Lighthouse Veterinary Personnel Services®, L.L.C. is a d.b.a. for the Ohio (and Midwestern) Veterinary Relief Service, 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 short days, Saturdays, and Sundays. 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. (See the accompanying list.) 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
There is a standard seven-hour minimum billing. See items 2, 3 and 5 for more details.
We will take up to a one-hour, non-paid lunch during days of 6 or more billed hours. There is no lunch break in days of less than six billed hours. A six-hour minimum billing will apply if a lunch break is taken.
Shortday Surcharge (SS). This daily fee allows for billings of as little as four hours, and is added to the other fees for the day. The SS is equal to one hour at the hourly billing rate. The Shortday Surcharge is somewhat of a misnomer in that it also applies to all work performed on a Saturday, Sunday or Holiday regardless of the length of the day. It does shorten the minimum billing for Saturdays to four hours, but does not shorten the minimum billing for Sundays and Holidays, (see item 5).
Holidays: We are usually available for holiday work. For bookings on Christmas, New Year's or Thanksgiving, work is billed at twice the normal rate. For bookings on Memorial Day, Labor Day, the 4th of July or Easter, work is billed at one and a half times the normal rate. In the case of emergency clinic work, an entire shift is billed at the holiday rate if any part of the shift falls on the holiday. The holiday multiple applies to the trip charge, hourly rate, Shortday Surcharge, and any other fees normally charged.
There is an eight (8) hour minimum billing for Sundays and holidays.
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, we will hold requested dates for a reasonable period of time to allow return of the form.
Emergency Clinics - A separate fee structure applies to emergency clinics, however the policies regarding work on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays are applicable. Please call our office for further information.
POLICY & FEE CHANGES
Historically Lighthouse has modified our 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.
The unprecedented, rapid rise of associate salaries along with the relative undersupply of associate veterinarians has created the possible 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 will also allow Lighthouse the flexibility to stay competitive in the associate marketplace and to increase our supply of experienced relief veterinarians. We apologize in advance for this inconvenience, which we hope to eliminate once associate salaries and availability have again stabilized.
EMERGENCY COVERAGE
We may be able to cover emergencies for clinics between consecutive days of relief work when we stay overnight in the area or we stay overnight to cover the emergencies, depending on our 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 for any emergencies actually seen at our regular hourly rate for the clinic. 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. In the case of emergency coverage, when less than eight (8) hours are billed during the regular workday, a minimum emergency work fee is charged that will bring the daily billing to eight (8) hours. We do not typically provide emergency coverage for the evenings before we start relief coverage, or when we are not booked the next day. If this service is desired, it may be available via special arrangement.
The practitioner is responsible for providing an answering service and pager/notification system, or an answering
machine that our 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 during the time in question. 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 of a series of consecutively booked days. Those counties where this policy applies are marked by an asterisk on the attachment. (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.
When we stay overnight at the request of the practitioner to cover emergencies, 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 the necessity of bringing in an associate from another area will not raise the rate charged to the practitioner.) The 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 our flexibility to work within a clients’ 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 increase 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 client’s clinics. Details of these requirements will be provided upon request.
CANCELLATION
Should the need arise to cancel a relief booking, please call us immediately. When given at least four-weeks notice, we can often reschedule the time. Cancellations that occur on less than two weeks notice are usually not rescheduled, and as such represent a very costly financial burden. To partially combat this expense, we have been forced to adopt a late-cancellation fee of $120.00 per day for any cancellation received after 5:00 pm of the day that is 2 weeks before the booking. Example: A scheduling for the 17th needs to be canceled before 5:00 pm on the 3rd to avoid the cancellation fee.
Very rarely have we canceled commitments to work. We do not overbook, and our associates are selected with dependability in mind. Unfortunately, sickness and personal emergencies do occur that may require us to cancel coverage on short notice. Although extremely rare, a communication breakdown in scheduling could potentially arise creating a “No Show”. In the unlikely event the aforementioned scheduling problems would occur on less than two weeks notice, we will credit your account with the same $120.00 per day fee. (Please note that we neither charge nor pay for days that are converted to partial days on short notice.) Cancellations and changes in starting times are not accepted after 5:00 p.m. of the weekday immediately preceding the booking.
MIXED OR LARGE ANIMAL COVERAGE
Lighthouse strives to retain associate veterinarians with large animal experience. The increasing scarcity of veterinarians with the necessary skills has both increased the compensation they command and has made it unrealistic for us to retain such individuals in each region that we service. Therefore, our expenses in providing large or mixed animal relief coverage may be greater than for small animal coverage. As such, our trip charges and/or rates for clinics requiring competence in these areas will be determined on an individual basis at the time of scheduling.
SCHEDULING
We accept bookings on a first-come, first-served basis. Once we have committed to be at your practice, no further confirmation is required nor is it routinely given. We will happily mail, fax, or e-mail confirmation; if desired, please request at the time of each booking.
Upon request we can discuss our availability for a given period of time. This information will change (sometimes rapidly) as additional bookings occur. To minimize the inconvenience that can arise from changes in our availability, we recommend prompt booking once you have established your relief requirements. In the event that your relief needs are flexible, we suggest that you contact us regarding our availability for relief work before finalizing your other commitments. We work with a large number of clients in this way, especially concerning the timing of their vacations.
We do not usually determine which veterinarian will be sent to each practice until one to two weeks prior to the assignment. For longer bookings, we often use two or more veterinarians due to scheduling, availability, and logistical constraints. If having a specific one of our veterinarians is an important issue, please inform us when scheduling. In the event of requesting a specific Lighthouse veterinarian, an adjustment in the daily trip fee may be necessary if a significant amount of additional mileage and/or overnight stays will be incurred by all affected associates as a result.
PROMPTNESS
One of the criteria we consider in choosing our associates is punctuality; another is responsibility. Because of this, we have very little problem with late arrival times. Unfortunately, weather conditions and traffic congestion can delay arrivals; we suggest allowing at least fifteen (15) minutes before calling if we are late. If we will be delayed longer than fifteen (15) minutes, we will make every attempt to call you.
PRE-SERVICE SCREENING
CLIENT INFORMATION REQUEST
This form is sent to all clients when they schedule their first bookings with us, and is periodically updated. The questions we ask are designed to help us avoid potential problems in our 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, we would appreciate a call addressing the issue(s). 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. (In the case of new clients, we will hold agreed upon relief dates for a reasonable time to allow the completion and return of this form.)
BILLING & PAYMENT
We send invoices on the 15th and last day of the month. Our charges are itemized to allow the client to review the hourly charges, lunch period, trip charge, and other items such as lodging. Typically, we pay for lodging then add the amount to the bill, thus avoiding confusion with reservations and payment. Payment is due upon receipt of the bill. All payments or partial payments shall be applied to the oldest outstanding invoice. For any bills past due more than thirty (30) days, 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 clients of a prospective associate. Employment by a client of a Lighthouse veterinarian who has previously been assigned by Lighthouse to the client’s clinic or 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 $8,000.00 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.
