Growing up in the country, Cheyenne can’t remember a time when she didn’t have a pet. Animals – small and large – were simply a part of her everyday life. One day, while visiting a family member in the hospital, Chey witnessed a comfort dog greeting a child and saw how it instantly brightened the little girl’s day. It was at that moment that Chey knew she wanted to work with animals.

Cheyenne is just starting her career journey after joining the HVHC team in October of 2021. As one of our Veterinary Assistants, Chey enjoys checking in patients, as it allows her the opportunity to connect with clients and get up close and personal with their pets.

At home, Chey has a fur baby of her own – a rescue dog named Jarvis, whose nickname is “Heinz 57” due to the seemingly countless breeds he seems to be mixed with. Jarvis is incredibly smart and can open just about any kind of door on his own.

When she’s not busy working, Chey enjoys drawing – especially animals. She’s also a skilled basketball player – so much so that she was once invited to join a travel team after seeing her play just one game.

Nikolas’ first memorable encounter with a critter occurred when he was in first grade. While out at recess, he discovered a katydid bug. When he picked it up by its wings, it flipped over and bit him on the thumb. While this initially frightened him, Nikolas eventually conquered his fear of bugs, turning it into an opportunity to learn. Today, he loves all creatures, big and small.

Nikolas’ curiosity about bugs eventually led him to pursue volunteer work at both the Sedgwick Zoo and Kansas City Zoo. He also started his own company, called The Critter Keepers. He recently joined the Hodes Veterinary Health Center family, where his brother has worked for several years. In his role as Veterinary Assistant, Nikolas appreciates the opportunity to continue to learn new things and enhance his skills.

Outside of the clinic, Nikolas enjoys spending time with his large family. His pets include one dog and over 300 cockroaches, several of which he has taught to roll over on command. His personal interests include swords, knives, camping, hiking and exploring the outdoors, looking for wildlife.

As a child growing up in a rural area, Cassandra was always coming home with stray cats, many of whom were ill and needed round-the-clock care. This is where her fascination with veterinary medicine began. As an Assistant Vet Tech here at Hodes Veterinary Health Center, Cassandra is thrilled to finally be pursuing her life-long passion for animal care.

Cassandra started her journey at the Kansas Humane Society, where she obtained invaluable knowledge. She then moved on from there to join the Hodes team in September 2021. Professionally, she enjoys administering medications because it allows her the opportunity to be hands-on with the patients. She also has a knack for putting our clients at ease – something she strives for on a daily basis.

Outside of the clinic, Cassandra is ‘Mom’ to a loyal dog named Ridge, who has the amazing ability to be snoring like a freight train yet still hear keys jingling in the next room. Coincidentally, Ridge loves to go on car rides.

In her spare time, Cassandra can usually be found at the lake with Ridge, backpacking and exploring. She also spends a lot of time with her nieces and nephews, playing board games, doing arts and crafts and enjoying a few games of miniature golf on their own homemade course.

When Meghan was born, her family adopted a Samoyed puppy named Glacier. Being so close in age, the two were inseparable as they grew older, exploring the family’s 10-acre property. When the time came for Glacier to cross the rainbow bridge, Meghan was touched by the tender compassion the vet showed to her and her family. This instilled a desire within her to one day work with animals and help their owners the same way her family’s vet had helped hers.

Meghan has enjoyed a storied career in the industry thus far. She began as a Kennel Technician while she was still in high school, after which she attended the Kansas State University where she studied Animal Science. After doing several years of lab work behind the scenes, Meghan landed a job as a Zookeeper at Sedgwick County Zoo, where she worked primarily with exotics and elephants. In December 2021, after welcoming her first child, she decided to join the HVHC team.

At home, the Schroeder family consists of Meghan, her husband Bryce and their daughter Peyton Jo. Their four-legged children include: a sweet, lovable Husky named Malakai; a Corgi named Duke, who is the protector of the house; a big, black cat named Mayhem (a.k.a. “Ham”); and a very talkative female black cat named Beans, who loves almost anyone.

