Veterinary Assistant, CVH

About the Oregon Humane Society 

Founded in 1868, Oregon Humane Society is the Northwest's oldest and largest animal welfare organization with one of the highest adoption rates in the nation. We are working toward our vision of a world where all animals are treated with compassion, kindness and respect. With campuses in Portland and Salem, OHS is an Oregon-based nonprofit that relies on donor support for its adoption, education, medical and humane law enforcement programs. Visit oregonhumane.org to learn more about how we’re creating a More Humane Society. 

The Team 

Veterinary Assistants work collaboratively with the medical and operations leadership team to ensure the clinic’s overall performance in accordance with all the medical standards set forth by our executive leadership and in compliance with the OVMEB veterinary practice act. 

The Position 

The Veterinary Assistant (VA) is a vital member of the Community Veterinary Hospital care team.  Responsibilities include assisting with and performing patient exams, providing daily medical care to patients in the hospital facility, providing anesthesia, laboratory, pharmacy and radiology support, preparing patients for surgery and helping to maintain the hospital facility at the highest level of cleanliness and order.  The VA also engages with the public to provide consultation and information.  All OHS staff members contribute to the stewardship of the organization’s mission and are expected to stay current on and understand issues related to animal welfare and OHS programs. 

Essential Responsibilities 

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP 

• Consistently strives to exceed expectations; demonstrates flexibility, resilience, and the ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances. 

• Maintains high ethical standards, including exhibiting behaviors and actions that embrace and align to our organization and customer service values, while treating all people with respect and dignity.  

• Demonstrates an awareness of your individual personal strengths and development needs, modeling non-defensive behavior and openness to feedback; builds a culture of feedback and learning. 

LEARNING 

• Contributes to regular dialogue and accountability with the leadership team and across the organization to review progress and course correct if necessary. 

• Utilizes data and insights to identify, understand and articulate the key inputs and metrics that tell the story of the organization/team strategy and its progress. 

• Builds appropriate feedback loops to measure if we are meeting key milestones and if the impact planned is being felt across the organization. 

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION 

• Communicate effectively to executive and other stakeholder groups to ensure they are informed and able to actively engage. 

• Liaise with and maintain productive relationships with all stakeholders, including other departments, and donors; build mutually rewarding professional relationships inside OHS at all levels. 

• Leverage our best practices externally and grow OHS’ reputation as a leader in the animal welfare space. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Work daily with animals of varying size and temperament. Handle individual animals in a caring and respectful manner. Provide compassionate care for patients. 

• Prep and set up surgical suites, administer pre-anesthesia drugs, and ensure that all surgical and medical areas are clean and organized.   

• Perform the circulator role for surgical and dental procedures.  Record and report physical signs of patients before, during, and after surgery.  Enter medical notes and treatment notes into medical records in a timely and accurate manner. 

• Ensure that animals with infectious diseases are handled safely according to infectious medicine protocols. 

• Clean and sanitize cages and hospital facilities, including exam rooms, treatment rooms and surgical suites.     

• Monitor the medical consultation phone as assigned. Perform pre-ad