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We pride ourselves with employing the most
understanding and compassionate staff possible!
career
opportunities
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Managers:
Trisha McLaughlin Practice Manager |
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Riki
Brennan Office Manager
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Barb
Pacitti Technician Administrator |
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Surgical Coordinator
Shaunna Craig
Senior Surgical
Technicians
Anne Garfield
Kim Hansberry
Ashley
Mathiesen
Jennifer Pennington
Shayna Rodriguez
Junior Technicians
Stefanie
Shertzer
Palma Shields
Nicole Wickersham
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Out Patient Coordinator & Senior
Surgical Technician
Laura Bond
Out Patient Technicians
Devon Colston
Melissa D'Armiento
Maureen
Kennedy
Heather LaPolla
Carrie Packer
Jill Schaffling
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Customer Care Specialists
Sue Good
John Groth
Erin Houmas
Jen Murvine
Heather Somers
Lisa Stewart |
Kennel Staff
Crystal
Krieg
Justin McAinley
Brandon O'Keefe
Michelle
Pickron
Miriam Wulfsohn
Day Care
Monica Smith
Nichole Roche
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picture from
www.vettechjournal.com
Congratulations Trisha McLaughlin!!
Trisha McLaughlin, C.V.T. our Practice
Manager was on the October 2006 cover of Veterinary
Technician. There was also an article about her on pages
644-646, along with an The Moment I Knew also on
page 646.
She's on the cover with her Pit Bull Roadie |
Trisha
McLaughlin C.V.T.,
Practice Manager
I was born and
raised in Newtown, PA . I now live in
Warminster, PA with my husband Patrick
and our 4-legged children. Well,
actually one only has 3 legs... Roadie (pitbull), Kira
(pitbull) and Lager (St Bernard) were
all saved/rescued and
our 3 cats.. Jimmy, Killian and
Mowgli (also all rescued). Our first
child was born in December 2004,
Samantha Shea and our second daughter
Makenna joined us March 2008.
I graduated
from Harcum College with my AS in
Veterinary Technology in 1997 and sat
for my state certification the same year
to become a C.V.T. (certified veterinary
technician). I also have taken classes
at Delaware Valley College to finish by
BS and my pre-requisites for Veterinary
school. I, however, started my career
with animals here at Newtown Veterinary
Hospital 19yrs ago when Dr. Guenther was
still the practice owner.
Immediately
after my externship at VHUP, I took a
position in the
emergency room at the University Of
Pennsylvania Veterinary School. After a
few years on the busy overnight shift I
took a job at Veterinary Specialty and
Emergency Center (V.S.E.C.) in
Langhorne. It was there that my passion
for pain management and physical therapy
emerged. I currently sit on a Technician advisory board for
Bayer Animal Health (B.T.A.C) and I am
also a content editor for Veterinary
Technician magazine. I also have written
articles for Veterinary Technician
magazine on Hydrotherapy. I plan on
attending the University of Tennessee in
March 2010 to start my Animal
rehabilitation certification. I love that I am part of such a diverse family at NVH.
The opportunity to continue to grow no
matter how long I have been here keeps
life interesting.
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Riki Brennan
Office Manager
I have been
with Newtown Veterinary Hospital since
1999. I have been the Office Manager
since 2006. I am in charge of all
the community relations projects at the
hospital. Some of these projects include
coordinating the Annual Pet Fair and all
our community outreach programs (such as
career fairs, dog walks, business
association events and girl scout tours
with the help of Devon one of our
technicians ).
I also edit the monthly newsletter,
update our hospital's website, create
advertisements for the hospital and
create all door prizes and sponsorships
used at local school events. I love
talking to clients and playing with the
dogs (I say hi to cats from a distance,
as I am allergic to them), and hope to
work here for a long time to come.
I have a
Heinz 57 Mutt named Bridget born in
2005, a Cockapoo named Maggie born in
2004 and Annie a Labrador mix born in
2009 all of whom were rescued through NVH. I
love to spend time with them. I relax by
reading books, drawing, watching movies,
and gardening.