Meghan’s hobbies include baking and spending time with her ever-growing family – including her eight nieces and nephews. Her greatest accomplishment to date has been becoming a mom.

Bio coming Soon!

Growing up in the Metro Detroit area, Annie Pilcher always had dogs and cats around her. They were an integral part of her life. Yet, it wasn’t until she adopted her most recent canine companion that she felt a strong calling to the veterinary field. Now, as a Registered Veterinary Nurse, she gets to spend every day doing what she loves – making a difference in the lives of animals!

Annie began her journey as a veterinary assistant at a small animal clinic back in Lansing. It was during that time one of the technicians inspired her to follow the same path. Already a student at MSU, Annie changed her major from anthropology to vet tech, and the rest is history. Professionally, Annie has a particular interest in working with cattle. She also enjoys running anesthesia for small animals, including dogs and cats.

At home, Annie is the proud mother to a dog named Kevin, whom she describes as a ‘grumpy old man,’ and a cat named Kali, who runs the house (especially Kevin). Having recently moved cross-country, Annie is currently looking to adopt a few more fun hobbies. In the meantime, she loves swimming and reading, and hopes to one day have her own home library.

Like most in the veterinary industry, Wendy Linot has always loved animals. She also had a general interest in human health, but as someone who describes herself as ‘painfully shy,’ it didn’t take long for her to discover that she was able to connect more easily with her four-legged patients than her two-legged ones!

Wendy began volunteering at a local mixed animal practice as a young adolescent. It was there that she realized she wanted to be a technician instead of a veterinarian. Fast forward a few years, and that same clinic hired her as a kennel assistant. After high school, Wendy attended Colby Community College, earning her associate’s in Veterinary Tech in 2006.

The one thing Wendy missed most while working in human medicine was getting to see repeat patients. She loves it when a pet comes through the doors and she knows exactly who they are without having to ask. She also loves the investigative nature of the veterinary field, whether it is helping a sick patient with a mysterious illness, or finding ways to help her colleagues become more efficient.

Wendy grew up right here in Rose Hill and was a proud Rocket for all 13 years! She and her husband Jeff have 3 beautiful daughters: Lexie, Autumn and Alivia. Rounding out their family are 2 dogs: Scrappy and Diesel; 2 ferrets – Pumpkin and Spice; and 1 rat, Bella.

Outside of work, Wendy doesn’t have much time for hobbies, as school drop-offs, pick-ups and activities keep her pretty busy. In her younger years, she danced competitively and went to 3 national competitions, which helped her earn a scholarship to college.

Stella has adored horses ever since her earliest memories. That sparked a passion for animal care that hasn’t let up to this day. Here at Hodes Veterinary Health Center, Stella gets to care for animals large and small every single day! She’s a proud member of the clinic’s talented Veterinary Technician team.

Stella is a Kansas native and attended Butler Community College to study agriculture before transferring to Kansas State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in production management-cattle. Next, she moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where her husband was stationed for his Naval duties, and signed on to study animal care at Penn Foster College. Upon her husband’s completion of active duty, the family moved back to Kansas. Stella joined the team here at Hodes Veterinary Health Center a short time later, and the rest is history!

As a Tech, Stella enjoys radiology work, blood draws, and catheter placements. Of course, she’s still passionate about large animals and loves to learn more about their care on a regular basis.
Most of Stella’s free time outside of work is spent with her family. She and her husband have a young daughter (she’s already an animal-lover just like her mother!) and also share their lives with several pets. They have three dogs—Ciya, Mister, and Huck—as well as a loveable cat named Mimi and Stella’s horse, Brea.

Emma was obsessed with animal care from an early age, and spent hours with the family pets and frequently doctored her stuffed-animal “patients.” As she got a little older, her passion just didn’t quit. She always knew that she wanted to do everything in her power to make a difference in the lives of pets! When the opportunity arose for Emma to join the team here at Hodes Veterinary Health Center, she jumped at the chance.

