AAHA honors Veterinary Technician of the Year winner and finalists

Veterinary technicians play an important role in veterinary teams. Since 2022, AAHA has recognized these important team members with the Veterinary Technician of the Year Award (VTOY), which honors one winner and three finalists. This year’s honorees took time out of their busy schedules to answer a few questions about the award and their profession. 

AAHA 2024 VTOY winner  

Su Via Chong, Student Veterinary Nurse 

As the winner of the VTOY award, Su Via Chong stands out among veterinary technicians, especially considering that her home country of Malaysia does not legally or publicly recognize veterinary nurses, which leads to underpayment, unfair working conditions, and a poor public perception of the profession. Nevertheless, Chong not only excels in her work as a veterinary nurse, but advocates for the field itself in her limited spare time.  

In 2022, Chong founded the Malaysian Association of Veterinary Nurses and Assistants (MAVNA) with five major objectives in mind: to promote legal and public recognition of the roles of veterinary nurses, to advocate for accessible and affordable education for veterinary nurses and assistants, to advocate for the regulation, legislation and credentialing of qualified and certified veterinary nurses, to set a high standard of veterinary nursing and care for the profession, and to represent the veterinary nursing profession in all official matters, as well as to advocate for fair pay and labor practices for the veterinary nurses of Malaysia.  

Within her first year running MAVNA, Chong organized Malaysia’s first veterinary symposium with full attendance of 150 participants.  Chong has been described as someone “who will change the entire industry of veterinary medicine in Malaysia” by a former colleague. Her advocacy is laying important groundwork, not only for Malaysian veterinary nurses, but for veterinary medicine at large. 

AAHA 2024 VTOY Finalists 

Rebecca Bartley, RVT, CCMT

Rebecca Bartley is committed to being the voice that animals lack, which is one of the reasons her practice, Trooper Pet Veterinary Nursing, has expanded to over 1,300 clients since 2016. Those clients praise her communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to work with difficult and aggressive animals. As a practice owner, her team says that Bartley’s leadership, commitment to excellence, and community involvement make her an outstanding professional in the field. 

Ryanne Heiny, CVT, VTS 

Ryanne Heiny has worn many hats in the veterinary field, including veterinary tech trainer, lead medicine tech, and AIVM board member and exam writer, in addition to her current role as a veterinary technician at BluePearl NE Portland. Heiny’s broad scope of knowledge makes her a strong, versatile leader and teacher. Her clients, coworkers, and past residents describe her as both “exceptional” and “accomplished.” 

Leslie Krohn, CVT 

Leslie Krohn works at the Grove Veterinary Clinic in Oregon. She’s been there for 15 years and has over 25 years of experience as a veterinary technician. As the only CVT in her practice, she is the go-to for challenging cases. Krohn is described as both gritty and quick. 

AAHA asked our winner and finalists five questions about their experiences and work overall. Here’s what they had to say.

What does being recognized for this award mean to you?

Su Via Chong: Winning this award truly meant the world to me as an advocate for veterinary nurses and assistants in my country, Malaysia. This award allows me to deliver the important message to my fellow veterinary nurses that achieving great things and gaining recognition for our efforts is possible. We are not limited by what others think of us and with dedication and determination, we can reach new heights and become the best versions of ourselves. 

Rebecca Bartley: Even being recognized for this reward is a testament that my hard work is paying off. I am extremely proud of the business and community I have created, and recognition and praise motivate me (and also challenge me) to do more and be better—for not only our fur-friends but to advocate for other RVTs as I have been doing.

Ryanne Heiny: Winning even the finalist position for Veterinary Technician of the Year is an honor. I never considered even being nominated, to be honest, as I am not working in any of the career or veterinary medicine-changing roles. There’s some imposter syndrome that comes into play with that reaction, but at the same time, being nominated as a finalist makes me feel proud of the work I do daily.  

Leslie Krohn: This recognition is an incredible honor and validation of the dedication and love I pour into my work every day. Being a finalist is a reminder that every patient we
help, every team member we support, truly makes a difference. 

What characteristics make a veterinary technician great?

Su Via Chong: Compassion and empathy towards our patients and their people, for our colleagues, and especially towards grieving or impatient owners. Honesty, integrity, accountability as veterinary medical professionals, and mindfulness of how our words and actions have impacts on others. The ability to not take bad things personally, and being able to laugh at ourselves, along with being a great team player, are all the characteristics that make a veterinary technician great! 

Rebecca Bartley: Aside from the obvious love and compassion towards animals and their people, a great veterinary technician is also compassionate and kind to their team members. They do not dwell on the small stuff and can laugh off a bad mood in the clinic. They view colleagues as team members and friends to work together with and provide the best care possible. A great veterinary technician will also look for opportunities to uplift and motivate other members of the veterinary industry. 

Ryanne Heiny: I think for a veterinary technician to be genuinely great, they need to love what they do and be resilient, given the negative aspects of our field. Empathy, not only for the patients but also for their caregivers and families, is also extremely important. Lastly, every good technician should be willing and wanting to continue their learning at every step of their career, as medicine is ever evolving. 

