Spring 2025 Symposium
Join us in Bend for our third annual Spring Symposium, 5 hours of COVMA approved lectures for both veterinarians and technicians.
Registration for Veterinary Assistants will open on March 10 pending availability.
Event Details
Sunday, April 27, 2025
8:30am – 4:00pm
Riverhouse Convention Center
3075 N. Business 97
Bend, Oregon 97703
Free CE Event
Space is limited. Please RSVP by April 1. Complimentary registration and catered lunch included.
Riverhouse on the Deschutes Convention Center
CVT TRACK
5 Hours of COVMA Approved Credits
8:30-8:50 Registration and Coffee
8:50-9:00 Opening Remarks
9:00-10:00 Lecture 1:
“Anesthesia on the sick patients. Why are they dying and how to prevent it.” -Dr. Andre Shih, DVM, ACVECC, ACVAA
10:00-11:00 Lecture 2:
“Common Oral Pathologies That Affect Our Furry Companions” -Kaitlyn Lopes RVT, VTS (Dentistry)
11:00-11:15 break
11:15-12:15 Lecture 3:
“Personal Finance Fundamentals & Wealth Building” -Dave Johnson, CFO at VRCCO
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:00 Lecture 4
“Complete COHAT from Start to Finish” -Kaitlyn Lopes RVT, VTS (Dentistry)
2:00-3:00 Lecture 5:
“How To Feel Better: The Power of Mindset” -Julie Squires, Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist
DVM TRACK
5 Hours of COVMA Approved Credits
8:30-8:50 Registration and Coffee
8:50-9:00 Opening Remarks
9:00-10:00 Lecture 1:
“Good to Go — Some quick and easy dentistry tips that you can use immediately!” -Dr. G.G. Comet Riggs, DVM, DAVDC
10:00-11:00 Lecture 2:
“Extracorporeal Therapies. Indications for hemodialysis, hemoperfusion and therapeutic plasma exchange” -Dr. Matt Vaughan DVM, ACVIM Internal Medicine
11:00-11:15 break
11:15-12:15 Lecture 3:
“Regulate to Resilience: Harnessing the Nervous System to Prevent Compassion Fatigue” -Julie Squires, Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:00 Lecture 4
“Hypercoagulable state- the silent killer” -Dr. Andre Shih, DVM, ACVECC, ACVAA
2:00-3:00 Lecture 5:
“Canine and Feline Corneal Disease – What Helps and What Hurts” – Dr. Heather Kaese, MS, DACVIM, DACVO Ophthalmology
GUEST SPEAKER
Dr. Andre Shih, DVM, ACVECC, ACVAA
Dr. Andre Shih is one of the few double board certified veterinarians in the US. Dr. Shih’s specialties are Critical Care and Anesthesiology/ Analgesia. He is a prominent lecturer in several national and internal veterinary conferences.
Dr. Shih graduated from the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil with his doctorate degree in Veterinary Medicine in 1999. He completed his residency in Veterinary Anesthesia at the University of Florida. He then completed a fellowship in Veterinary Emergency Medicine and Critical Care.
Dr. Shih is boarded in both the American College of Veterinary Emergency Critical Care and also in the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Following his residency and fellowship, he spent 12 years on faculty as an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.
GUEST SPEAKER
Dr. G.G. Comet Riggs DVM, DAVDC
Dr. G.G. Comet Riggs is a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist™. She
completed her residency in Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.
For three years, Dr. Riggs was head of the dentistry and oral surgery department at a specialty clinic in Seattle, Washington, where she provided advanced dental care to small animals, volunteered for the Woodland Park Zoo, collaborated with other veterinary specialists on complex cases, and trained a resident in dentistry and oral surgery.
Dr. Riggs is currently working part time at Animal Dental Clinic in San Carlos, California. She and her husband are enjoying raising baby George and teaching him about the importance of oral health, diagnostic imaging, and animal medicine. They live with a geriatric cat with a root canal, a middle aged cat with patellar and dental anomaly syndrome (PADS), and a geriatric dog with tooth resorptions.
