385 - My Clinic's Visits Are Dropping...But We're Still Swamped (Uncharted Cross-Over)

Maria Pirita, CVPM, joins Dr. Andy Roark to tackle a frustrating reality many veterinary leaders are facing right now, your clinic feels slammed every day, yet the appointment book is quietly shrinking. In this Uncharted crossover episode, Maria and Andy unpack why declining veterinary visits can hide behind busy schedules filled with same day appointments, and why that pattern can create serious problems for clinic planning, revenue stability, and patient care. They explore practical leadership strategies for veterinary practice managers, including how to identify leading and lagging metrics, avoid “rollercoaster marketing,” reactivate existing clients, and build real team buy in when the staff does not see the problem yet. If your team thinks an empty morning schedule means an easy day, but you know something deeper is happening, this conversation will help you reset your mindset and take action before small trends become big problems. Gang, let’s get into this episode! ABOUT OUR GUEST Maria Pirita is a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager, Elite Fear Free Certified Veterinary Professional and former hospital administrator. In her work with Uncharted Veterinary Conference and beyond, Maria has presented to veterinarians and teams across the US and Canada on topics including veterinary marketing, feedback, team building, and positive work culture. With over 10 years of experience in veterinary medicine and over 20 years in leadership, she's passionate helping leaders develop their skills. Maria loves any activity that involves creativity or learning something new. This leads to an abundance of hobbies including crafting, traveling, cooking and gardening. Mentioned in this episode: Register for the Dont Get Sued course! 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! 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!

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385 - My Clinic's Visits Are Dropping...But We're Still Swamped (Uncharted Cross-Over) is an episode from The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast by Dr. Andy Roark.

This episode is 44:37 long.

This episode was published on Mar 12, 2026.

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