Emergency Medicine/Critical Care

Andrea graduated with a BS in Specialized Honours Zoology from the University of Guelph, completed the Veterinary Technician Diploma at the Ridgetown College Campus, and received her master’s degree from the University of Guelph in Veterinary Clinical Studies. Andrea was an ICU technician at the Ontario Veterinary College Health Sciences Centre for 20 years before moving into a supervisory role of the ICU and Anesthesia departments. She achieved the VTS (ECC) certification in 2003. Andrea is also an experienced lecturer, speaker, author of multiple textbooks, and the executive secretary of the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians and Nurses.

Jennifer is a licensed veterinary technician with a master’s degree in animal biology. She attended the University of California, Davis, and later moved to Utah, where she found her passion for emergency and critical care medicine. Jennifer has worked for BluePearl for the past 5 years and is the emergency and critical care supervisor for the BluePearl Pet Hospital in Midvale, Utah. Her interests include post-cardiopulmonary arrest care, transfusion medicine, and bone marrow disease. She is the proud mother of 4 cats. In her down time, she enjoys spending quality time with her spouse snowboarding, mountain biking, dirt biking, and fishing.

Harold is a veterinary practice educational consultant and former manager of the emergency and critical care service at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. He is a co-founder of the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians, a charter member of the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anesthesia and Analgesia, and the past president of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society. He currently serves as President-elect on the Board of Directors for the NAVC. In addition, he is a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. He has spoken at events in 12 countries and has published several book chapters and journal articles.

Amber graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Morehead State University in 2001. She has worked in emergency medicine since 2004 and achieved VTS (ECC) certification in 2014. Currently, she works in the ER/ICU on the Emergency and Nursing Team at MedVet in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her professional interests include CPR, sepsis, and intensive care nursing. She keeps the company of a small ark that includes snakes, lizards, guinea pigs, a parrot, and a dog. During her free time, she enjoys reading science fiction, practicing tai chi, making photo albums, and generally being a bit of a nerd.

Courtney has worked in emergency and specialty veterinary practice for almost 15 years. Her areas of special interest include CPR, mechanical ventilation, one-on-one case management, critical care nursing, critical thinking, and technician/nurse training. She currently works as an instructor for Purdue University’s Veterinary Nursing Distance Learning Program and in the veterinary teaching hospital’s intensive care unit. She lectures nationally and internationally on topics relating to emergency and critical care and has been published in several veterinary technician/nursing journals. In 2019, Courtney was awarded New Educator of the Year by the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators.

Nicola has worked in the veterinary profession since 1994 and is currently the Head Medical Nurse at Plymouth Veterinary Group. She has written for many veterinary publications and textbooks and is the editor of Aspinall’s Complete Textbook of Veterinary Nursing. Nicola won the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA)/Blue Cross award for animal welfare in 2010, and she was designated the SQP Veterinary Nurse of the Year in 2011 and the SQP Nutritional Advisor of the Year (2013). In 2012, Nicola was given the CAW Professional Development Award for outstanding service to the veterinary nursing profession. She is studying for a master’s degree in Advanced Veterinary Nursing from Glasgow University.

Amy is employed by BluePearl Veterinary Partners as a Training Project Manager. After working in general practice, she found her passion in emergency medicine and in 2003 became a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care. She has held several board positions in the Academy of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Technicians & Nurses, including president. Amy has published numerous articles, is an international speaker, has received numerous awards (including 2 Speaker of the Year awards), and is highly involved in her community. She and her wonderful furry kids live in Massachusetts, where you can find her eating chocolate, running in the woods, competing her dogs in agility, and scuba diving in the ocean.

Ken has spent nearly 20 years in practice. He obtained his VTS certification in emergency and critical care, as well as small animal internal medicine, and earned his master’s degree in Veterinary Science. He served as ICU Manager and Blood Bank Manager at Adobe Animal Hospital until 2018, and is now Program Director for the RECOVER CPR Initiative and simulation lab manager of the Park Veterinary Innovation Laboratory at Cornell University. He co-chairs the Veterinary Nurse Initiative and serves as a board member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society, the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians, and the Veterinary Innovation Council.

Louise has contributed to more than 35 books, journal articles, and book chapters, and lectures worldwide on all aspects of anesthesia, emergency and critical care, surgery, and infection control. After 15 years working at PetMedics in Manchester, England, as Head Nurse and then Clinical Director, in October 2015, she moved to Vets Now to take up the position of Clinical Support Manager.

Louise’s interests include all aspects of emergency care, particularly trauma, as well as anesthesia, surgical nursing, infection control, and wound management. In 2016, Louise was delighted to receive the prestigious Bruce Vivash Jones Veterinary Nurse Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of small animal veterinary nursing, as well as the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Golden Jubilee Award for exceptional contribution to veterinary nursing. Louise is the President-Elect for the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians.

Trish Farry is an Australian certified nurse with specialist qualifications in emergency/critical care and anesthesia/analgesia. She is an associate lecturer and clinical instructor in anesthesia at the School of Veterinary Science at The University of Queensland, where she also co-coordinates the final year of the Bachelor of Veterinary Technology program. Her areas of teaching include emergency medicine, anesthesia, analgesia, and clinical practices for undergraduate veterinary and veterinary technology students. She has been President of the Academy of Emergency and Critical Care Technicians as well as a board member of the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists and the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management.

Brianna discovered her passion for veterinary medicine when she worked as an assistant in a small animal clinic while attending college. She changed her career focus to veterinary technology and transferred to Parkland College, graduating from their veterinary technology program in May 2011. She earned her certification in July 2011. She has worked for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center for a little over 4 years. Her special interests are toxicology and animal behavior.

In her spare time, Brianna likes to research genealogy, ride motorcycles with her family, and spend time with her dog, Parker.

Samantha received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Illinois. She also has a master’s degree in leadership and executive coaching. She has worked for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center for 6.5 years and has been a manager for the center for 4.5 years.

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys traveling with her husband Kevin and spending time with her 2 dogs and 4 cats.