GUEST SPEAKER
Julie Squires, Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist and Life Coach
Julia is on a mission to transform the world of animal workers. She works specifically with veterinarians, animal research professionals, and animal welfare advocates who face challenges unique to their industry.
Having a background in veterinary medicine, she understands what it takes to care and advocate for animals while meeting all the demands that come with that, in and outside of work. Julia uses cognitive tools and practical skills to guide you back toward a life of purpose: where your needs matter just as much as the needs of the animals and people around you.
GUEST SPEAKER
Kaitlyn Lopes, RVT, VTS (Dentistry)
Kaitlyn Lopes, RVT, VTS (Dentistry), graduated from the veterinary technology program at Carrington College and became a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in 2015.
Her passion for veterinary dentistry began seven years ago when she joined the Animal Dental Clinic in San Carlos, California, where she found assisting in dental procedures deeply rewarding. This experience inspired her to pursue certification as a Veterinary Technician Specialist (Dentistry), a goal she proudly achieved in October 2023. Kaitlyn now looks forward to training other technicians to advance their skills in veterinary dentistry.
VRCCO SPEAKER
Dr. Matt Vaughan, DVM, DACVIM Internal Medicine
Dr. Vaughan provides a range of services in internal medicine (including all types of endoscopy and ultrasound). He attended veterinary school and completed his residency at the University of California, Davis before becoming board-certified. For nearly a decade, Dr. Vaughan worked in a large, private multi-specialty practice in Seattle.
Dr. Vaughan has a special interest in endocrinology, urinary disorders, and interventional radiology, but enjoys all aspects of internal medicine; particularly the variety and complexity that these cases provide.
Excited to be living in Bend, Dr. Vaughan loves exploring the outdoors with his wife and two children. He is an avid amateur triathlete and can often be found on his bike or running a trail.
VRCCO SPEAKER
Dr. Heather Kaese,
Dr. Kaese is a board-certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist and was born in Portland Oregon (but raised in Minnesota). She completed her veterinary degree at the University of Minnesota in 1999. She then focused on her equine interest through an internship in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph Canada. This was followed by a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota.
Her keen interest in ophthalmology led to a Master’s degree in Comparative Immunology with an emphasis on the genetic influences on the development of uveitis in the Appaloosa horse. Heather then completed an Ophthalmology residency with Eye Care for Animals in Chicago, Illinois. Since 2004, she has been a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animal) and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists since 2008.
The majority of Dr. Kaese’s time is spent providing care for cats, dogs, and horses, but she will see almost any animal eye that needs attention. She has enjoyed volunteering her time for zoos and wildlife rehabilitation centers. Her research and practice interests include corneal disease in dogs and cats as well as how immune and infectious diseases of the body can seriously impact eye health. She has served on the Examination and Residency Committees of the American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and looks forward to another year on the Board of the Vision for Animals Foundation.
Outside of work, Dr, Kaese enjoys everything that is outdoors. She lived for two years in Australia and explored the diverse Australian landscapes with her husband and their Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Piper. They are now enjoying exploring the American West as they have lived longest as flatlanders in the land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota.
VRCCO SPEAKER
Dave Johnson, Chief Financial Officer
Dave Johnson serves as the Chief Financial Officer at the Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon, overseeing financial activities for the veterinary services company. He brings over 15 years of experience in financial leadership, having previously held senior finance roles at companies like Microsoft, Starbucks, and Hawaiian Airlines.
Dave holds an MBA in Finance from Seattle University and a BA in Economics from the University of Washington.
Outside of work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife and young daughter, exploring the outdoors, trying out new restaurants, and staying active.
If you have any questions please contact: info@vrcvet.com. We hope to see you at the Spring 2025 Symposium!
Sunday, April 27, 2025
8:30am – 4:00pm
Riverhouse Convention Center
3075 N. Business 97
Bend, Oregon 97703
Space is limited. Please RSVP by April 1. Complimentary registration and catered lunch included.