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Sunstone Veterinary Specialists Sunstone Veterinary Specialists

Phone (503) 505-7255 Address Portland, OR Email ClientCare@SunStoneVets.com

Meet Our Staff

Veterinarians

Dr. Joshua Elliott
MA, DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine), Medical Director, Co-Founder

Joshua  Elliott

Raised in Hawaii and California, Dr. Elliott is a native of the Pacific Basin and loves the Pacific Northwest for its cooler climate, warm and friendly people, and dedicated pet parents.

Dr. Elliott’s higher education began at UC Santa Cruz where he earned both his undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in marine biology. He went on to vet school at UC Davis; followed by an internship and residency, both in private practice in Southern California. Dr. Elliott is a Board Certified Small Animal Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist. He has been practicing internal medicine in the greater Portland area since 2008 when he finished his residency at the California Animal Hospital.

Dr. Elliott’s training and expertise as an internal medicine specialist allows him to focus on his patients especially complicated medical problems. While he enjoys all aspects of internal medicine, he is particularly skilled in ultrasound and endoscopy and has trained many veterinarians in these modalities. His goal is to help his patients live higher quality lives through thoughtful diagnostics and careful treatment.

Our internal medicine team is here to offer you and your pet the support you need to find a path forward. Rest assured, your pet will receive the highest level of care at Sunstone in a comfortable environment where you and your pet will feel welcomed.

Dr. Elliott and his family moved to the Pacific Northwest so that he could join a veterinary specialty practice where he could practice a high quality of medicine and be able to make a good life and a future for his family. They love all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Dr. Elliott especially loves snowboarding and training in Aikido. He holds a black belt in Aikido.

Dr. Regina Tobin
DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine)

Regina Tobin

Dr. Regina Tobin attended veterinary school at Cornell University. Following her graduation in 1994, she completed a one year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston. Dr. Tobin then spent a year in general practice in the Boston area before starting her small animal internal medicine residency at UC Davis. She became board certified in small animal internal medicine in 1999. Dr. Tobin has worked in clinical practice in Oregon since 1998, with the exception of a two year period when she worked as a consultant for a major diagnostic lab.

Although she manages dogs and cats with all types of complex medical problems, Dr. Tobin is well known for her expertise in liver disease, kidney disease, gastrointestinal disease, immune mediated disorders, and hormonal diseases.

Dr. Tobin feels strongly that her role as a small animal internist is to offer clients all diagnostic options that are available for their pets, provide compassionate high quality care to her patients and support her clients through difficult decisions.

When she is not working, Dr. Tobin enjoys camping, reading and traveling. She has started horseback riding, an activity she enjoys with her daughter.

Dr. Debra Klaser
DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine)

Debra Klaser

Dr. Klaser grew up on the west coast and earned her undergraduate degree at UC San Diego.  She then headed to the University of Georgia (go Dawgs!) where she worked as a research assistant and then graduated from veterinary school with the class of 2000.  Her next move took her to New York City, where she completed her internship and residency at the Animal Medical Center, becoming certified in small animal internal medicine in 2004.  She worked in a large referral hospital in Annapolis, MD in the years since, enjoying many of the east coast amenities.  

2019 brings her west again, and joining Sunstone feels like she is coming almost full circle.  She is looking forward to being back on the coast “where sunsets belong over the ocean”, where she is close to family and some favorite friends, and where she can be surrounded by the beautiful northwest and its people. 

She is one of the lucky few who have truly always known what she was meant to do, and is grateful to her mentors along the way, from those who gave her her first job in a veterinary clinic in 10th grade, to those who trained and helped her become the clinician she is today.  Dr. Klaser enjoys many aspects of internal medicine, particularly endocrinology and ultrasound.  She finds that the most rewarding part of her job is getting to know her patients and their families as she helps manage some complicated and multifaceted medical scenarios.

Dr. Klaser and her husband have 2 children, Sabrina and Finn, so they keep quite busy. They typically have at least one geriatric cat and a yellow Labrador living in their home.   Dr. Klaser considers the journey of parenthood to be her greatest life accomplishment, and in her spare time enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and cooking (especially over a campfire). 

Dr. Staci Goussev
DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine)

Staci Goussev

Dr. Staci Goussev was born and raised in San Francisco. She attended UC Berkeley and following graduation, worked in a research laboratory in the department of Neurosurgery at UCSF. A lifelong pet lover, she decided to pursue her dream and attend veterinary school.

