The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet

The Stethoscope and The Spreadsheet
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The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet is a podcast celebrating independent veterinary practice ownership — the challenges, the wins, and everything in between.Hosts Martin Traub-Werner and Dr. Peter Weinstein sit down with practice owners, vendors, and veterinary leaders to share the strategies and stories that sustain independent practices in a changing industry.Produced in partnership with Veterinary Management Groups (VMG). New episodes released biweekly.

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Episode 4: Always Keep a Human in the Loop with AVMA President Dr. Michael Q. Bailey on AI, Economics & the Future of Veterinary Medicine

    He's the recently wrapped up president of the AVMA, a boarded radiologist who's been practicing teleradiology since the early 90s, and one of the most candid voices in veterinary medicine today. In this episode, Martin and Peter sit down with Dr. Michael Q. Bailey for a wide-ranging conversation about AI, radiology, and the economic forces squeezing both practices and pet owners. In this episode: Teleradiology from the early 90s to today and why the fundamentals haven't changedAI in veterinary radiology: why you must always keep a human in the loopHow AI bias works and why geography and breed matter more than you thinkThe biggest economic headwinds: student debt, supply costs, and public perceptionThe gold standard problem: when ideal care leaves patients with no care at allCommunication as the single best tool to reduce complaints and litigationWhat AVMA is doing, and being honest about what it isn't yet doing, for independent practicesThe Stethoscope & Spreadsheet Seven: Dr. Bailey answers Questions #5 and #6Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro & welcome 00:59 — Introducing Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, AVMA President & boarded radiologist 01:07 — His background: Queens, Rutgers, Tuskegee, Michigan State, Ohio State & Capitol Hill 02:43 — Martin asks the important question: Yankees fan? 03:44 — Radiology's evolution: from dunk tanks to digital to AI 04:40 — Teleradiology since the early 90s and why access to care still drives it 07:47 — Why vets must put their own eyes on every radiograph, even with AI 11:51 — AI bias explained: geography, breed, and what Stephen Hawking warned us about 12:49 — The biggest economic issues facing the profession 13:09 — Student debt, supply costs & the third-party payer problem 17:47 — Pet health insurance: Scandinavia has 70% coverage. The US has 4% 19:21 — The gold standard problem 21:49 — California graduates 8,000 lawyers a year. The US graduates fewer vets in two years 22:58 — Good communicators don't get sued. Good doctors do. Be both. 26:47 — What is AVMA doing to support independent practices? 29:57 — The Stethoscope & Spreadsheet Seven begins 30:37 — The $100,000 CT scanner story and what it taught him about risk 31:37 — Nia the Labrador Retriever; the lesson she taught without saying a word 34:20 — "Three years, and then you get parole" Mentioned in this episode: American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) · avma.orgAVMA Annual Conference — Anaheim, CA · July 2026Tuskegee, Michigan State & Ohio State Colleges of Veterinary MedicineNew episodes every two weeks. Supported by Veterinary Management Groups (VMG) · myvmg.com

  2. Aug 24

    Episode 3: From Corporate to Independent: How Two Vets Built Their Dream Practice (And Found Each Other Along the Way)

    What does it take to leave the comfort of corporate veterinary medicine and build something entirely your own? Dr. Mike Hanlon and Dr. Shelley Hanlon — co-owners of Olive Animal Hospital just outside Indianapolis — did exactly that. In this episode, they share the full story: meeting at a corporate practice, working out non-competes on opposite sides of the city, and spending two years quietly laying the groundwork for a practice they'd always envisioned. They talk about the team culture they were determined to build differently, the financial transparency they've baked into their client relationships, and why they chose a de novo startup over an acquisition. Oh, and somewhere along the way, they also got married and had six kids. Just a typical entrepreneurial journey. Show Notes Episode Guests: Dr. Mike Hanlon & Dr. Shelley Hanlon, owners of Olive Animal Hospital, Indianapolis, IN In This Episode: Dr. Peter Weinstein and Martin Traub-Werner sit down with Drs. Mike and Shelley Hanlon — a married couple, business partners, and the proud independent owners of Olive Animal Hospital. Two years in, they're already outgrowing their space. Here's what they covered: The Origin Story Mike and Shelley met while working together at a corporate consolidator practice — not as a couple, but as colleagues first. Shelley (Purdue '16) always knew she wanted to own a practice. Mike (Iowa State '15) had entrepreneurial instincts from vet school, including a stint with his own equine ambulatory practice. After eight years in corporate medicine, the culture deterioration that followed a key practice manager departure made their decision to leave easy. The Non-Compete Chapter Both had non-competes to honor. Rather than fight them, they each took associate roles on opposite sides of Indianapolis for two years — and used that time to build Olive's business plan, assemble their advisory team, and lay every brick before opening day. Building the Right Team Their first move wasn't hiring a lawyer — it was talking to a CPA, who sent them to a banker, who helped structure their entire advisory team. Their banker (experienced in de novo medical practice loans, not vet-specific) became their strategic anchor. References from local independent practice owners filled in the rest. Why De Novo, Not Acquisition They wanted to build the culture from scratch, not inherit someone else's problems. Olive was named as their "veterinary child" — and every decision around the practice reflects that intentionality. Their Practice Culture Mike and Shelley's complementary interests (he's surgical, she's internal medicine) make for a genuinely collaborative practice. Their mission: empower a team of veterinary professionals to learn and grow so they can deliver exceptional patient care and client relationships. People are placed in roles that fit them — no cross-training someone into a job they hate. Financial Transparency as a Practice Philosophy Prices are posted on their website. Costs are discussed openly at every appointment. When clients have financial constraints, the Hanlons work with them — spacing out care rather than presenting an all-or-nothing invoice. They've seen this trust-building approach pay off when clients need to say yes to bigger diagnostics later. The Future of Vet Med Shelley raised real concerns about the growing cost gap between what pet owners can afford and what medicine now costs — and what that means for veterinarian mental health. Mike reflected on the evolving models for vet school clinical education and what rising student debt means for the next generation of practitioners. Their Advice for Prospective Practice Owners If you're even remotely thinking about it — do it. Independent practice owners can offer competitive benefits, control their own culture, and deliver the kind of relationship-b

