When you’re running four emergency hospitals, every veterinarian needs to be working from the same playbook. But as Greenlight Pet ER expanded across Florida, that became harder to maintain.
For Joni Shimp, DVM, Medical Director at Greenlight, that gap showed up in the middle of cases, when there was no single place to get reliable answers quickly.
“We’d pull out textbooks, go to forums, call a friend… it was very time-consuming, and you were hoping the information was reliable,” Dr. Shimp said.
The Challenge: Scaling Consistency in a High-Pressure ER Environment
Greenlight’s model depends on delivering high-quality emergency care across multiple locations, doctors, and shifts. But like many ER teams, they were dealing with fragmented resources, time-consuming research during critical cases, differences in experience across doctors and teams, and the need to onboard clinicians quickly as they grew.
That kind of friction shows up fast in an ER: It slows decisions down and adds pressure to teams that are already stretched.
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The Solution: Clinical Guidance Built Into the Veterinary Workflow
Greenlight implemented Standards of Care within Instinct EMR so doctors could get answers without leaving the case. They can validate diagnostic and treatment plans, check up-to-date drug information from Plumb’s, and work through differentials and clinical algorithms in one place. They can also generate client-ready handouts to support those conversations.
Instead of bouncing between sources, they can go straight from question to answer and stay in the case. The result is a team that can move faster, communicate more clearly, and stay consistent across all four locations. For Dr. Shimp, that was the goal from the start.
“I needed a place where I could go to one location, get my information, and also get my handouts for my clients,” she said.
Instinct EMR is a PIMS that combines medical excellence with complete practice management, so you can run your practice with all-in-one trusted software. Book a free, no-pressure demo today.
The Everyday Impact of Standards
Faster Decisions, Less Second-Guessing
During a case involving dangerously high potassium levels, the team needed to decide quickly whether the result was real or a lab error. Using the differential list in Standards, they identified EDTA contamination as a likely cause within seconds.
“I went in there, saw it as the first thing, and we moved on with the case,” Dr. Shimp said.
What used to take extra testing and second-guessing became a quick decision.
Clearer, More Confident Client Conversations
In complex cases like suspected feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), Standards helped doctors understand the condition and explain it clearly to clients. With built-in handouts and structured guidance, teams could break down complex diagnoses, address misinformation from online sources, and support owners through difficult decisions.
“I was able to give owners information that isn’t really available anywhere else and make sure they’re informed correctly,” said Dr. Shimp.
That clarity matters in an ER setting where conversations are often fast-paced and high-stakes.
Faster Onboarding, More Independent Teams
As Greenlight grows, getting new doctors up to speed quickly is critical.
Standards became a core part of how they train and work day to day. New hires are onboarded directly into the tool, doctors can work through cases independently, even on solo shifts, and teams rely less on constant interruptions for support.
“It’s just part of everything we do every day for all of the doctors,” said Dr. Shimp.
The team can move faster without relying on others to fill in the gaps and provide more consistent care across all four hospitals.
The guidance you need. The drug reference you trust. The tools that make veterinary decision-making easier. Standards of Care is your continually updated, specialist-backed resource for navigating veterinary care with confidence without digging through textbooks or searching multiple platforms. See how it works in this free demo.
Business Impact of Standards: Better Medicine, Stronger Hospitals
For Greenlight, improving clinical confidence didn’t just affect care; it also improved patient outcomes and strengthened the practice.
With better access to trusted information, their teams can practice more confidently, reduce the risk and cost of medical errors, recommend the right diagnostics and treatments, and build stronger client trust.
As Dr. Shimp put it, “Good medicine brings good money.”
Standards also plays a key role in recruiting and retention by giving doctors the confidence and support they need to succeed in a high-pressure ER environment.
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The Same Standard, Every Shift
For Greenlight Pet ER, Standards is a critical part of how they deliver care every day. By bringing expert guidance, real-world practicality, and client communication tools into one place, it helps their teams stay focused, aligned, and confident, no matter how busy the day gets.
