Dr. Rafique Achmetov, DVM, Emergency and Critical Care ClinicianAn original
Dr. Rif is a member of the America Veterinary Medical Association, the
Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society,
Dr. Rif has a 8 1/2 year old Golden Retriever name "Hops" and "George" a 10 year old Domestic Short Hair. In his free time he enjoys traveling, SCUBA (Rescue and Nitrox certified), hiking, fishing, football and adrenaline sports.
Dr. Susan Barnes, DVM, AECCA Medical Director
Dr. Barnes attended the
Dr. Barnes is a past President of the Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Society as well as the District of Columbia Academy of Veterinary Medicine. She is a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association and past President of the Northern Virginia Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Barnes is a Veterinary Instructor and Consultant for Region Three of the United States Police Canine Association. She lives her life-long passion in emergency critical care medicine and surgery and enjoys teaching and facilitating this discipline to all interested.
Her special interests include sonography, advanced imaging and emergent surgical techniques. She insists upon comprehensive pain management and is an advocate for her patients and their families.
Dr. Barnes lives with her husband, also a veterinarian, and they have five furry children, all of whom are rescued pets: two American Staffordshire Terriers named "Aspen" and "Opie", and three cats, "Dexter", "Thor" and "Charlie". As a previous marathon runner, Dr. Barnes is PADI-certified (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and enjoys scuba and the outdoors whenever possible.
Dr. Steven R. Graves, DVM, Emergency and Critical Care Clinician
Dr. Steven R. Graves is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine who comes to AECCA from
Dr. Graves received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from
He performed a year-long rotating internship at
Dr. Graves went on to become an associate veterinarian with Animal Medical Center of New England/Animal Hospital of Nashua located in
Dr. Graves was next called to serve as an emergency veterinarian at Capital Area Veterinary Emergency Service, a 24-hour referral and emergency hospital. There, Dr. Graves worked diligently as a member of this progressive and high-volume practice, which included internal medicine and surgical specialty services. He gained valuable experience in not only emergency surgery but exotics as well.
Dr. Graves has three pets, "Abby", a labrador-boxer mix, a Siamese cat named "Simone", and "Mari", a Calico. He enjoys mountain biking and fly-fishing in his downtime.
Dr. Robert Justin, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine Specialist
Dr. Justin received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University, and performed his internship and residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. He was board-certified in Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1996.
In 2002, Dr. Justin received the Connie Leifer Award, named by New York Magazine as "one of the top veterinary specialists in the NY metropolitan area."
Dr. Justin medical interests include ultrasound, endoscopy, all areas of internal medicine, including endocrinology, gastrointestinal disease, metabolic disease.
Dr. Justin is an avid outdoorsman and private pilot.
Susan E. Leonard, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
Dr. Leonard received her bachelor of science degree in Pathobiology from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois Veterinary School, located in Champaign-Urbana, IL, and performed her residency at the Veterinary Institute of Trauma, Emergency and Critical Care in Milwaukee, WI.
Dr. Leonard also completed an ACVECC-approved three-year residency in emergency and critical care at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. Dr. Leonard is board-certified through the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.
She is a member of the Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Society, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Northern Virginia Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Leonard is a noted author and has given numerous lectures to law enforcement canine handlers, laypersons, children, veterinary technicians, veterinarians and residents training to be diplomates.
Dr. Leonard's special interests include nutrition, pain management, and intensive care nursing techniques.
Dr. Cynthia Loveland, DVM, Emergency and Critical Care Clinician
Dr. Loveland worked as a Licensed Veterinary Technician while working her way through undergrad school at the University of Maryland, which was completed at Washington State University. She graduated with a double major -- a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science as well as a B.S. degree in biology. She completed a non-thesis masters in microbiology, and went on to receive her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine through Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies. Dr. Loveland completed her internship in emergency and critical care at the Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital in Portland, OR.
Dr. Loveland joined AECCA in May 2006.
Her medical interests include completing a residency in emergency and critical care in the near future, emergent surgery, and working with involved and intense critical care cases.
