Addressing the Innovation Gap in Veterinary Practice Management Software: Improving Reporting, Data Access, and Analytics.

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In this engaging episode of the Veterinary Business Podcast, host Michael Walker sits down with Sang Park, a seasoned expert in veterinary practice sales, mergers, acquisitions, and business valuation. With over a decade of experience, Sang shares his journey from a financial analyst to a passionate advocate for veterinary professionals, sparked by his personal experience as a pet owner. The conversation dives into the critical topic of addressing the innovation gap in veterinary practice management software, exploring how better data access, reporting, and analytics can transform practice operations.

Sang offers practical insights on leveraging existing data, such as timestamps, to gain actionable insights and emphasizes the need for standardized data governance to unlock the full potential of practice management systems. Whether you’re a practice owner, veterinarian, or manager, this episode provides valuable strategies to enhance efficiency, profitability, and client satisfaction in your veterinary practice.

Key Takeaways:

• From Transactional to Relational: Sang’s shift from a purely financial perspective to a more empathetic, relational approach was sparked by becoming a pet owner, highlighting the importance of understanding the veterinary professional’s perspective in business dealings.
• The Innovation Gap in Veterinary Software: Current practice management software often lacks dynamic reporting and context, limiting its ability to provide actionable insights. Simple data like timestamps can reveal inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
• Data Governance as a First Step: Standardizing data categorization and ensuring data quality across veterinary practices is critical to enable meaningful comparisons and integrations with systems like QuickBooks and payroll.
• Timestamps for Operational Insights: Tracking timestamps (e.g., check-in, exam room wait, doctor interaction, checkout) can provide a dashboard of key performance indicators to measure efficiency and client experience over time.
• Starting Small for Big Wins: Practice owners should evaluate their current software, define desired insights (e.g., year-over-year performance), and seek support to create dynamic reports, celebrating small wins to build momentum.
• The Role of Curiosity: Asking the right questions about data and involving the team can uncover hidden opportunities to enhance operations and client relationships, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Timestamp

• 03:00 – 08:00: Sang shares his background, from hospitality and hotel valuations to entering the veterinary industry by chance at NVA.
• 08:00 – 12:00: Discussion on the unique stories behind hotel and veterinary hospital valuations, highlighting similarities in uncovering financial narratives.
• 12:00 – 18:00: Exploring the balance sheet’s role in valuations and how lifestyle factors influence buyers in hospitality versus veterinary practices.
• 18:00 – 24:00: Sang’s personal transformation as a pet owner and how it reshaped his approach to veterinary practice valuations.
• 24:00 – 30:00: Addressing the innovation gap: the limitations of current practice management software and the need for contextual, dynamic reporting.
• 30:00 – 36:00: The power of timestamps in tracking operational efficiency and client experience, with examples of actionable insights.
• 36:00 – 42:00: The importance of data governance and standardization to enable better integration with other systems like QuickBooks.
• 42:00 – 52:00: Practical steps for practice owners to start addressing the innovation gap, including evaluating current systems and defining desired outcomes.

Sang Park

Owner & Founder, Unique Practice Valuations Inc.
Veterinary Practice Sales & Transition Specialist.
Expert in Mergers & Acquisitions for Veterinary Practices.

Sang Park is a nationally recognized expert in veterinary practice sales, valuations, and exit planning strategy. As the founder of Unique Practice Valuations, Sang brings over 25 years of financial leadership experience and more than a decade of deep specialization in veterinary hospital acquisitions, mergers, and strategic advisory. His mission is simple yet transformative: to empower veterinary practice owners with insider knowledge, tailored valuations, and a clear path to maximize the return on their life’s work.

Prior to launching his own advisory firm, Sang served in leadership roles at two of the most influential veterinary consolidators in North America—VCA Animal Hospitals and National Veterinary Associates (NVA)—where he oversaw and executed hundreds of practice valuations and acquisitions across the U.S. and Canada. He was instrumental in designing risk-based valuation models, building acquisition strategies, and helping shape the financial decision-making processes of multi-billion-dollar organizations. During his time at NVA, he completed over 500 unique hospital valuations, including landmark deals involving specialty hospitals, boarding resorts, and international expansions.

In 2020, he founded Unique Practice Valuations Inc., turning the traditional consolidator-first approach on its head. His firm is built on the principle that veterinary practice owners deserve clarity, control, and top-dollar outcomes when selling their practices. With Sang’s strategic guidance, clients gain access to a level of industry intelligence typically reserved for corporate buyers. As a result, more than 19 different consolidators have extended Letters of Intent (LOIs) to his clients, often yielding offers well above expectations.

What sets Sang apart is not just his insider knowledge but his ability to translate complex financials into clear, actionable strategies. From designing associate buy-ins to preparing multi-year growth plans and transforming practice data into Fortune 100-level KPI dashboards, Sang delivers real, measurable impact.

Practice owners frequently turn to Sang when facing pivotal decisions—whether it’s buying their first hospital, optimizing performance, planning a strategic exit, or navigating the high-stakes consolidator negotiations. As one of his clients, Dr. Julie Medley, put it: “We hired multiple advisors over the years…, but none came close to the expertise of Sang.”

Sang holds a Six Sigma Green Belt and a BA in Economics from UC Irvine. He has held senior analyst and leadership roles in respected organizations such as Biosense Webster (a Johnson & Johnson company), Sprint PCS, and Korean Air, where he honed his financial acumen across multiple industries before entering veterinary healthcare.

Today, Sang remains committed to demystifying the veterinary sale process and helping doctors unlock the hidden value within their practices. He is a sought-after advisor, speaker, and strategic partner for veterinarians who want to make informed, empowered decisions about their businesses and futures.

Connect with Sang:

• LinkedIn
• Website