Dr. Nyssa Levy is a graduate of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed an internship and residency in small animal emergency and critical care medicine at Michigan State University. She achieved board certification in 2016 and subsequently joined the faculty at Michigan State University, where she is an associate professor of emergency and critical care medicine. Dr. Levy’s clinical and research interests include the early detection of and intervention for patients with sepsis and other systemic inflammatory conditions.
9:10 AM–10:10 AM Triage and Critical Patient Assessment
In the field setting, initial assessment and triage of the critical patient relies heavily on patient examination findings rather than on data collection by instrumentation. This talk will cover the general assessment and triage of the critical patient, concentrating on scenarios that may be commonly encountered in disaster response.
10:20 AM–11:20 AM Shock Resuscitation and Patient Stabilization
Stabilization of the critical patient in the field must sometimes be completed with only basic supplies and equipment. This session focuses on the key aspects of stabilization, with a focus on the field/emergency setting.
11:30 AM–12:30 PM Toxicology Review and Practical Applications
From working dogs to stray animals left victim to a disaster, many animals encounter toxins in the environment that can present with a variety of clinical signs. This talk will review some of the more common toxicities in pets and the symptoms of each.
Dr. Maria Pyrdek is the chief veterinarian at Pasadena Humane, where she began working in 2019. Dr. Pyrdek provides above-and-beyond care for some of the Pasadena community’s most at-risk companion and exotic animals while helping rehabilitate injured and sick wildlife. She is passionate about working to provide quality, evidence-based medical care to all animals and loves collaborating with teams to come up with creative ways to solve problems and utilize resources. Prior to Pasadena Humane, Dr. Pyrdek worked with Banfield Pet Hospital in Seal Beach and as a wildlife rehabilitator with the Animal Rescue League of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.
1:00 PM–2:00 PM Animal Rescue Response to the 2025 Eaton Canyon Fire
On January 7, 2025, wildfires raged through the city of Los Angeles on a scale never before seen. Over 57,000 acres and 18,000 homes were destroyed in a matter of days. The most significant damage to urban areas occurred in the foothill city of Altadena. As the Eaton Canyon Fire burned, national and local agencies across the nation jumped into action to respond and mitigate the damage to people, communities, pets, and wildlife. Join Dr. Maria Pyrdek, Chief Veterinarian at Pasadena Humane, as she recounts Pasadena Humane’s response to the Eaton Canyon fire from the first days through continued recovery efforts today. Included in this talk will be stories, successes, challenges, lessons learned and suggestions on preparing for future emergencies.
Kimberly Carlson recently joined the California Veterinary Emergency Team (CVET) as an operations specialist. She came to CVET from the Livestock Medicine and Surgery Service at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital (VMTH), where she worked as a livestock medicine technician for over five years. At the VMTH, she gained valuable experience handling high-stress emergency situations and gained extensive knowledge treating cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs transferred for intensive care from multiple major wildfires. Prior to working for the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Kimberly earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Management from UC Davis.
2:10 PM–3:10 PM Deployment Logistics: Shelterly and More
The UC Davis California Veterinary Emergency Team (CVET) is a response partner to the CAVMRC and provides administrative and leadership coordination support during disaster deployments. CVET has developed a custom-designed veterinary records system to better track patient care during disasters. This talk will highlight the new system to better familiarize volunteers with the system that they will work under if deployed.
Ashley Patterson serves as the UC Davis California Veterinary Emergency Team (CVET) Associate Director of Operations. She received her DVM degree from Washington State University and her Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota. Prior to veterinary school, Ashley earned a bachelor’s degree in Emergency Administration and Planning from the University of North Texas and worked as an emergency management and planning consultant for Witt O’Brien’s starting in 2010. Following graduation from veterinary school, Ashley worked as an emergency veterinarian in a variety of hospitals and volunteered as a disaster responder. She brings a unique combination of veterinary medicine and emergency management background and is focused on enhancing the veterinary preparedness and response capabilities for California.
3:20 PM–4:20 PM Disaster Preparedness for Veterinary Practices: Are You Ready?
Having a plan to continue operations is vitally important to the health and well being of animals in communities affected by disasters. This talk will discuss business continuity planning for veterinary practices in disasters.
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