible each day. Running at our current pace is leading to significant burnout and taking excessive time away from our own families. We need to take this time to readjust our priorities to ensure that we continue providing the best quality of care to your pets while also taking care of our team.
Our plan going forward will allow us to schedule longer appointment times, thus providing more focused, one-on-one care and ensuring that we are practicing our very best medicine.
This means that we will have limited sick appointments. Once the schedule for the day is full, we will need to refer out to our other community resources (On Point Urgent Care and/or the emergency clinic - both of which will provide phenomenal care). If your animal is sick, we ask that you call us as soon as possible so that we can do our best to fit them into the schedule that day. The earlier in the day that you call, the more likely we will be able to get your pet seen in a timely manner.
We will also begin utilizing Telemedicine for recheck appointments and other low-acuity ailments.
Within the next few weeks and throughout the entirety of our front desk closure, we will be unable to perform elective surgeries and procedures. If this affects your pet’s already-scheduled procedure, we will notify you as soon as possible. This phase of the remodel is only slated to last 3-4 weeks. During this time, we will still perform non-elective surgeries and dentals as needed. More details will be made available once this phase begins.
At this time, we will not be accepting new clients to help ensure that our current clientele will be taken care of.
We know this is a big adjustment and will take getting used to for everyone. We are having to take these steps in order to ensure the best quality of life not only for the patients that we care for but for our staff and their families as well. We hate telling our clients no, and we apologize that you may have to hear that from us more often than we’ve all been used to. As we make these much-needed adjustments, we sincerely ask for your patience and kindness. This has not been an easy decision to make, but it is imperative for the well-being of our staff. We appreciate your understanding more than you know.
Also, If you happen to know any experienced veterinary technicians or receptionists that are looking for a job, please let them know to reach out! We would love to interview them.
With all my gratitude,
Dr. Jason Harris
