Andrea Looney, DVM, DACVSMR, DACVA; Heather Smale, DVM, MSc, DACVAA; and Kristi Kobluk, DVM, DACVAA Join as Senior Veterinarians

(September 14, 2023 – New York, N.Y.) The Stephen & Christine Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC), largest non-profit animal hospital in the world, today announced the expansion of its Anesthesia and Pain Management Service with the appointment of three new board-certified anesthesiologists.

The expanded anesthesia team will develop a targeted training program for licensed veterinary technicians in all aspects of anesthesiology. This program, novel in veterinary medicine, will be modeled after the training protocol used in human healthcare for nurse anesthetists. It will be designed to improve the skill set of current and prospective licensed veterinary technicians as they train across various services, including Emergency and Critical Care.

“It’s wonderful to welcome Dr. Andrea Looney, Dr. Heather Smale, and Dr. Kristi Kobluk to the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center family,” said Helen M. Irving, RN, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMC. “Education is a core component of AMC’s mission, and I look forward to watching AMC’s new anesthesia training program come to life as a key next step in the expansion and renovation of our hospital.”

Dr. Andrea Looney joins AMC from Ethos Veterinary Health and Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Boston, MA where she focused on anesthesiology, rehabilitative care, and pain mitigation and management for her patients. Dr. Looney earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where she also completed a residency program in anesthesiology. Dr. Looney served as Senior Lecturer in Pain Management, Palliative Care, and Rehabilitation at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where she established pain management and rehabilitation programs with clinical and didactic teaching. Dr. Looney also served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Boston, MA and as a Consultant Anesthesiologist in human hospitals around the Albany, NY area, including the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center, Albany Medical College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“I am grateful for the unique opportunity to treat a large volume of patients across different animal species, and I am very excited to develop the anesthesia training program for AMC’s licensed veterinary technicians,” said Dr. Andrea Looney.

Originally from Canada, Dr. Heather Smale earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. She completed a rotating and specialty internship in companion animal anesthesia at the Veterinary Emergency Clinic & Referral Centre in Ontario, Canada and a residency program in anesthesia and analgesia at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in Athens, GA.

“I’m thrilled to be working in AMC’s Anesthesia and Pain Management Service where we can provide vital support to the hospital’s world-class specialty services in our shared mission of delivering optimal patient outcomes,” said Dr. Heather Smale.

Dr. Kristi Kobluk earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. She completed a small animal rotating internship at VCA West Los Angeles Hospital in Los Angeles, California, and a residency in anesthesiology at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, in Davis, CA.

“I am excited to join AMC as a Senior Veterinarian and look forward to working with some of the most skilled clinicians in veterinary medicine,” said Dr. Kristi Kobluk.

The Anesthesia and Pain Management Service is vital to AMC’s 20+ specialty services where patients of varying species, breeds, and sizes require sedation and pain management for a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, from routine dental cleanings to advanced surgeries.

Learn more about AMC’s Anesthesia and Pain Management Service at amcny.org/anesthesia.

About the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center Hospital of New York City

The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is the world’s largest non-profit animal hospital with NYC’s only level 1 trauma center. Our team of 130+ veterinarians work across over 20 specialties to provide world-class medical care, and we are here for pets and their families 24/7. We are proud to have served the people and pets of New York, and beyond, for over 110 years. More at www.amcny.org.