Happy 10th
Anniversary Riki 1999 - 2009
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Barb Pacitti,
C.V.T.
Technician Administrator
I attended Manor College, the veterinary
technology program, and graduated in 2003 with
my Associate's Degree. I sat for and passed my
certification exam that summer and have been in
this field ever since. I really enjoy working
with animals and trying to help them under the
guidance of a doctor. It is a very satisfying
feeling when you are able to help a being that
is unable to speak and tell you what is
happening to make them feel the way they do.
I started with NVH in September 2003 as a Senior
Surgical Technician and was promoted to
Technician Administrator in the Spring of 2006.
As a Senior Surgical Technician, my
responsibilities include calculating drugs,
inducing anesthesia, intubation of patients,
monitoring EKG Pulse oximiter, blood pressure,
IV catheter placement, recovery of patients and
overall animal care. Along with these duties, as
Technician Administrator, I am also responsible
for the hiring, training, discipline and
scheduling of the Outpatient Technicians, Junior
Technicians and Senior Surgical Technicians.
Being a Manor Grad I have also taken on the
responsibility of hosting externship students.
In this program Vet Tech students come from
Manor College in their last semester to rotate
through our facility and learn hands-on
techniques and how to apply what they have
acquired being in technical school to everyday
teching duties. I have also assisted in teaching
a semester at Manor College. I enjoyed it very
much, but have not had the time to be able to
accomplish this again. I look forward to trying
to fit it into my busy schedule for future
semester if needed.
In my spare time, I like to spend time with my family,
close friends, my son Frankie and my dogs Stella
and Molson. I also enjoy the behavior training
aspect of veterinary medicine and like to help
educate clients and fellow staff members in this
area in my spare time. I have helped with
retraining and placement of dogs in new homes
and also have helped educate clients on what
breeds are appropriate for their households. It
is amazing what a little redirection, retraining
and exercise can do for a dog that is
labeled as destructive or hopeless! It is very
satisfying to me to be able to modify some
unwanted behaviors with positive reinforcement
and placing the dog in the proper home where
they will receive the attention that they need
to keep them in a healthy state of mind.
I have been married since September 2006 and live with
my very understanding and tolerant husband
Frank. I also share a home with my dogs Molson
(who was rescued) and Stella (who I acquired as
a puppy) and of course my son Frankie who has
started to show a large interest in the dogs
since his birth in November 2008. |
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Shaunna Craig Surgical
Coordinator
I
have been a Senior Surgical Technician at NVH
since March of 2007. I started working in the
veterinary field in 1992. Prior to working as a
technicians I was part of a 4H program where I
showed sheep, pigs, cattle and horses. Since
working as a technician, I have worked in small
animal and emergency practices. Furthermore, I
participated in Rodeos from 1995 to 2000. Aside
from my work as a veterinary technician I am
also a firefighter, EMT, and a CPR/First Aid/AED
instructor. In addition, I am certified in
animal training and behavior modification. I was
married in 2005 and have a son, Aidan who was
born in 2006 and a daughter, Kiernan born in
2008 . My extended family includes three Basset
Hounds, a Labrador Retriever & German Shepherd Mix, a Doberman,
3
cats and a blue and gold Macaw. |
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Laura Bond
Out Patient Coordinator
My
name is Laura and I started at the
practice in May 2006.
When I first came to NVH I started in
kennels. After a few months I began as an
outpatient technician working in
appointments. Now I am the Out Patient
Coordinator for the hospital and a Senior
Surgical Technician. I have been able to
learn so much since coming to work at NVH.
What I appreciate the most about working
here are the people I work with on every
level and the quality of veterinary medicine
that I get to be a part of. Not only do we
have a caring, gentle, and compassionate
staff, but we work together as a team to set
a high standard of care for our patients.