Dr. Loveland has numerous pets, including "Kanga," a coyote/husky cross, "Chance," a Pointer/Pit Bull cross, "Kamiack," a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd cross, "Forrest," an Irish/English Setter cross, "Seamus," an Irish Setter, three cats named "Grizzly," "Wheat" and "Otumbishi," two cockatiels named "Piranha" and "Nemo," as well as many wildlife rehabs and rescue domestic pets.
Dr. Charla McKoy, DVM, Emergency and Critical Care Clinician
Dr. McKoy attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where she graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Laboratory Animal Science. She went on to obtain her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University in 2001. Upon graduation, she practiced emergency veterinary medicine in Pittsburgh, PA for three years. In 2004, Dr. McKoy moved to Maryland to continue her veterinary emergency and critical care career.
Dr. McKoy came to AECCA in July 2007.
She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Society, the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association, and the Christian Veterinary Fellowship.
Dr. McKoy has an eight year-old cat named "Big Momma."
Dr. Sybille Miller,DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine Specialist
Dr. Miller received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from North Carolina Sate University. She performed her internship with Darien Animal Hospital in Connecticut and her residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Miller was board-certified in Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2003.
Dr. Miller has been providing focused care for patients with multifaceted medical illnesses, their owners and family veterinarians for over 10 years and for the last 3 years in Northern Virgina. She has a special interest in immune-mediated diseases and has conducted research in the area of canine immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.
Dr. Miller and her husband share their home with a pug named Stormie. She is a licensed pilot and a volunteer for Angel Flight and the Homeland Security Emergency Response Team.
Dr. Mark Olcott, DVM, Emergency and Critical Care Clinician
Originally from Upstate New York, Dr. Olcott received his Bachelor’s degree in biology from The State University of New York at Geneseo. He graduated from The New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at
Dr. Olcott is a member of the America Veterinary Medical Association and the Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
Society, and has a particular interests in cardiology, pain management, and the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic modality in Emergency and Critical Care.
He, his wife and three children live locally and have numerous pets, including 3 dogs, 3 cats and a saltwater tropical fish tank. In his free time, Dr. Olcott is a triathlete and avid outdoorsman.
Dr. Danielle Proulx, DVM, Emergency and Critical Care Clinician
Dr. Proulx began her career by studying anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. Following graduation, she spent time in Lopburi, Thailand, where she worked in the veterinary department of a wild animal rescue center.
Dr. Proulx went on to pursue a career in veterinary medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2005. She graduated with honors, and was inducted into The Society of Phi Zeta, the honor society of veterinary medicine. She completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. Following her internship, Dr. Proulx relocated to Virginia, and worked for a year and a half at the Regional Veterinary Referral Center as a staff veterinarian in the emergency and critical care department.
Dr. Proulx joined AECCA in 2008.
Her recreational interests include hiking, camping, rock climbing, traveling and speaking Thai.
Dr. Proulx shares her home with her cats: "Foxy," "Bernard," and "Anna."
Dr. Lisa S. Reese, DVM, Emergency and Critical Care Clinician, DVM Supervisor
Dr. Reese served 4 1/2 years as a veterinary assistant in emergency practice prior to attending veterinary school at Washington State University, Pullman, WA. She went on to attend Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID, where she graduated in 1986 with a bachelor of science degree in Zoology. Dr. Reese received her veterinary degree from Washington State University in 1995, where she also graduated Cum Laude.
Dr. Reese is a member of the National Veterinary Honor Society, the Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Society, and has been a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association for 14 years.
Her medical interests include emergency medicine, critical care medicine, theriogenology, and small mammal and reptile medicine.
Dr. Reese has five cats: two Ragdolls named "Christopher" and "Jinx," a Siamese named "Gremlin," and two Maine Coons named "Kittebunkport" and "Maistro." She also has three dogs, a Mini-Aussie named "Pip", a shih-tzu named "Chaz" and a Bassett Hound named "Dyson," as well as two horses, a half-Arabian named "Tori", and "Majik," who is 7/8 Arabian.
Dr. Reese's hobbies include endurance riding and competitive trail riding, scuba diving, and science fiction books and movies.