Dr. Goussev attended veterinary school at Cornell University, and due to her love of physiology, elected to specialize in small animal internal medicine. She completed a rotating internship at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, and then returned to Cornell University for her residency. She became board certified in internal medicine in 2013.

Dr. Goussev has worked in Florida, Missouri, and California prior to moving to Oregon in 2019. Her special interests are endocrinology, gastroenterology, hepatology, and autoimmune disease. Dr. Goussev adopts senior rescue dogs, and this has also led to a special interest in providing quality care to elderly pets.

When not working with animals, Dr. Goussev enjoys reading (particularly Agatha Christie), traveling (the UK and America’s National Parks are favorite destinations), playing tennis, playing pinball, watching the San Francisco Giants and Cal football when she can, and watching old movies at the Hollywood Theater. She is also an aquaerobics instructor.

Dr. Jani Remsburg
DVM, Internal Medicine Fellow

Jani Remsburg

Dr. Jani Remsburg graduated from Oregon State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in May of 2000. Dr. Remsburg joins the team at Sunstone after working as a small animal general practitioner in Battle Ground and Longview, Washington for the past 14 years. Prior to this, she was a mixed animal veterinarian in Burns, Oregon, and a small animal veterinarian in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

During her years in practice, Dr. Remsburg has always enjoyed challenging internal medicine cases. She is excited to join the team at Sunstone as an internal medicine fellow to support the specialists with their cases and provide families with help for their pets.

Dr. Remsburg was raised in Deer Island, Oregon, and is blessed to be back living on what was her grandparents' 45-acre farm. She lives there with her husband, Mat, dogs Bliss and Roo, and cat Minnie along with many farm animals. When she is not working, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, cooking, sewing, and traveling.

Dr. Lillian Su
DVM, MVSc, CCRP, DACVS (Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon)

Lillian  Su

Dr. Lily Su is a Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon and she is thrilled to be serving the Portland pet community at Sunstone Veterinary Specialists! She has focused her veterinary career specifically on the practice of small animal surgery since 2005.

Her training and education have taken this native Californian all over North America.

Dr. Su’s journey to become a Board Certified Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon began at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. After vet school, she completed internships at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, and Wheat Ridge Veterinary Specialists in Colorado, followed by a fellowship at the University of Wisconsin. She completed her residency in small animal surgery at the University of Saskatchewan in 2011. Following her residency she taught small animal surgery at The Ohio State University.

Her desire to bring high quality, comprehensive, and personalized surgical care to each patient made Dr. Su a perfect fit for Sunstone. While she enjoys using the skills her years of training and education have given her, she feels her greatest success is in seeing her patients return to a normal life. To that end, she is also a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner. Dr. Su works with her clients, their primary care veterinarians, and local rehabilitation facilities to provide the very best outcomes for her patients through their post-operative recovery.

When not working, Dr. Su enjoys spending time with her perfect (but slightly naughty) herd of animals, trying out interesting places for food / drink, and exploring the mountains and rivers of the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Megan Nyboer
DVM, Emergency Medicine

Megan Nyboer

Dr. Nyboer grew up in sunny Southern California before obtaining her biology undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Dr. Nyboer then moved to Upstate New York to attend the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. During her time as a student, she worked extensively with the Cornell Wildlife Health Clinic and several shelters and low-cost veterinary clinics in the area. Dr. Nyboer completed a rotating internship at the Emergency and Critical Care in Colorado, and she has since spent her time working as an Emergency veterinarian. She is currently a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS), the Oregon and Portland VMA’s, and the Cornell Feline Health Center.

Dr. Nyboer’s passion lies in emergency medicine, pain management, and caring for critically ill patients. However, she also enjoys surgery, ultrasound, cardiology, and feline-specific medicine. She is also interested in veterinary pharmacology, and she strives to integrate new and useful medications into the veterinary field. Dr. Nyboer loves to travel! During veterinary school, she worked in Sri Lanka at an elephant conservation, and in Namibia, Africa at a cheetah conservation. She has also been to Japan, Thailand, Central and South America, Fiji, and Europe. Dr. Nyboer shares her home in Portland with her animal family members – 2 cats, a small Terrier named Madison, and a Golden Retriever named Riley. On her days off, she enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, rock climbing, camping, yoga, and snowboarding.

