We understand how disruptive a service interruption can be. At Shepherd, we take every outage seriously and strive to learn from each one to strengthen our tools and support. This guide is designed to help your team stay operational and continue patient care during any downtime.

How to know if there is a service interruption.

First and foremost, create a clear communication and action plan before any downtime occurs. While we work hard to avoid interruptions, they can happen unexpectedly - having a plan helps reduce stress and keeps your team focused.

Questions to Consider:

Notes: Templates are available below. We recommend bookmarking this page on your devices for quick reference during a disruption. You may also consider creating an "In Case of Emergency" document to print and place within your practice, which could cover software issues, but also local emergency contact numbers such as the alarm company, electric, local police and fire, etc.

We know it is tough to continue patient care without access to medical records. Read-only Mode gives your team access to essential data to help minimize disruption to your practice and patient care.

https://ees.shepherd.vet

Read-only Mode is always available and can be accessed at any time. At the bottom of your normal login page, you'll have a toggle available to switch to Read-only Mode, or Shepherd will automatically redirect you to this page.

Log in to Read-only Mode access with your standard login credentials.

Coming soon: Enhancements to include scheduled treatments and more.

We recommend keeping a log available for your team to use to record any incoming calls and follow-up needed once Shepherd is restored. You can store the call log in Google Drive or a central place everyone can access. This is helpful for writing down anything like Rx refills needed, callbacks being returned, appointment requests, etc.

In Read-Only mode, click Schedule from the navigation menu to access today's appointments; that way, you still know who will be arriving for an appointment and why they are coming in.

To download a medical record, search for the patient under Clients & Patients, click on the three dots on the right-hand side under Actions, and select Medical Record Export.

Note: Large records may take extra time to download.

We recommend keeping a blank copy of your consent forms to use during any downtime, but here are some templates you may use if needed. Once service is restored, you can upload completed forms into the patient’s SOAP or profile.

You can use the following SOAP template and body maps to record medical notes during downtime. Tip: Make a copy of the template to edit it electronically. Typing an electronic copy (vs handwriting) makes it easy to paste the notes into the SOAP when Shepherd is restored.

Since you can’t print prescription labels in Read-Only Mode, you’ll need to handwrite them. We recommend having a sample of a prescription label so your team knows what information must be included, or having a roll of handwritten sticker labels available. Take a photo of each prescription so it can be uploaded into Shepherd once service is restored.

Example Rx Label:

You can use the following rabies certificate template to create a certificate, or you may opt to email or mail the client a copy after Shepherd is back online. Take a photo or make a copy of the certificate so it can be uploaded into Shepherd once service is restored.

In Read-Only mode, you can create an estimate for a patient. Estimates include your current products, bundles, and pricing, allowing you to prepare for appointments and procedures. They also help you see what’s included in each service bundle, ensuring nothing is missed during appointments, surgeries, or treatments.

To create an estimate, search for the patient under Clients & Patients, click on the three dots on the right-hand side under Actions, and select Add Estimate.

Once created, you can print the estimate and have the client sign it. Once Shepherd is restored, you can upload the signed estimate to the appropriate SOAP or profile.

Outside of estimates, product pricing is available via:

In Read-Only, you can search a client's name to view all active and completed invoices. You’ll be able to view or print any of these as needed.

You cannot create new invoices in Read-Only mode. However, you can use estimates to confirm pricing. You can still collect payment and then mail or email the invoice once Shepherd is back online.

Even when Shepherd is unavailable, you can continue collecting payments through the Shepherd Pay Portal. Once service is restored, be sure to manually enter those payments into Shepherd to keep patient and financial records accurate.

For step-by-step guidance on processing and recording these transactions, refer to our Shepherd Pay Help Article.

Need help logging in to your Shepherd Pay Portal?
Call our Merchant Support Team at 732-323-8300.