Tell me a little bit about NDVESH & how long ago you started using Rally
I work at the North Dallas Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital, which opened in the spring of 2023.
We implemented rally last fall and most of our staff doesn’t know the facility without rally being a core part of it.
For all new hires, it’s added into their training and their expectations as far as interacting with not only their peers but also their leadership teams. This integration of Rally has been great because it has helped establish another healthy habit within our clinic focused on engaging with everyone in the hospital, even those you may not work with day to day.
Tell me a little bit about your role at NDVESH.
I'm one of two board-certified ABVP DVMs that work on the ER and I typically work the night shift. During those shifts, I'm usually responsible for a team of 3-5 technicians and CSRs.
I report directly to my medical director who's a criticalist and we have a lateral leadership team above us that helps with practice management, operations management, facilities inventory, etc.
How has Rally changed your practice day-to-day?
Funny enough, when we first onboarded, your team sent us a welcome package with physical “boop” stickers, and they have become like a badge of honor in our practice.
We physically will go around and “boop” each other and it’s not uncommon, by the end of your shift, to have a few boops on your shoulder. The staff love it. Of course, the clients are maybe none the wiser, and we probably look a little silly, but we embrace the silliness.
And, this also translates to the use of Rally as a product. I've noticed that at the end of the shift as the staff are reflecting is when you'll go on and see the digital boops being made in the shout outs and the accolades being celebrated.
For me, I try to boop at the end of my shifts and make sure that I'm celebrating the accomplishments of my team.
I also try to acknowledge the team members that I don't always get to share the floor with so they know that I still appreciate everything they do for us. For example, booping our facilities team saying, “Hey, I noticed that you guys were able to fix that hinge that was broken. Thank you so much!”
Has Rally caused any positive behavior changes in the hospital staff?
It's been interesting to see how some of our staff members, who wouldn't naturally express feedback, have interacted with the software.
Rally's given them a platform to speak & express themselves.
No matter the communication style of the staff member, whether they enjoy being celebrated publicly or appreciate a more intimate celebration, it's allowed us to bring a kind of common communication circle
It's, surprisingly, some of our least outspoken staff members and quieter personalities that seem to be embracing it the most.
And, that's been really neat because those are celebrations that we might not have had if it wasn't for Rally.
Surprisingly, some of our quieter or more introverted staff members are our most active boopers. These are staff members that, on a shift, may only say five or six words to you because they're naturally so quiet. Then you see all the wonderful things that they have to say and see them blossom on the software. It's also given me a lot more insight into them, to get feedback from them on Rally. They need just as much support as others whether they're saying it out loud or not.
It's really helped build our team up in ways that I really couldn't have anticipated 9 months ago when we implemented it.
What are some magic moments you’ve had on Rally?
I came from a more traditional background where leadership didn't necessarily check in on employee wellness or, if they did, there was minimal follow-through or change implemented from it.
So, Rally has really reshaped how I think about work and encourages me to not just “soldier on” despite how I’m genuinely feeling.
As a specific example, I went through a bit of a rough patch a few months ago. I had some clients that were really upset with me and had some cases just go badly despite my best efforts.
When I logged into Rally that day, a wellness check-in came up and, at first, I just was like, “whatever 10/10, everything’s fine.” Then I reflected for a moment and thought, “maybe I should be honest.” So I was. I was honest about how I was struggling.
I went to work the next day not expecting anything to come of it but, surprisingly, my leadership team pulled me aside and checked in.
They saw my wellness score in Rally and immediately, after chatting with me, implemented some schedule changes to take some of the pressure off of me.
I’ve never had an employer do something like that for me and the leadership team built so much trust and rapport with me because of it. They showed me that they would take our wellness and feedback seriously.
That experience really solidified in me that I wanted to make sure Rally became a permanent staple in our day-to-day practice.
Do you have any advice for other hospitals wanting to use Rally?
I would love to see more teams adopt Rally. It's been so influential in our growth and helping us establish and maintain our core values as a new hospital.
My only advice to other practices would be that they've got to stick to it. It's not enough to just download the software. Is your team using it on a daily or weekly basis? Are they genuinely being honest with their feedback? Is the leadership team receptive to it and implementing change so that we can grow and continue to be an effective team?
If you’re doing that, you’ll find success like our team has.
.gif)