Dr. Joshua Sarrizan
DVM, Emergency Medicine

Joshua Sarrizan

Dr. Sarrazin grew up in the metro area, in Aloha, Oregon. He spent his childhood skateboarding, swimming, and biking in the scenic West suburbs of the city, spending much of his younger days sharing hotdogs with the well-loved family dogs. He joined the United States Armed Forces- Army branch when he was 19 years old, where he served in PATRIOT Missile Fire Control in Air Defense Artillery for almost 4 years.

After completing his military service, Dr. Sarrazin attended Portland State University, where he studied Biology and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2019. With a strong interest in both science and animals, he carefully considered pursuing either veterinary school or a PhD in Zoology. Ultimately, he chose to earn his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Oregon State University in Corvallis.

Upon graduation from OSU and receiving his DVM in 2023, Dr. Sarrazin completed a rotating internship locally at a VECCS Level 1 certified 24-hour emergency hospital, DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital. During his internship he built his Emergency and Critical Care skills and grew his knowledge and passion for ECC medicine. Dr. Sarrazin’s professional interests include Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, polytrauma, treating joint luxation, managing surgical cases, and most recently, hospice care.

Outside of work you can still find him skateboarding, attending death metal shows, hiking the beautiful natural areas of the PNW, or lounging with his two cats, Slime and Gorgonzola.

Medical Support Staff

Jen
BS, AAS, CVT, Internal Medicine Technician

Jen

Jen is excited to join the Sunstone Veterinary Specialists team as an internal medicine technician on Dr. Tobin’s team. She assisted Dr. Tobin for several years prior to joining her at Sunstone Veterinary Specialists. Jen works closely with Dr. Tobin’s patients, providing personalized care for clients and their pets. Jen loves working in internal medicine and considers it an honor to help patients and their families on their path to recovery. Jen grew up in upstate New York, working in animal welfare for 5 years before completing an A.A.S. in veterinary technology at State University of New York at Delhi in 2005. She worked as a veterinary technician in emergency/critical care for 7 years both in NYC and after moving to Portland, OR in 2008. She completed a B.S. in organismal biology at Portland State University in 2013, and later that year began working in internal medicine.

In her free time, Jen enjoys cycling, woodworking and restoring her 1920s bungalow, where she lives with a shy lab mix named Adeline, a precocious beagle named Scout and a fancy long haired black cat named Jessie.

Cecelia (CC)
CVT, Patient Care Technician

Cecelia (CC)

CC is very happy to be a part of the Sunstone family and Dr. Elliott’s internal medicine team. She has been working in the veterinary profession since 1999 and she has been a Certified Veterinary Technician since 2010. Most of her experience in emergency medicine, though she also has experience working in general practice and small animal surgery.

CC is constantly marveled by the human-animal bond and she loves getting to know all the personalities that come through the door at Sunstone. Her number one priority is making sure nervous or fearful patients are made to feel as calm and comfortable as possible.

She moved to Portland from Los Angeles in 2009. CC lives with her son and two rescue Chihuahuas, Sydney and Izzy. She enjoys exploring all the beautiful landscapes and parks in Oregon. She also loves music and sometimes plays guitar along with her son who plays the drums.

Jennifer
BS, CVT, Internal Medicine Technician

Jennifer

Jennifer is excited to join the Sunstone Veterinary team as an Internal Medicine Veterinary Technician. She's previously worked with Dr. Tobin, and during the five years on her team, she discovered how much she loved building trusting partnerships with clients during their journey of caring for their pets. She is passionate about being a resource to clients and providing quality care for their pets. Jennifer grew up in Utah and moved to Oregon to work in veterinary medicine while earning a B.S. in Microbiology. Jennifer has worked in many areas of the veterinary field, including general practice, emergency, internal medicine, surgery, education, diagnostic laboratory, and shelter medicine.

Jennifer is a mom to two teens and after a short stint of no fur-pets, has added two cats, Odin and Kitty, and a dog Snowflake to her micro-homestead of 5 chickens. She enjoys hiking, running, kayaking, camping, and fiber arts

Colleen
BS, CVT, LVT, Internal Medicine Technician

Colleen

Colleen was born and raised in the Seattle area and graduated from Washington State University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Zoology. She worked in the veterinary field in a variety of roles before joining Sunstone in 2015 shortly after its founding, and is so proud to call this her home. Colleen has been a certified veterinary technician since 2021. She is passionate about ensuring the highest level of comfort to every patient.