Emma grew up in Derby, Kansas, and moved to Douglass with her family at the age of 12. Her family has been bringing their own pets here to Hodes Veterinary Health Center for many years—when the time came for Emma to look for a job, the clinic was the first call. It wasn’t long before she had started shadowing around the hospital, and she joined the clinic family as a Kennel Attendant a few short months later!

Around the clinic, Emma enjoys getting to know all of the visiting pets, and always finds it rewarding when a boarding pet comes back for another stay and recognizes her. She’s also fond of learning new things on an almost daily basis.

Emma’s interests outside of animal medicine include gaming, reading and writing, and spending quality time with her own menagerie of pets at home. She and her family share their lives with two Black Labradors, Brinkley and Tuf; a Red Heeler named Ralph; three cats who go by Lola, Gigi, and Vanellopy; Snickers the rabbit; three horses named Walter, June, and Rio; and a flock of chickens.

Bio coming soon!

Trish grew up in Augusta, Kansas, where she was surrounded by horses at a young age. She has fond memories of watching Animal Planet programs that her Grandma recorded for her during her early years. She suspects that the shows deepened her desire to help pets professionally. Now, Trish gets to live her dream: she helps pets daily as a Veterinary Technician here at Hodes Veterinary Health Centerr!

Trish attended Kansas State University and graduated with her animal science business degree in May of 2017. She knew Drs. Brian and Jessica Hodes personally, and she knew that she had found the perfect fit when she heard about the practice they were opening. Trish has been here from the very beginning and loves to help all of the pets she possibly can on a daily basis. She particularly likes working on large animal patients, especially cattle, and she also loves the great variety that her work offers.

Much of Trish’s free time is spent showing her mare, Walla, in reining and ranch riding. Along with her husband, Kolby, Trish shares her life with many animal companions: an Australian Shepherd, Mercedes, who can often be seen right here at the clinic; a pair of wire-haired Pointing Griffons named Roxie and Rover; Waylon the mustang; and two Quarter Horses, Willie and the aforementioned Walla. Six barn cats round out the animal portion of the family: Mama, Croc, Scrap, Ocho, Oreo, and Cheney.

After many years spent raising her family at home, the time came for Tammy to rejoin the workforce. The opportunity arose for her to join the team here at Hodes Veterinary Health Center, and Tammy didn’t waste any time—she knew that she wanted to help pets hands-on as a member of the hospital team!

Tammy is from the area. She became a member of the Hodes Veterinary Health Center family in October of 2019, serving as a Kennel Attendant. Tammy enjoys meeting all kinds of new canine personalities, and she finds that she never stops learning new things.

Tammy has two daughters, Breana and Emma. At home, she and her husband, Mark, have two pets: Bella, a sweet and loving Chihuahua mix, as well as a food-obsessed cat named Buster. The family also keeps 10 chickens and a pair of ducks. When she isn’t at work or spending time with her family and pets, Tammy can be found making shirts and decals for the local community.

Natalie grew up with an innate passion for animals, and frequently participated in animal shows as a member of the 4-H club. She’s always known that she wanted to work hands-on with the earth’s creatures—that’s why she decided to join the world of veterinary medicine. Natalie cares for the pets of the Rose Hill area every day as a Registered Veterinary Nurse!

Natalie is originally from Little River and attended Colby Community College to earn her degree in veterinary technology. She launched her veterinary career at a mixed-animal practice in Hutchinson, then became the Animal Hospital Manager at a feed operation. Next, Natalie moved to Wichita and worked in small-animal medicine for seven years before joining the Hodes Veterinary Health Center team in 2012. She’s been here ever since!

Equine care is a particular passion of Natalie’s, and she loves the way that every case is unique. She’s also fond of neonatal care. Above all, Natalie likes meeting pet owners and their wonderful companions on a daily basis.

