Lighthouse Veterinary Personnel Services® is a d.b.a. for Lighthouse Veterinary Personnel Services, L.L.C., and will be referred to as “Lighthouse” in this document. Lighthouse provides both temporary (relief), and permanent placements of veterinarians. These activities are intimately associated, and one often leads to the other. Therefore the policies defined herein shall be in effect for all clients, regardless if their initial intent was for a permanent placement or relief work. Relief veterinarians introduced through our service that are hired by our clients shall be considered permanent placements, and conversely permanent placement introductions that subsequently perform relief work shall be considered relief veterinarians, and both scenarios will always be subject to these policies. The policies regarding relief work are at the beginning of this document, while those policies relating to permanent placements are found on the last page. Lighthouse also provides consulting services, whose fees and policies are not included herein.
Relief (Temporary) Service:
RATES & TAX STATUS
There are three parts to our normal fee structure: the daily trip charge, an hourly rate, and a fee for weekend work. These fees vary by county and are influenced by average travel costs (including commuting time) to the county, the regional cost of living, associate availability, and the prevailing regional associate veterinary compensation. For fees specific to your county, please refer to the accompanying fee schedule. We function as independent contractors; therefore you do not pay any payroll taxes on our fees. (This is very important in that the majority of independent relief veterinarians should be considered as employees for tax purposes.) Depending on your state, some or all of our fees are subject to state sales tax, which will be reflected on our invoice. Lighthouse is a limited liability company (L.L.C.), domiciled in Ohio, and our EIN is 38-3476016. We recommend you consult your accountant about questions regarding payments to Lighthouse
BILLING-RELATED POLICIES
Minimum billing policies are as follows:
7 hour minimum billing on Monday through Friday
4 hour minimum billing on Saturdays
8 hour minimum billing on Sundays and holidays
Trip Fees: There is a daily trip fee in addition to the hourly rate specific for the county in which the veterinary facility is located.
Weekend Surcharge: A daily fee will be added to any work done on Saturday or Sunday. This charge is the equivalent of 1 hour of relief work.
Lunch breaks: Lighthouse recommends a one hour non-paid break for lunch on any relief shift that is longer than 5 continuous hours. The maximum length for a non-paid lunch is 1 hour. When a lunch break is taken on a Saturday there is a 7 hour minimum billing.
Holidays: Lighthouse veterinarians are usually available for holiday work. Holidays include: Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving which are charged double time, Memorial Day, Easter Sunday, Labor Day, and the Fourth of July are charged time and one-half. The holiday multiple applies to the hourly rate, trip charge and Weekend surcharge when applicable. Please call the Lighthouse office for further information.
See the sections on overnight stays, cancellations, emergencies, permanent placements, mixed or large animal coverage, fee changes, and scheduling for additional policies.
A signed Work Agreement must be on file before any work will be scheduled. For new clients, requested dates will be held for a reasonable period of time to allow return of the form.
Emergency Clinics: A separate fee structure applies to emergency clinics. Please call the office for further information.
POLICY & FEE CHANGES
Historically Lighthouse has modified fees and policies annually to reflect changes in the veterinary economy, most notably the prevailing salaries of associate veterinarians. The annual fee and policy adjustment should be anticipated, and will be in effect for all work performed after January 1 of the New Year.
Occasionally a change in the economy or in the supply of associate veterinarians has created the need for mid-year fee adjustments. Any such fee adjustments will have an effective date of no less than six weeks from the notification (mailing) date. While we realize that this could create a fee change for an existing booking, it allows Lighthouse the flexibility to stay competitive in the associate marketplace and to maintain a staff of experienced relief veterinarians.
EMERGENCY COVERAGE
Lighthouse doctors may be able to cover emergencies for clinics between consecutive days of relief work when they stay overnight in the area or they stay overnight to cover the emergencies, depending on the associate’s comfort level and desires to do on-call work. There is an “Emergency Coverage Fee” of 2 billed hours for being on call, plus billings at the regular hourly rate for any time spent in communication regarding emergencies and emergencies actually seen. Fees are billed from the time the associate leaves their local accommodations until they return, i.e. the local commuting time is included in the billing for the emergency. If emergency coverage is provided, the regular work day will have a minimum billing of 8 hours. Emergency coverage is not typically provided for the evening before the first day of relief coverage or if Lighthouse is not booked the following day. If this service is desired, it may be available via special arrangement.
The practitioner is responsible for providing an answering service and notification system or an answering
machine that the relief associates will reasonably check at their discretion. It is not acceptable to simply forward the clinic phone to the relief veterinarian's local accommodations.
OVERNIGHT STAYS
Occasionally the need arises for overnight stays at a practice location, usually due to a remote location or for emergency coverage. In these instances, the associate will stay at either a hotel of reasonable quality, or if mutually agreeable, they may stay at the home of the practitioner, assuming they will be the only person in residence at the time. Living quarters at the clinic are a viable option, but must be reasonably furnished and afford adequate privacy in the opinion of the Lighthouse associate.
