Meet Our Staff - Virginia Equine Imaging

VETERINARIANS

Kent Allen, DVM PO Box 835 Middleburg, VA 20118 Work Phone: (540) 687-4663 Fax: (540) 687-4665 Email: kallen@vaequine.com An avid competitor with American Quarter Horses throughout his youth, Dr. Kent Allen received his DVM degree from the University of Missouri in 1979. His practice currently focuses on top level sports medicine, lameness and diagnostic imaging at Virginia Equine Imaging. He lectures to veterinarians and horse people throughout the nation and the world on lameness, imaging and sports medicine topics. Dr. Allen has served as the United States Equestrian Team (USET) veterinarian on several international teams and as vice-chairman of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Veterinary Committee. He chairs the USA Equestrian Veterinary and Drug and Medications Committees, and in 1996 he was named Equine Veterinarian of the Year by the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association and received the Governor’s Cup from the United States Eventing Association (USEA). He also served as Veterinary Services Coordinator for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, and was the highest ranked veterinary official at the 1999 Pan American Games and the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. He has served multiple terms on the USEA Board of Governors and the USEF Board of Directors. He has donated countless hours of work on the NAYRC and has served in every veterinary capacity possible at that competition. He is the contact veterinarian for the FEI and the USEF in the United States and answers medication questions for veterinarians and competitors around the nation and the world. He is the vice chair of the FEI Medication Advisory Group. Dr. Allen began work with musculoskeletal imaging with ultrasound in horses in the early 80’s and continues to innovate new techniques for ultrasound diagnosis. He is the vice president of the International Society for Equine Locomotor Pathology (ISELP) a group that promotes and teaches imaging and lameness diagnostic excellence among equine veterinarians. Dr. Allen has been one of the pioneers in the field of nuclear medicine imaging and has been reading nuclear bone scans since the late 1980’s and he has been instrumental in teaching nuclear medicine to other equine veterinarians. He has read thousands of bone scans and was one of the first to use it as a clinical tool for the sub-clinical performance complaint in the sport horse. Dr. Allen’s practice was the first practice in the United States to use high energy shockwave on the horse in early 2001. Virginia Equine Imaging is the largest user of shockwave in the nation and has pioneered several new uses of shockwave in equine sports medicine practice. Dr. Allen’s practice was the first veterinary practice in the world to utilize direct digital radiology (DDR). This radiographic technology has become the standard that all others are judged against. He consults on 2nd opinion radiographs and pre-purchase opinions on a daily basis. His practice has the latest in state of the art technology both in imaging, image storing and treatment.
Susan Johns, DVM PO Box 835 Middleburg, VA 20118 Work Phone: (540) 687-4663 Fax: (540) 687-4665 Email: sjohns@vaequine.com Dr. Susan Johns joined Virginia Equine Imaging in the spring of 2002, following graduation from Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her two year internship in sports medicine and diagnostic imaging with VEI in 2004, and eagerly stayed on as an associate. She has worked closely with Eklin educating many veterinarians about direct digital radiology, and completed much of the groundwork for our joint MRI department with the Marion DuPont Equine Medical Center. Susan has been a treating veterinarian at many three-day event competitions in the United States including Radnor, Virginia, NAYRC, Fair Hill*, and Rolex. In addition, in 2004, Susan traveled to Burghley** as a treating veterinarian for numerous American horses. Dr. Johns has a strong interest and dedication to the NAYRC organization, after actively competing as a young rider in the eventing discipline for Area I and VII. Over the past 4 years, Susan has been both a treating and team veterinarian for numerous areas at the NAYRC competitions. On a regular basis, Susan travels throughout Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina offering top level ambulatory sports medicine, lameness and diagnostic imaging services. Her strongest veterinary interests include lameness, digital radiology and the three day event athlete. Susan is originally from Los Angeles, California, and competed numerous three day horses in California and throughout college in Massachusetts.
Sallie Hyman, VMD, DACVIM, CVA Associate PO Box 835 Middleburg, VA 20118 Work Phone: 540-687-4663 Fax: 540-687-4665 Email: shyman@vaequine.com Dr. Sallie S. Hyman is a 1996 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation she completed an internship in equine medicine and surgery at Reid and Associates in Palm Beach, FL and then stayed on as an associate until 1999. She then accepted a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center. Following her residency, Dr. Hyman took a position as co-investigator in the equine pulmonary physiology department at University of Pennsylvania, investigating respiratory causes of poor performance and exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage utilizing the high-speed treadmill. In 2003 Dr. Hyman became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Medicine. She returned to private practice and has concentrated on lameness evaluation and internal medicine of the sport/performance horse. Dr. Hyman has practiced in New Zealand and most recently at the University of Sydney, School of Veterinary Medicine, teaching on the Equine Medicine Faculty. She is also certified in Veterinary Acupuncture.
Stephanie Ralph, DVM PO Box 835 Middleburg, VA 20118 Work Phone: 540-687-4663 Fax: 540-687-4665 Email: sralph@vaequine.com Stephanie Ralph grew up in Indiana as an avid eventer. She continued her eventing career while in college, attending Indiana University and Otterbein College in Ohio and competing her mare, Music, through the one star level. After graduating in 2002 with dual majors in Molecular Biology and Equine Pre-Veterinary Sciences, she spent a year as a working student with Nadeem Noon in Bloomington, Indiana. She also worked as a phlebotomist at Bloomington Hospital and spent time training as a farrier’s apprentice. Her experiences served her well when she went on to Ross Veterinary School on the island of St. Kitts. While in school she enjoyed traveling, including trips to India, South Africa and Thailand. She returned to the U.S. and completed her clinical rotations at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Stephanie joined VEI in the spring of 2008, bringing along her fiancé Chad Davis, two horses, as well as Taylor the cat and Riley the greyhound.
Meg Sislak, DVM PO Box 835 Middleburg, VA 20118 Work Phone: 540-687-4663 Fax: 540-687-4665 Email: msislak@vaequine.com Meg Sislak was born and raised in the suburbs of Cleveland, OH. She completed her undergraduate studies at University of Michigan with a BS in Microbiology. Looking for better weather and coastlines she headed to Los Angeles working in research at UCLA until she was accepted into Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine located in southern California. Meg greatly enjoyed the problem-based learning and reverence for life philosophy at Western University and completed her DVM degree in May 2008. She headed back east with her two cats to join VEI where she is excited to pursue her interest in equine lameness and imaging. Meg plans to continue her training with a residency in radiology.