My furry family includes my two black cats Moses and
Sophia... they are perfect!... I am married
and have a baby due to arrive in July 2010. |
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Anne Garfield
Senior Surgical Technician
For
as long as I can remember, I have had a passion
for helping animals. Even as a child, if there
was an injured animal in the yard, I would bring
it inside and try to nurse it back to health. I
even tried to save a butterfly once! At that
time, I didn't know that animal nursing would
turn out to be my career. After high school, I
attended Antonelli Institute of Art and
Photography and graduated with a degree in
commercial art in May of 1997. It wasn't long
after graduation that I realized I preferred to
keep art as a hobby. This is when I found
Montgomery Animal Hospital. I started working
there as a kennel assistant in August of 1998.
Eager to learn more, I left MAH in February of
2000 and began working at the Veterinary
Referral Center in Malvern, PA. This practice
specializes in orthopedic and soft tissue
surgery, ultrasound, cardiology, internal
medicine, dermatology and dentistry. What a
great place to learn! After nine educational
years, I left my position as supervising nurse
of soft tissue surgery to come work as a senior
technician at NVH. I started here on June 1,
2009 and hope to be here for quite some time. I
am very happy to be part of such a great
practice.! |
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Kim Hansberry
Senior Surgical Technician
Hi! I
was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia.
I've always wanted to work in the veterinary
field. It's my passion. I started working at NVH
on June 9, 2008. Prior to Newtown Veterinary
Hospital, I worked as a technician at Pet's Best
Friend Hospital for three years. I have two
cats, Holly and Leah, and one dog, Jingles. I'm
very proud to be a part of taking care of
animals and at NVH I feel as though they receive
high-quality care. I'm looking forward to my
future in the veterinary field.
Congratulations Kim on her promotion to
Senior Tech March 2010! |
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Ashley Mathiesen
Senior Surgical Technician
I was born in NY and grew up in Las
Vegas. I've spent most of my childhood traveling
between both cities until I finally settled here
in PA. I started out as an Exam Room Technician
in 2001 and through interest and training have
worked my way up to a Senior Surgical Technician. My job
duties include animal restraint, x-rays, blood
withdrawal, monitoring anesthesia and
giving lots of love to our sick and recovering
animal friends while they are here. My interests
in the animal field are in nutrition and
behavior.
I am a proud owner of a Pit Bull born in 2005, her name
is Layla. She was a rescue dog who went from no
collar to a Coach collar!
I am expecting my first child in July 2010 and will be
getting married in July 2011. |
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Jennifer Pennington
Senior Surgical Technician |
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Stefanie Shertzer
Junior Technician
Hello my name is Stefanie and I have been at NVH
since August 2007. I currently live in Gelnside
with my two children, Ryan born October 2003 and
Camryn born April 2006. I have a dog named Logic
born in September 2002 that I adopted while in
Florida.
I hope to go back to school in the future for radiology
technology.
In my spare time I love to ski, go camping and go
tubing. |
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Palma Shields
Junior Technician
All
my life I have loved animals. I have over 10
years experience in the veterinary field. Five
years alone in emergency services. I started at
NVH in March of 2009 working part-time in the
daycare then began as a Junior Technician
shortly after. I currently live in Holland with
my boyfriend Jay and our beautiful daughter Lyla.
Another member of my family is my Maine Coon
mix, Webster that I have cared for since birth.
Some of my passions are bottle feeding kittens
and puppies and caring for sick and injured
animals. I look forward to seeing you and your
pet. |
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Nicole Wickersham
Junior Technician
I was born in Trenton, NJ and moved
between the Poconos and Bucks County before
settling in Lower Bucks County with my husband,
Joe. We were married in February 2000.
I started at NVH in April 2009 as a Junior Technician.
My duties include assisting the doctors in exam
rooms, blood draws, taking radiographs and
filling prescriptions, along with training to
become a surgical technician. Prior to coming on
board here at NVH I worked at small
animal/avian/exotic and emergency practices. I
also briefly left the field to work in a
biomedical laboratory, but quickly found that I
was anything but happy not working with animals
on a daily basis.
