BOSTON, Mass. — Lisa Quinones, a 2008 graduate of the Veterinary Technology program, is one of a handful of associate degree Certified Veterinary Technicians (C.V.T.s) working at Angell Animal Medical Center, an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA)-accredited facility in Boston that provides veterinary and specialty care each year to more than 50,000 animals from around the United States.
She is in her fifth year, currently as surgery department supervisor and anesthesia technician, at the teaching hospital where she and a co-worker supervise a staff of C.V.T.s , are in charge of scheduling, and oversee work on the floor. She also is the anesthesia trainer for the technicians.
Today’s progressive veterinary practices cannot operate efficiently without the skills of veterinary technicians on staff, said Laurie Cordaro, C.V.T. and manager of surgery services at Angell.
“It’s important to have well-educated, well trained technicians working at a teaching hospital like Angell where they are highly valued,” she said. “Lisa has excellent communication skills, along with confidence in her abilities. Her degree was absolutely the reason she was hired. She saw the value of certification, and she is serious about her profession. She came to us with a strong base knowledge, is motivated and has compassion and integrity. We’d love to hire more Tri-County grads just like Lisa.”
Quinones said she was uniquely prepared for the job because of two people, Dr. Peggy Champion (former department head) and Christee Williams (instructor and C.V.T.).
They instilled confidence in her abilities — something Quinones says she didn’t possess when she entered the program in 2005. She had dropped out of high school her senior year while living in New York.
“I was working minimum wage jobs that weren’t going anywhere,” she said. “I had no direction, no motivation.”
She moved to South Carolina to be near her father, who had suffered a stroke.
Although a high honor roll student in high school, looking back, Quinones says she stood in her own way.
“I was conflicted, and fear and apathy got the better of me,” she said.
After relocating, she began to contemplate her future. She got her GED and was accepted into the Veterinary Technology program.
After graduation she worked at the Greenville Animal Emergency clinic where she had done her externship. After several years she began to look at career opportunities and wanted to move to Boston.
“Angell has the reputation for being one of the best animal hospitals in the country so I decided to go for it and apply when I saw an opening,” she said. “I knew I was well prepared but I didn’t really know how much until I got here.
“I was proficient in anesthesia, and they were looking for a graduate from an accredited school and one who was licensed,” she added. “They also understood the value of education and recognized the importance of passing the national licensing exam, the VTNE. They recognize how vital technicians are to the veterinary team. I love it here.”