Assuming a remote location is the reason for the stay, the trip charge listed is applicable to the first day in a series of consecutively booked days. The counties where this policy applies are marked by an asterisk in the fee schedule. (Occasionally other, non-asterisked counties may qualify depending on the season and work hours requested.) After the initial day, the trip charge shall be $25.00 per day plus the cost of the local accommodations along with the cost of the local commute as determined by the I.R.S. reimbursement rate.
If an overnight stay to cover emergencies is requested, and the client’s county is not noted with an asterisk, the initial trip fee will increase by $100.00, and thereafter will work as previously discussed for counties with an asterisk. (It is important to note that should it be necessary to bring in an associate from another area, the rate charged to the practitioner is not raised.) Trip charges for bookings that include overnight stays for any other reason shall be examined on an individual basis.
Lighthouse does not book its associates for consecutive overnight stays that exceed a week (six nights) away from their homes. Coverage that exceeds one week will entail a rotation of our veterinarians, and another first day trip charge. Please request an estimate at the time of scheduling if this situation applies to your relief needs.
CLINICAL POLICIES
Lighthouse prides itself on flexibility to work within a client’s existing system. We have a set of recommendations regarding outpatient scheduling, lunch breaks, record keeping, etc. that are contained in How to Use Lighthouse. Experience has shown that embracing these recommendations will enhance the overall relief experience even when doing so necessitates minor changes to a clinic’s normal operating pattern. Lighthouse also has certain minimum surgical requirements that are easily met in the majority of our clients’ clinics. Details of these requirements will be provided upon request.
MIXED OR LARGE ANIMAL COVERAGE
Mixed or large animal coverage may be available by special arrangement. Please contact the office for information.
CANCELLATION
Should a relief day be cancelled by either the relief client or Lighthouse, there is no truly adequate way to replace revenues lost for the day. It is difficult to assess the damages caused by cancellations as both parties have ways to mitigate costs. Any attempt to clarify actual damages would be time consuming, adversarial, and frequently inaccurate. As such, both parties agree that while a cancellation fee is not a perfect solution, it is a practical and mutually acceptable remedy for loss due to cancellation.
Client Cancellations: Should the need arise to cancel a relief booking, please call immediately. When given at least four-weeks notice, the time can often be rescheduled. Cancellations that occur on less than four weeks notice are usually not rescheduled, and as such represent a very costly financial burden. To partially combat this expense, a cancellation fee of $200.00 per day has been adopted for any cancellation received after 5:00 PM of the regular business day that is 4 weeks before the booking. Example: A scheduling for January 30th needs to be cancelled before 5:00 PM on January 2nd to avoid the cancellations fee. Client cancellations are not accepted after 5:00 PM on the regular business day immediately preceding a booking. (Emergency Clinics have a separate cancellation policy. Refer to Emergency Clinic Relief Service Policies) Lighthouse Cancellations: Lighthouse does not overbook, and our relief associates are selected with dependability in mind. Unfortunately personal emergencies, sickness, transportation and weather problems, as well as the rare communication breakdown, do occur and may require cancellation of relief coverage on short notice. In the unlikely event that any of the aforementioned scheduling problems occur with less than two weeks notice, Lighthouse will credit the client’s account with the same $200.00 per day fee.
SCHEDULING
Bookings are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Once Lighthouse has committed a doctor to be at your practice, no further confirmation is required, nor is it routinely given. Upon request, Lighthouse will be happy to mail, fax or email confirmation of bookings at any time.
Doctor availability for a given period of time may be discussed upon request. This information will change (sometimes rapidly) as additional bookings occur. To minimize the inconvenience that can arise from changes in our availability, prompt booking is recommended once your relief requirements have been established. In the event that your relief needs are flexible, it is suggested that you contact Lighthouse regarding doctor availability before finalizing your other commitments. We work with a large number of clients in this way, especially concerning the timing of their vacations.
A specific veterinarian is not assigned to a clinic until one to two weeks prior to the assignment. For longer bookings, two or more veterinarians are often used due to scheduling, availability, and logistical constraints. If having a specific veterinarian is an important issue, please inform us when scheduling. In the instance of specific doctor requests, an adjustment in the daily trip fee may be necessary if a significant amount of additional mileage, commuting time and/or overnight stays will be incurred by all affected associates as a result.
PROMPTNESS
Punctuality and responsibility are among the most important criteria used when selecting Lighthouse veterinarians. Because of this, there are few problems with late arrival times. Unfortunately, weather conditions and traffic congestion can cause delays. It is suggested that at least fifteen (15) minutes be allowed before calling our office if a Lighthouse doctor is late. Every attempt will be made to contact you should it appear that the Lighthouse veterinarian is going to be more than fifteen (15) minutes late.
PRE-SERVICE SCREENING
CLIENT INFORMATION REQUEST
This form is sent to all clients when they schedule their first bookings with Lighthouse and is periodically updated. The questions asked are designed to help avoid potential problems during relief coverage. While completing this form, you may find yourself in a position of not having an applicable policy to address certain situations. If this happens, please develop a policy. If this is not possible, a call addressing the issue(s) would be appreciated. All information supplied to us will be held in confidence.