When I'm not at work I enjoy going to the beach,
reading, painting, horseback riding and just
hanging out with my husband and our extended
(furry) family which includes 5 cats (Isis, Max,
Dodger, Jimmy and Loki), 2 dogs (Ginger and
Wally) and1 feisty albino California Kingsnake
(Persephone).
I've enjoyed my time here at NVH so far and am proud to
work with such a caring, compassionate group of
people. |
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Devon Colston
Out Patient Technician
I have
been with Newtown Veterinary Hospital since June
of 2009. I have many years experience with
animals and six years alone in the veterinary
field. My job is to greet you and your pet, take
histories, vital signs and walk you through the
exam process, plus so MUCH MORE. I also assist
veterinarians with treatments, restraint, x-rays
and education. In addition, I am in charge of
educating school age children and girl scouts on
small animal science, behavior and the care they
require. My specialty is canine behavior. My
philosophy is that pets are family and are to be
treated as such. They deserve the best. Pets
thrive on love, kindness and attention and that
is what they will get here at NVH.
I am the proud parent of two little girls named Natalie
and Nina and two canine boys, Brandon
(corgi mix) and Oscar (miniature dachshund).
They are my life, are extremely active in my
work and they share my love for animals. Oscar
even performs in my demos.
In addition to full-time work and full-time parenting,
I am also a student pursuing a degree in Animal
Behavior. I am looking forward
to meeting you and your pet and I am honored to
be a part of this wonderful team!!! |
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Melissa D'Armiento Out
Patient Technician
I was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey but
moved to Newtown when I was little and have
been living here ever since. My love for
animals began when I became a volunteer at Indian Walk
Veterinary Hospital in November 2004. I began working as
a Kennel Assistant for while I was attending Villa
Joseph Marie High School. After graduating, I was
accepted into West Virginia University where I received
a bachelor's in Animal and Veterinary Science in
December 2009. After graduating from West Virginia
University, I began working as a technician here at NVH.
I hope to be a part of this family for years to come! I
am currently in the process of applying to veterinary
school and hope to become a successful veterinarian
someday.
I have one cat named Princess. Princess was a stray
kitten who I took in and nursed back to health. She is
the love of my life and I couldn't imagine life without
her. |
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Maureen Kennedy
Out Patient Technician/Receptionist
I was born and raised in Northeast
Philadelphia. I am married to a wonderful man
named Bill whom I married in October 2008. We
have four cats (Dakota, Gulliver, Johnny and
Murphy) that are
very mischievous and our Golden Retriever,
Elvis. In October 2009 we added our son Connor
to our family.
A 2005 graduate of Harcum College with a
degree in Animal Center Management, I joined the
NVH staff with previous working experience at a
24 hour emergency veterinary hospital. I started
here at Newtown Vet in May 2007. |
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Heather LaPolla
Out Patient Technician
Hello, my name
is Heather and I have been at Newtown Veterinary
Hospital since October 2009. I have been in the
veterinary field since 2003. I am an out patient
technician. My duties are assisting doctors in rooms,
taking radiographs, filling prescriptions and more.
I am proud to be on such a great team. Everyone here is
so friendly and willing to help. I look forward to a
long career at NVH.
I have two dogs at home (Lexus and Rascal). |
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Carrie Packer
Out Patient Technician
I was born and
raised in a small suburb just north of Boston, Mass. I
started at NVH in February of 2010. Prior to this I have
worked at Warminster Veterinary Hospital as an
Assistant/Receptionist, and Southampton Veterinary
Hospital as a Veterinary Technician. I have always had a
passion for animals as far back as I can remember, if
ever I came across an animal in pain my first instinct
would be to help and nurture it. At NVH I feel I am part
of a great team, for the staff and I truly care about
the comforts and needs of our patients in the animal
community. Currently, I am attending Bucks County
Community College where I am working towards an
Associates Degree.