  3. Aug 12

    Episode 1: Why Independent Practice Needs Its Own Podcast

    Running an independent veterinary practice takes equal parts courage and insanity. You carry the weight of the medicine and the weight of the business, often at the same time. This show is for the people who do that every day. In this first episode, hosts Dr. Peter Weinstein (the stethoscope) and Martin Traub-Werner (the spreadsheet) introduce themselves and lay out why they believe there is no better moment for independent practices to show their strength. Roughly 75 percent of companion animal practices are independently owned, yet corporates hold an outsized share of revenue and staff. With corporate consolidation hitting some headwinds, Peter and Martin make the case for a genuine resurgence of locally owned and operated practice. Along the way you will hear how a New York kid raised on All Creatures Great and Small became a California practice owner, and how a self-described business guy who started with lemonade stands at age eight went on to build VetSuccess, sell it to Vetsource, and launch the bookkeeping firm VetBooks. They dig into the bell curve of practice profitability, why owning a job is not the same as owning a business, and the idea that passion drives profit. The episode closes with the debut of the Stethoscope and Spreadsheet Seven, a set of rapid-fire questions every future guest will face without warning. Peter and Martin put each other in the hot seat first. This is the introduction. Future episodes will feature industry leaders and independent practice owners sharing their wins, challenges, and frustrations. If you would like to be a guest, reach out. We want to hear your story. The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet is brought to you with the support of VMG.

  4. Aug 11

    Episode 2: Navigating Complexity: What Independent Practices Need to Thrive

    What does an economist see when he looks at independent veterinary practice? In this episode, Martin and Peter sit down with Dr. Matt Salois, President of Veterinary Management Groups (VMG), for a wide-ranging conversation about where independent practice is headed, what's holding it back, and why the practices willing to be disciplined and intentional are the ones with the brightest future. Matt also tackles Question #3 of the Stethoscope & Spreadsheet Seven, and his answer might surprise you. In this episode: Why independent veterinary practices are far more sophisticated than they're given credit forThe two biggest headwinds: complexity and a shrinking margin for "good enough"The key tailwinds: speed, agility, and the ability to make decisions close to the point of careVMG's "Proudly Independent" initiative, shifting the conversation from fear to identity and strengthWhy the future of vet medicine will be shaped by productivity and execution, not chasing the next shiny technologyNavigating generational differences in a profession with five generations of vets, owners, and employeesVMG's mission to tell a bigger story about why independence in veterinary medicine is worth preservingTimestamps: 00:00 — Intro & welcome 00:47 — Introducing inaugural guest Dr. Matt Salois 02:01 — Matt's background: economist, recovering academic, and how he found veterinary medicine 03:06 — Why Matt's path into vet med was serendipity, not strategy 04:21 — Peter takes credit for bringing Matt into the profession at AVMA 04:43 — Matt's early career: chief economist for the state of Florida 05:13 — From Elanco Animal Health to AVMA to VMG 08:01 — How Matt came to lead VMG, and the phone call that started it all 10:29 — What VMG members are dealing with day to day 10:51 — VMG's role in one sentence: helping independent owners navigate complexity 13:16 — Where is the profession going? Unpacking the headwinds 16:04 — Complexity as the defining challenge of independent ownership today 20:56 — The tailwinds: why independent practices have real competitive advantages 23:31 — Independent practices start from a higher bar than most businesses and don't get enough credit 23:51 — VMG's "Proudly Independent" initiative: from defense and fear to identity and strength 26:05 — Navigating five generations of vets, pet owners, and employees simultaneously 27:25 — On generational divide: humility, adaptability, and letting go of "the right way" 30:04 — What Matt is most excited about at VMG 30:47 — VMG by the numbers: nearly 2,400 member practices and growing 31:11 — Helping members become stronger operators and leaders, not just connected peers 33:20 — Technology, AI, and why execution matters more than innovation 34:56 — It's still about the people; technology is adjunctive 35:20 — VMG's mission to tell the story of independent veterinary medicine 36:18 — The Stethoscope & Spreadsheet Seven: Matt picks Question #3 36:56 — What keeps Matt up at night? Ideas, and a whole lot of gin and club soda 40:24 — Closing reflections from Peter and Martin 43:16 — Outro Mentioned in this episode: Veterinary Management Groups (VMG) · myvmg.comAmerican Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)VMG's "Proudly Independent" initiativeNew episodes every two weeks. Supported by Veterinary Management Groups (VMG) · myvmg.com

  • 4 Episodes

About

The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet is a podcast celebrating independent veterinary practice ownership — the challenges, the wins, and everything in between.Hosts Martin Traub-Werner and Dr. Peter Weinstein sit down with practice owners, vendors, and veterinary leaders to share the strategies and stories that sustain independent practices in a changing industry.Produced in partnership with Veterinary Management Groups (VMG). New episodes released biweekly.

Information

  • Creator
    The Stethoscope and The Spreadsheet
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet
  • Show Website
    The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet

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