WORK AGREEMENT
This is an important document for both Lighthouse and our clients in that it defines and formalizes our business relationship. By design, it only needs to be completed one time, and will remain in force for all work performed thereafter. Its purpose is to define our working relationship, while not agreeing to any specific relief dates, permanent placements, or promising any future work by either party. This document must be on file before any relief dates can be confirmed or placement matches are made.
BILLING & PAYMENT
Invoice periods end on the 15th and last day of the month. Invoices are then mailed within 10 days. Charges are itemized to allow the client to review the hourly charges, lunch period, trip charge, and other items such as lodging. Typically, Lighthouse pays for lodging and then adds the amount to the bill, thus avoiding confusion with reservations and payment. Payment is due upon receipt of the invoice. All payments or partial payments shall be applied to the oldest outstanding invoice. For any invoices past due more than thirty (30) days from the end of the invoice period, interest of one and one half percent (1.5%) per month is charged. If payment is to be delayed for any reason, please contact us immediately.
Permanent Placement of Veterinarians:
A permanent placement shall be considered the employment of a veterinarian by our client which occurs as the result of either the direct or indirect actions of Lighthouse. This might include, but is not limited to, an assignment for relief work, a conversation, introduction or referral regarding relief work, or our recommendation to our client of a prospective associate. Employment by a client of a Lighthouse veterinarian who has previously been assigned by Lighthouse to the client’s clinic, discussed in that context, or discussed as a permanent placement shall be considered a permanent placement regardless of any other factors, excepting the requirement that such previous assignment must have occurred within three years of employment.
A permanent placement shall be either independent relief work or a normal employer-associate veterinary relationship that occurs within three years after any occurrence described in item 1. The nature of the working agreement between the client and the introduced veterinarian (i.e. either employer/employee, through a relief service, or independent contractor) shall not affect the fact of a "permanent placement" occurring.
The fee for a permanent placement is $6,000.00 per veterinary associate with less than 9 months of veterinary experience and placed in traditional practices. The fee for a permanent placement is $12,000 per veterinary associate with more than 9 months of veterinary experience placed in traditional practices, and $15,000 for specialists or placements in emergency clinics. The placement fee shall become payable immediately upon the placed veterinarian's employment by our client.
Lighthouse will refund 50% of the placement fee if the placed associate leaves their association with client within 9 months of their starting date. To be eligible for this refund, the entire placement fee and all other outstanding invoices must be paid by the client within 30 days of the starting date of the associate’s employment.
If our client wishes to employ a veterinarian they have met, become familiar with, or been referred to as a result of their association with Lighthouse, then they must receive Lighthouse’s permission before doing so. Should the potential associate veterinarian, as previously defined, approach our client, then the client must notify Lighthouse before making an offer of employment as previously defined. These situations do not change the occurrence of a “permanent placement”.
The Client hereby acknowledges that, in order for Lighthouse to make an employee placement with Client, Lighthouse must evaluate Client’s professional needs, qualifications, personality and the behavioral traits of Client’s employees, and must form opinions as to what type of persons are able to fit into Client’s work environment. Accordingly, Client hereby grants to Lighthouse the right to conduct such tests, interview Client’s current and previous employees and form such opinions with regard to Client, Client’s work environment and needs as Lighthouse, in its sole discretion, shall deem necessary or appropriate. Further, Client grants to Lighthouse the right to divulge the results of any tests and interviews and to express such opinions to prospective employees. In forming such opinions, Lighthouse may make both positive and negative assessments, but in any event, shall use its best efforts to attempt to make an honest and fair assessment about Client. By granting such rights to Lighthouse to form and express opinions both positive and negative regarding Client, Client acknowledges that Client is waiving, and does hereby waive, any right to have such information kept confidential and any rights to maintain an action or bring claims against Lighthouse and those individuals Lighthouse has gathered information and opinions from with respect to Client, for defamation, slander or libel, or otherwise with respect to the disclosing of such information or opinions.
*These counties require a minimum booking of two consecutive days. The trip charge listed is for the first day, after that the trip charge is $25.00 per day plus the cost of local accommodations and the local commute at the IRS standard reimbursement rate. Short days, i.e. those of less than the standard seven-hour minimum are only available on the first and last days of a booking, and are only offered at the discretion of Lighthouse. Adjustments in starting and stopping times and/or fees associated with an additional overnight stay(s) may be necessary depending on the logistics of the commute.
Note: For counties not listed, please ask for a quote based on the location of your specific practice.
*These counties require a minimum booking of two consecutive days. The trip charge listed is for the first day, after that the trip charge is $25.00/day plus the cost of local accommodations and the local commute at the IRS standard reimbursement rate. Short days, i.e. those of less than the standard seven-hour minimum are only available on the first and last days of a booking, and are only offered at the discretion of Lighthouse. Adjustments in starting and stopping times and/or fees associated with an additional overnight stay(s) may be necessary depending on the logistics of the commute.