STAFF

Dawn Whitlow Practice Manager Work Phone: (540) 687-4663 Fax: (540) 687-4665 Email: dwhitlow@vaequine.com Dawn Whitlow joined VEI in February 2005 as Practice Manager. Prior to coming to VEI as Manager, Dawn was Manager of a “small animal” hospital in Haymarket, VA for almost 5 years. Dawn and her family reside in Warrenton and share their home with seven cats, 2 dogs and a rabbit. When she’s not at the office she can be found on the soccer fields with her daughter or volunteering with various small animal rescue organizations.
Lisa Welch Farm Manager PO Box 835 Middleburg, VA 20118 Work Phone: 540-687-4663 Fax: 540-687-4665 Email: lwelch@vaequine.com Lisa Welch is a local, born and raised in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties. She was a member of the Loudoun Hunt Pony Club and a graduate of Fauquier High School. After graduating from Southern Sem. College, she attended Virginia Tech. In 1997, she moved to Cleveland, OH and worked with racehorses and show hunters. In 2002 after five long winters, she decided to come home to Virginia and join the staff of Virginia Equine Imaging. Lisa’s title is Farm Manager, however, you will certainly see her at the clinic doing everything from answering the phone and filling the coffee pot to bone scanning and radiographing. In whatever spare time is left, she loves grooming and training her ponies to be show hunters. She also occasionally finds time to spend with her boyfriend, Gary, their Jack Russell terrier Poker and new addition, a beagle named Melwood.
Elaine Flory Work Phone: 540-687-4663 Fax: 540-687-4665 Email: eflory@vaequine.com Elaine grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Southwestern Virginia. Her first love was always horses and she started riding at age nine. She was introduced to the sport of eventing a few years later. She went on to attend the University of Virginia and continued her riding career while in school, eventing through the Preliminary level as well as taking a few polo lessons. During her first year of college she became interested in veterinary medicine and worked at several veterinary clinics while in school to gain experience, as well as visiting VEI as a student in the summer of 2006. She also worked at many Charlottesville- area eventing barns and volunteered with the Pre-Veterinary Society. After graduating in 2007 with a degree in Biology, Elaine returned to VEI, working as a vet assistant and groom. Her current project horse-turned eventer, Hobbes, moved to Middleburg with her and they are enjoying the opportunities of such a horse-filled community.
Sarah Crocker Office and Technical Support PO Box 835 Middleburg, VA 20118 Work Phone: 540-687-4663 Fax: 540-687-4665 Email: scrocker@vaequine.com Sarah is a happy “horse person” who was born in a golfing, boating & beaching family. In 2005, after more than a decade of dedication to a large New England equestrian facility, she left that life with it’s seriously long winters and family filled Oyster Harbor’s summers for the year-round equestrian life here in Virginia. She first rode at the age of nine and is now a preliminary-level Eventer. In college she played polo and was ranked in the top 3 for women collegiate players while completing a bio-chemistry degree. Fox Hunting is also a hobby, but really for the views and not for the chase. She enjoys being a valued part-time employee at Virginia Equine Imaging finding it both fulfilling and educational. Most of her personal time is spent merrily managing and nurturing lives on her 20 acre portion of Bellevue Farms in Marshall.
Rebekah McCarthy PO Box 835 Middleburg, VA 20118 Work Phone: 540-687-4663 Fax: 540-687-4665 Email: rmccarthy@vaequine.com