In 2008 I moved to Yardley, PA where I now reside with
my husband Mitchell and our dog Alex. Alex is a
Yorkie-Poo and I must say he is adorable as well as
intelligent. I love him with all of my heart and nothing
makes me more joyful than to see him happy and active.
He was born in June 2001.
In my free time I enjoy cooking, baking, painting,
learning to knit, reading, gardening, and of course
traveling.
I hope to see you and your pet soon! |
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Jill Schaffling
Out Patient Technician
I was
born in Langhorne, PA. I attended Delaware
Valley College for a Bachelor of Science in
Animal Biotechnology and Conservation. I am also
hoping to go back to college for my
certification in radiology. I have been with NVH since
May 1, 2008 and have worked at other veterinary
hospitals and a zoo before coming here.
I have four cats, three dogs and a bearded dragon.
At the moment, I am a technician and always
ready to learn more. I am here to assist you and
your pet as well as the doctor and I love
hearing everyone's stories. The best part is
watching a puppy or kitten grow up as a healthy,
happy adult in a loving home! |
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Sue Good
Receptionist
I
started at NVH in August 2008. I was born and
raised in Bucks County. I graduated from West
Chester University with a B.S. in Finance in
2001. Prior to NVH, I had been working in the
mortgage banking industry for several years. I
have had a love for animals since I can
remember, which is how I ended up with a
full-time position here at NVH. I have always
grown up with dogs, rabbits, hamsters and
turtles - I tortured my parents! I currently
live in Newtown with my husband Chris. We have the
friendliest Shiba Inu named Bailey, two cats
that my husband rescued (Lola and Bear) and Mr.
Bigz, a whopping 3.8 pound Chihuahua! |
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John Groth
Receptionist
In
November of 2005, I started working at the Front
Desk at NVH. I moved to Newtown in 1993 from New
York (hence the accent), and was also a previous
client. Having the opportunity to have been on
both sides of the fence, I was always extremely
satisfied with the medical care my cat Muffin
received. She was the sweetest cat in the world
at home, but unfortunately had the reputation of
being one of the meanest patients. The proof of
the wonderful care she received was that she
lived until almost 22 years. When I started
working here, I was actually in awe of the love
and devotion that the doctors and staff have for
the patients that they treat. They always try
and go the extra distance, and I am proud to be
on their team. Before coming to NVH, I worked in
the fashion/textile industry, but when the
industry dried up here and went offshore, it was
impossible to find work. I love travel (favorite
cities London, Paris and of course my hometown
of New York), music (favorites still being the
Beatles and Motown), movies (Star Wars, Harry
Potter and vintage movies), reading, collecting
(vintage Star Wars and Barbie), designing and
cooking. I am now the proud "Dad" of Harry,
Hermoine and Ron, 3 cats that I adopted from
here. |
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I was born and
raised in Levittown, PA where I still
live today with my husband Demetrios and
our four cats Pepper, Millie, Raven, and
Darby and our dog Ellie. We were married
in October 2005.
After
graduating from Neshaminy HS in 1997, I
made one of the most difficult decisions
of my life. Being the "homebody" that I
am, I chose to go four hours away to
college, to the University of
Connecticut. It is not that far, but for
me it was a big step. I have a lot of
family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) in
Massachusetts which helped a little, but
it wasn't home. I learned a lot about
myself in those four years and in the
end I graduated in May 2001 with a BS in
Animal Science. Two days after
graduation I started working here at NVH.
I graduated in
February 2006 from Holy Family
University with a degree in Elementary
Education... a big leap from the animal
world but the explanation on this one
would take up about 5 more pages!! I
still work at NVH on weekends and
occasionally during the week if they
need me. I am currently a substitute
teacher in the Bristol Township.
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Jen Murvine
Receptionist
I was born and raised in Bensalem,
Pennsylvania. I am married to a great man
named Ron. We have three wonderful boys.
Dylan born 1999, Vance born 2002, Mason born
2009, and Milow
(our four-legged son) born 2000. We
absolutely cherish our boys. I began working
at NVH in September 2006. I enjoy helping
our clients and greeting the pets as they
come in. I love being part of the NVH team! |
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Heather Somers
Receptionist
Hi!
