Dr. Jules Benson, DVM, founder of Tapetum Lucidum Consulting and a data strategist, joins Dr. Andy Roark to tackle a frustrating truth in the access to care conversation, lots of well-meaning advice for vets is not practical in real clinics with limited time, fixed protocols, and real-world overhead. They dig into the “iron triangle” of cost, quality, and access (the good, fast, cheap problem), and why defining “quality” often gets tangled up with “most advanced care.” Along the way, they talk about client trust as a process issue, how most practice websites fail to differentiate who they are for, and why strategy means saying no, including being clear about what a clinic will not do. They explore stratified care models like nonprofit care, mobile practice, focused care centers, and urgent care, and the idea of a community of care that hands clients off appropriately. Gang, let’s get into this episode. Keywords: veterinary access to care, veterinary client communication, veterinary practice strategy, cost quality access Dr. Jules Benson is the Principal at Tapetum Lucidum Consulting and the 2025 Chair at the Veterinary Innovation Council (VIC). With over two decades as a practitioner, industry executive, strategist, and data and technology leader, his focus lies in identifying and applying innovation that can improve the lives of pets, pet families, and veterinary healthcare teams.

Dr. Nathan Peterson, DVM, DACVECC, takes us straight into one of the most uncomfortable questions in veterinary medicine: are we sometimes prolonging suffering, and what does that do to our teams? In this episode, Dr. Andy Roark and Dr. Peterson unpack medical futility, moral distress, and veterinary burnout in a way that feels both honest and actionable. They explore what happens when technicians feel stuck providing care that conflicts with their values, and why that tension matters more than we think. You’ll hear practical ideas like creating psychological safety, building a “pause button” for team concerns, and even introducing ethical rounds to navigate tough cases together. If you’ve ever wrestled with end-of-life decisions, team conflict, or the emotional weight of patient care, this conversation will leave you thinking differently and leading better. Gang, let’s get into this episode!

Mentioned in this episode:

On Demand Team Training Bundle

Great medicine can still lead to tough conversations with clients. The Team Training Bundle gives your veterinary team practical tools to handle angry clients and communicate clearly in the exam room, so every interaction builds trust instead of tension. Flexible, on-demand training makes it easy to strengthen communication across your entire clinic.

Learn more about the Team Training Bundle here!

Learn more about Simparica Trio here!

Office Hours w/ Dr. Andy Roark

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Register for Office Hours here!

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures. Spots are limited. Register now!

Register for Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop here!

Tasha McNerney, CVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia), tackles one of the most common clinical dilemmas, how do you safely sedate dogs and cats for quick procedures without committing them to a full day of anesthesia or risking complications. If you have ever hesitated before radiographs, wound repair, or diagnostics because you wanted fear-free handling but also needed efficiency, this episode delivers practical answers. Tasha walks through reversible sedation protocols, multimodal analgesia, and how to combine opioids, dexmedetomidine, and local blocks to maximize comfort while protecting the airway. She also shares feline sedation strategies, when to add ketamine, and how local anesthesia can do the heavy lifting for painful procedures. You will walk away with confidence, safer sedation choices, and tools to deliver high-quality care even in spectrum-of-care situations. Gang, let’s get into this episode!

Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds: https://www.veterinaryanesthesianerds.com/

Tasha McNerney obtained her CVT in 2005 and has worked clinically in the areas of anesthesia and surgery ever since. Tasha obtained her CVPP (certified veterinary pain practitioner) designation in 2013 and became a veterinary technician specialist in anesthesia in 2015. Tasha has been a featured speaker on various anesthesia and pain management topics at several international veterinary conferences. Tasha is the author of many articles and blogs on anesthesia and pain management related topics. In 2013 Tasha created the Facebook group Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds, which has over 65,000 members taking part in education and exchange of ideas from all over the world!

Mentioned in this episode:

Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop

Owning a veterinary practice comes with challenges no one teaches you in school. The Uncharted Practice Owner Summit, hosted at NAVC SkillShop in Orlando, is a hands-on leadership workshop designed to help owners strengthen their teams, improve operations, and make confident business decisions. This small-group, working session focuses on real-world tools and honest conversations, not passive lectures. Spots are limited. Register now!

Register for Uncharted Practice Owner Summit at NAVC SkillShop here!

On Demand Team Training Bundle

Great medicine can still lead to tough conversations with clients. The Team Training Bundle gives your veterinary team practical tools to handle angry clients and communicate clearly in the exam room, so every interaction builds trust instead of tension. Flexible, on-demand training makes it easy to strengthen communication across your entire clinic.

Learn more about the Team Training Bundle here!

Office Hours w/ Dr. Andy Roark

Inside the Uncharted Veterinary Community, Dr. Andy Roark hosts Office Hours where veterinary leaders can bring real-world challenges and get practical guidance from someone who understands the realities of practice life. These sessions give veterinarians, practice managers, and team leaders a chance to ask questions, workshop difficult situations, and gain perspective on issues like team dynamics, communication, burnout, and clinic operations. Instead of navigating leadership challenges alone, members get direct access to Andy’s insight along with the support of a community of veterinary professionals working through many of the same challenges.

Register for Office Hours here!

Leadership Mindset Course

Great veterinary leaders are not just born, they are built. The Leadership Mindset Course from the Uncharted Veterinary Community helps you shift how you think about problems, people, and progress so you can lead with clarity and confidence. If you are ready to stop reacting and start leading with intention, this is where the transformation begins.

Learn more about the Leadership Mindset Course here!