Natalie’s love of horses extends outside of her job—she loves to compete in dressage on her Mustang, Just Bob. The pair received the First Level honor in National Mustang Dressage from the United States Dressage Federation in 2019! At home, she and her husband, Patrick, have a Heeler/Australian Shepherd mix named Lucy, a Heeler named Charlie, and five horses: the aforementioned Bob, a quarter horse named Hotrod, and Patrick’s three horses named Jenny, Bert, and Ernie.

Morgan knew she wanted to be a Veterinary nurse after spending time in an animal hospital with her Aunt. While spending her time there, she was introduced to the profession and shown the impact that a Veterinary Nurse can make on the animals and people they work with.

Morgan grew up in a small town, just outside of Kansas City. She later earned her Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Technology from Michigan State University. Morgan is passionate about providing exceptional gold standard care to patients of any and all species. Some of Morgan’s favorite parts of her work include emergency and critical care cases, and performing phlebotomy. She also uses her Fear-Free certification to help make visits to the practice less stressful for anxious and nervous pets.

When not at work, Morgan loves spending her free time with family and friends. She also enjoys growing succulents, cooking and baking, and playing with her delightful collie named Phoebe. Fun facts of Phoebe: Her favorite pastimes include destroying toys, pouncing on insects, and sleeping upside-down.

Carter can’t remember a time when he wasn’t passionate about the health and well-being of animals. His own experiences early on in life with the earth’s creatures left no doubt in his mind: he would love to help pets in any way he possibly could! For Carter, working in the world of animal care is simply a natural fit.

Carter was born in Missouri but moved to this area with his family at a young age, and he’s been here ever since. Having known the Hodes since he was only 11 years old, Carter was hired on here at the practice in 2019 and has been enjoying learning new things on a daily basis. Carter helps pets in the practice’s kennels, where he loves to meet a wide variety of animal personalities during every shift.

Carter is a former gymnast and participated in the activity for a total of eight years. He was crowned State Champion for five of them! He also enjoys playing the guitar, a hobby he picked up in only two months, and currently plays in the youth band at his church.

Jessie’s mother worked her entire adult life in the field of veterinary medicine. Jessie remembers going to work with her and helping clean kennels, walk dogs, and observing her mom work in her office. It just made sense for Jessie to lean into veterinary medicine, as her mom did. Being raised on a farm further instilled her passion for taking care of animals. Jessie has enjoyed being in this field for a number of years, and is thrilled and thankful to be working for Dr. Brian and Dr. Jessica!

Jessie is a Rose Hill native and started her veterinary journey a number of years ago in Wichita. When the opportunity arose for her to help the pets and animal parents of her hometown here at Hodes Veterinary Health Center, she knew that she couldn’t pass it up. Jessie became a member of the hospital family in September of 2017, and helps keep every area of the clinic running like a well-oiled machine as the practice’s Hospital Administrator.

Here at the practice, Jessie likes working closely with her fellow team members, and she loves to take on special projects that help improve the experience that each and every client and patient has here at Hodes Veterinary Health Center. Jessie also loves learning new things on a daily basis—she finds that no two days are ever quite the same!

When time permits between her duties here at the practice and her collegiate studies—Jessie has returned to school at Kansas State University and is currently working toward her Bachelor’s degree in business management!—she enjoys spending her time with her family and friends, or on the farm, or in her faith.

Her husband, Jamison, supports Jessie’s love for animals. Together they have four horses and four dogs. The horses are Doc-a Quarter Horse, Elmer- a Thoroughbred, and Dancer and Angel-both sweet little Miniature horses. Their home is shared with the four dogs: A Yorkie named Croix, who is the boss of the house; a protective and loving German Shepherd named Casey; a food-obsessed Pomeranian mix who goes by Crazy Mayzee; and a sweet and sassy Miniature Australian Shepherd named Gracie.