Leslie Krohn: A great veterinary technician embodies empathy, resilience, and a constant curiosity to learn. Balancing compassion with a strong work ethic and the courage to face challenges is key to caring for animals and supporting the team. This is a tough job. It really starts with hard work and grit, but at the same time, there needs to be a lot of love and empathy.  Our culture at Grove Vet Clinic is built on a concept called GRIT + LOVE.  Dr. Charles Hurty built this idea to help the team during COVID-19, and we have continued to rally behind this idea to help us get through our everyday. 

What should practices do to support veterinary technicians?

Su Via Chong: The first step practices should take to support their veterinary technicians is to delegate patient care responsibilities to them. Trusting in the skills of our veterinary nurses and technicians and involving them as part of the patient management team enables the practice to provide better quality patient care and enhances job satisfaction among our veterinary staff. 

Rebecca Bartley: Allowing veterinary technicians to utilize all their skills in practice is how practice owners and managers can support VTs. But also listening to their brilliant ideas, having routine team meetings to collaborate on what’s working well and what could be improved, etc. Also, practices that support continuing education and additional training are not only investing in their team—they are increasing their hospital services and accessibility to their patients. 

Ryanne Heiny: Practices should do many things to support veterinary technicians, one of the most critical being protecting the credentialed technician title. This plays a crucial role in helping the public understand the technician’s skill, increasing technician utilization, and elevating technician pay—all of which the profession has struggled with over the decades.   

Leslie Krohn: Supporting veterinary technicians means creating a culture of respect and providing opportunities for growth. Offering resources for mental health and prioritizing work-life balance can help technicians continue to thrive and deliver high-quality care.  Again, I would reference Dr. Hurty’s GRIT + LOVE culture—we really seek to take care of ourselves as we take care of our patients and clients. 

What do you wish others knew about your work?

Su Via Chong: I wish for our veterinary nurses and assistants in my country to know that with education, ambition, and community support, the sky is the limit for what we can achieve. Seven years ago, when I first entered the veterinary industry as a veterinary assistant at a big practice, I had the impression that all we are able to do are simple, menial tasks, and have been asked countless times about why I want to “stay down there” by being a veterinary nurse. I wish for the public to know the importance of our roles as the backbone in the veterinary clinical practice, that veterinary nurses are the eyes, ears, nose, and hands of our veterinarians, and are the voices for our patients who are not able to advocate for themselves. Lastly, I also wish for our veterinarians to be more inclusive of veterinary nurses as part of the team in healthcare. Veterinary nurses should be given the opportunity to be the best versions of themselves that they can be in order for them to provide the best in their ability in contributing towards the care of the patients in the clinical practice. 

Rebecca Bartley: With my unique role here in Ontario I am trying to advocate for RVTs that if they are unhappy or feeling unfilled that there are so many different career opportunities for registered vet techs. Mental health in the vet industry is at an all-time low while burn-out is at an all-time high. I believe the answer to combating this is not to leave the industry but to find your niche within it.   

Ryanne Heiny: I wish others, particularly those outside the profession, realized how much the technicians in their practices truly care. Veterinary technicians are some of the hardest working, badass, and supportive people I’ve ever met. We usually have a wicked sense of humor, are uniquely able to trauma bond into work families, and through all it all still love our patients. 

Leslie Krohn: I wish more people understood the depth and complexity of the challenges we face as technicians. From medical procedures to patient advocacy, our work is both mentally and physically demanding, but the reward of helping animals and their owners make it worthwhile. 

What motivates you most in your career?

Su Via Chong: There are two major factors that motivate me to give my best in everything I do and really keeps me going. The first, and the most important, are our veterinary patients who cannot speak for themselves. As a veterinary nurse, my priority will always be to advocate for them, providing comfort and love when they need it most—when they are sick and away from their families—and creating the best environment for their recovery. The second factor is my dedication to the profession of veterinary nursing and to every veterinary nurse in Malaysia so that they will be respected and recognized as vital members of the veterinary team. MAVNA advocates for affordable and accessible education, fair labor practice and pay, public and legal recognition, legislation and regulations, and unconditional community support for all veterinary nurses and assistants everywhere. 

Rebecca Bartley: Like anyone who joined the veterinary field, it wasn’t for the money. My love and devotion to animals is what motivates me the most in my career and it is what has driven me to date. That being said, I have also made a huge connection through Trooper Pet Veterinary Nursing with pet owners and their love and appreciation of what we do certainly has become a main driving force for me to grow and expand. I hope to see Trooper Pet become a recognizable brand within all veterinary practices throughout North America, supporting pets, and their people but also advocating for registered veterinary technicians.  

Ryanne Heiny: My career motivation has shifted a lot in the last year after I had my first child, but mainly, I work to support my patients and their families while trying to improve myself, my team, my practice, and my profession in whatever small ways that I can.  

Leslie Krohn: Knowing that I can make a real difference in an animal’s life and in the lives of their families keeps me going. The relationships I build with clients, patients, and
my team motivates me to bring my best every day. 

Photo credit: © The American Animal Hospital Association

Disclaimer: The views expressed, and topics discussed, in any NEWStat column or article are intended to inform, educate, or entertain, and do not represent an official position by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.