I've worked in animal care sporadically from
2000 on. I decided to make a career out of
it at the end of 2007. That brought me to
NVH in October 2008. In November 2008 I
started classes at Penn Foster College to
earn my Associate of Science Degree as a
Veterinary Technician. At home, I have two
beautiful cats, Bella (grey & white) and
Romeo (black & white). They are wonderful
little trouble makers. Things that make me
happy are my cats (obviously), my family and
friends, music, board games, Broadway,
writing, skinny vanilla lattes, Wawa iced
tea and Madeline Kahn movie marathons. |
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I was born in
Bristol, PA, but we moved to North
Carolina since my dad was in the Army.
After four years, we were transferred to
Germany, where my brother was born.
After Desert Storm, Dad retired from the
Army and we moved to Levittown.
I started at
NVH in the summer of 2003 as a kennel
assistant, working part-time until I
graduated from Harry S. Truman HS in
2004. After graduation I began working
full-time and was soon promoted
to Kennel Supervisor. This has given me
an opportunity to make a difference at
the hospital.
I have a Husky
mix named Toby, born in 2002, and a cat
named Mew, born in 2004, whom I rescued
as a three day old kitten who needed to
be bottle fed. I also have another mix
breed dog named Prince I just adopted
from Pet Guardian.
I enjoy
shopping, being with my friends, horse
back riding, and spending time with my
family.
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Justin McAinley
Animal Caretaker |
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Brandon O'Keefe
Animal Caretaker |
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Michelle Pickron
Animal Caretaker
Hi, my name is Michelle Pickron. I
have been working at Newtown Veterinary Hospital
as an animal care taker since August 2008. I
have been in the veterinary field since August
2007 and have grown to love it very much. I am
currently attending Temple University with the
intention of graduating in 2010. I have two
domestic shorthair cats K.J. (boy) and Macy
(girl) who I love very much. I enjoy reading,
listening to music, word puzzles, and spending
time with my grandchildren (Kenneth Jr., Sanai
and Tae Michon) |
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Miriam Wulfsohn
Kennel Assistant
My mother fled Germany to Africa during the war. There
in Africa she met and married my father. I was
born in Zambia and lived there, Zimbabwe and
South Africa. I went to boarding school in the
south of England at St. Mary's then to
Switzerland to learn French. I have traveled
Europe and even had the Mumps in Manchester,
England!
I moved to the United States in 1968 and have
lived in the Philadelphia area ever since.
Miriam is a resident of the Wood's School in
Langhorne, PA, a place that serves individuals
with special needs. She has been with Newtown
Veterinary Hospital since 1996 and helps us
clean up after and walk our dogs. This job
provides her the opportunity to work and
interact with the animals and the public. |
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Newtown Veterinary Hospital is proud to
offer
Day Care Services to employees who are
working mothers! |
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Monica Smith
Head Teacher in Day Care Hi, my name is Monica and I
am the Head Teacher here at the NVH Kid's Korner.
When Newtown Veterinary Hospital moved to their
beautiful new building in 2009, they started a
day care for employee's children. It is a
wonderful addition to an already wonderful
environment! I have been working with children
for 13 years and have my CDA (Child Development
Associate). I have been a nanny and also a Head
Teacher at The Goddard School for many years. I
live in Doylestown, PA with my wonderful 5 year
old son, Ashton, and our 13 year old shepherd
mix, Star, a.k.a. Boo-Boo. I love children and
animals, so NVH is the perfect fit. |
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Nicole Roche
Day Care Assistant Hi, my
name is Nicole and I am a teacher in Kids Korner.
I started working here when they opened the new
building. I live in Holland with my husband
Sonny and our three beautiful boys Sonny, Colin
and Brad. I love the opportunity that I have
here to be with these great kids and watch them
grow! |
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last edited
07/29/2010 |
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