Jamie had always loved biology and chemistry, but her mind wasn’t completely made up until her internship in wildlife rehabilitation. She was responsible for a rabbit who had an unfortunate encounter with a car. Jamie refused to give up and two weeks later, the rabbit was released happily back into the wild. Ever since that moment, she knew that she was destined to help animals professionally!

Jamie is originally from Wichita and moved to Andover for her high school years, and she attended the University of Kansas to earn a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. Next, she went back to school to pursue her dream of working in the world of veterinary medicine. When Jamie had to pick a clinic to complete her mentorship with, she selected the very same hospital that she had been bringing her own pets to for many years: Hodes Veterinary Health Center. She’s been a member of the clinic family since the fall of 2017, and was hired on as an employee early the following year.

Around the practice, Jamie enjoys studying samples under the microscope and doing other tests in the lab. She finds that she never stops learning on the job! Jamie also loves to interact directly with the area’s pet owners and develop lasting relationships with pets and their loving parents.

Outside of veterinary medicine, Jamie enjoys drawing and painting. She’s even done custom pieces for friends and family! She and her husband, Thomas, have a daughter named Zoe, who loves sharing her home with their pets. The family has two cats: Loki, a Maine Coon who considers himself the king of the house, and a black cat named Salem who plays fetch and comes when called. Jamie also has two dogs: a tripod Chihuahua named Foxx with a big personality, and a loyal and loving German Shepherd who goes by Sammy.

Hannah knew that she wanted to work in the medical realm in some capacity. Both of her parents, as well as her brother, are human healthcare professionals. But Hannah suspected that she wanted to pursue a slightly different direction—veterinary medicine was the path for her. Now, she gets to help pets as a member of Hodes Veterinary Health Center’s kennel team!

Hannah is from Andover, Kansas and was first introduced to the clinic when one of the hospital’s veterinarians came to Hannah’s family home for a farm call. Hannah shadowed here at the practice a few times, and knew that she would enjoy working here. It wasn’t long before she had signed on as a member of the staff!

When she’s not at work, Hannah likes cheerleading for her high school and spending time with her family and pets at home. She lives with two rambunctious dogs named Buddy and Piggy, a pair of guinea pigs, and five cats: Chloe, Simba, Pumpkin, Lulu, and Stitches. Three horses named Snoozer, Cowboy, and Cal round out the four-legged portion of the family.

Halle lives in Rose Hill, where her family owns land outside of town that they keep cattle on. Halle has been around animals her entire life, so working in the world of pet care just seemed like a natural fit! She’s proud to help animals daily as a member of the hospital’s kennel staff.

Halle first shadowed the other members of the kennel team here at the practice, then joined the hospital family officially in September of 2019. Her favorite part of the job is the variety it brings—Halle is always kept on her toes, and no two days are ever quite the same.

Away from work, Halle is an avid artist and also loves to spend quality time with her family and pets at home. She has three dogs: Gracie the Goldendoodle; a MinPin/Pomeranian mix named Khloe; and a Heeler mix named June.

Amelia, like most veterinary professionals, enjoys the opportunities of enriching the lives of animals through medicine and rehabilitation. A highlight of Amelia’s career however, is helping people. For her, assisting people in a difficult time or situation makes what she does very personally meaningful.

Amelia has known Drs. Brian and Jessica for many years. She was offered a Veterinary Nursing position after graduating from Colby Community College’s Veterinary Technology program in May of 2018. Since then, Amelia has taken part in all aspects of our multifaceted practice. She most enjoys anesthesia and surgery; with all they entail.

At home, Amelia has a dog named Ripley, and her Horse, Reo. Ripley is an incredibly intelligent dog whose cleverness never disappoints. He also can’t get enough of being told how extremely handsome he is! Reo is a 25-year-old, medicine cap pinto, who is every bit of a geriatric gentlemen. His attention to people and tenderness will make anyone around him feel special. Outside of work, Amelia treasures time with her family and loved ones.