Support Staff Bios

As a child, Angie would go to work with her best friend’s dad, who owned a veterinary hospital. He hired her when she was 19, and she’s been in the field now for more than a decade. She loves the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others – patients and their owners.

 

Angie has lots of pets: Quincy, a Golden Retriever rescued from a drug-addicted owner; Moose, another Golden because one just isn’t enough; and a small herd of felines. The most recent addition is another orange Tabby cat found in the parking lot and appropriately named Winco. Winco is a rare blood type and may hopefully save another cat's life.

Angie joined OVRA in 2003. She has a bachelor of science degree and is the first veterinary technician specialist in small animal internal medicine in the state of Oregon.

 

Veterinary technician specialists (VTS) are graduates of a program in veterinary technology and/or credentialed to practice in their state. They receive advanced training, often under a veterinary diplomate of internal medicine, cardiology, neurology or oncology.  They possess advanced knowledge of wellness and preventative medicine, a detailed knowledge of complex, acute and chronic disease states, and a thorough knowledge of the anatomy, pathology and pathophysiology of animals.  In addition, they have the ability to perform advanced technical skills associated with their specialty.  These skills can include, but are not limited to, recording echocardiogram images, placing a multi-lumen intravenous catheter to monitor a critical patient, administering chemotherapy to a dog or cat with cancer, performing blood gas analysis for diagnostic testing, or evaluating a slide of bone marrow for sampling technique.

 

The credentialing process is arduous and contains many requirements, including the completion of advanced skills and knowledge lists, continuing education, work experience, case logs, case reports, letters of recommendation, examination in internal medicine and examination in the specialty. Veterinary technology specialization is a growing field. AIMVT is unique in that it is the first umbrella academy to offer the opportunity to specialize in one of five areas of internal medicine. Click here for more information on the Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians.