Bethan Lewis Delorme, Practice Manager
Coleen Moen, Office Manager

Veterinary Office Assistant (VOA) Team

Lindsay Anderson
Julie Dams, Assistant Manager
Megan Hasselbach
Sonal Prasad, VOA
Babal Sanghera, VOA
Ashleigh White

About the Veterinary Office Assistant (VOA) Team

by Lindsay Anderson, B.A., VOA

Working as a VOA at the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic (VAEC) means we never know what will happen on our shift. Our job is often described as the front line because we are usually the first people to know what emergency is due to arrive. We are there even when "surprise" emergencies enter our front door. That makes triaging patients (deciding who needs immediate medical attention) a large and important part of our job. We are trained to recognize or listen for certain symptoms that indicate the need for immediate attention by the medical staff. Whether we perform triage by telephone or in person, we are able to get the patient to our emergency veterinarian and medical support team quickly.

Sometimes we act as a messenger between the veterinary staff and the pet owner. When a pet with a serious emergency arrives, the VOA rushes the patient to the treatment area where the medical staff can start working. During the time the patient is undergoing assessment and supportive treatment, the patient and the client are separated for a brief time. The VOA on duty acts as a liaison between the veterinarian (who cannot leave the patient) and the client. We gather important information about the patient as well as help the owner during a stressful time.

Our role on the telephone is another important service VAEC provides. We speak to concerned callers; we gather as much pertinent information as we can about the situation. Many questions can be answered right away, but others require the input of the veterinarian on duty. Since the veterinarians often have their hands too busy to come to the phones themselves, we relay as much advice as we can from them to the caller.

Naturally, our job consists of organizing and filing paperwork, faxing, checking in and discharging patients, answering phones, and various multi-tasking. However, it is the knowledge that every day is unpredictable at the clinic and that our work is helping families and pets in their greatest time of need that makes working at VAEC a truly unique experience.