Colleen lives in Portland with her husband and son. During her downtime, she prefers to be found in a sunbeam with a book in her hand and a cat on her lap.

Melissa
LVT, Patient Care and Surgery Technician

Melissa

Melissa grew up outside of Detroit, MI and Southern CA before moving to Phoenix AZ where she started at the reception desk in a small veterinary practice in 2004 and loved it immediately. She worked as a receptionist before moving to the back and obtaining her certification as a veterinary technician in 2008. After many years in general practice she spent time working in oncology, surgery, and emergency.

Melissa moved to the PNW in 2017 and lives with her partner here in Portland. She enjoys a multitude of outdoor activities in this beautiful area of the country and is a pet mom to a pit mix named Frida-doggo and a kitty named Wednesday. Melissa has been with Sunstone going on 5 years and loves to use her years of experience to create the most comforting environment possible for our overnight patients while also evaluating any medical needs they might have.

Adrienne
CVT, LVT, Internal Medicine Technician

Adrienne

Adrienne is originally from Reno, NV. She moved to San Diego, CA after high school and stayed for several years until the heat and sun became a little much. She then moved to Portland in 2005 to enjoy the four seasons of the PNW and the lively music scene. She worked in food service for a while before deciding she should go back to school. She completed all of her (human) nursing prerequisites at PCC and was about to apply to nursing schools when, thanks to having an ill cat at the time, she learned that being a veterinary nurse was an option! She made an abrupt change of plans and applied to PCC’s Veterinary Technology program. She graduated in 2010 and absolutely Loves helping to care for people’s furry children AKA best friends.

She lives with her partner, David, and her daughter Oona. In her free time she enjoys: trying to keep up with her daughter, reading dark and/or comedic novels, drinking coffee, climbing to the top of swing sets with her daughter, watching stand-up comedy, and dancing around the living room to loud music.

She is officially a cat lady and has a particular penchant for old, crabby cats. The older and crabbier the better. She currently has no pets (unless you count her daughter’s hamster) but eagerly awaits the day she can become a cat mom again. Or a dog mom. Her partner’s vote is dog, and she’s open to it!

The celebrity she’s most excited to have met is David Sedaris.

Her favorite food is Indian.

Adrienne has spent the majority of her career in general veterinary practice and is overjoyed to join the team of dedicated, compassionate professionals here at Sunstone. 

Karla
CVT, Surgery and Patient Care Technician

Karla

Karla brings more than 20 years of experience in specialty veterinary care, working as a surgery technician for the majority of her career. She loves providing a high quality of care to her patients and enjoys bonding with them individually during her shifts. She truly enjoys the bond between owners and pets and hopes that while in her care, our patients feel a connection to her as well.

In her free time, she likes to hike, kayak, and spend as much time with her children and grandchildren as she can. Her favorite place in the world to be is at the beach, soaking up the sunshine and listening to the waves. She enjoys reading and likes to listen to audiobooks while driving. Karla has a very loved, very spoiled, 9 year old cat names Tonks, who’s quite the character. She let us know that Bigfoot believes in her, too. :)

Jasmine
BA, LVT, Surgery Technician

Jasmine

Jasmine is from Oregon and loves the Pacific Northwest. She moved to Portland years ago to attend Portland State University. After receiving her BA in fine arts she continues to take portraits of people and theirs pets. Several years ago she started working as veterinary assistant and continued to work full time while attending Cedar Valley’s AAHA recognized online veterinary technician program. With many years of experience in both general and specialty practices, Jasmine has always especially enjoyed monitoring anesthesia and assisting in surgery. Fear free visits are always a priority for Jasmine; she has some fear free certification and loves working with animals. Jasmine enjoys horseback riding, camping, hiking, swimming, bike riding, photography and printmaking. At home she has a tortoiseshell cat named Kiki that loves belly rubs and demands them daily.

Maeve
BS, CVT, Surgery Technician

Maeve

Maeve is originally from Bloomington, IN and has spent the last 20+ years working in veterinary medicine. She gained initial experiences in Boston, MA earning her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Simmons College. During her time in Boston, Maeve worked as a Sterile Operating Room Technician at a large specialty veterinary hospital.

Maeve moved to Portland in 2005 and has continued to work in Specialty Veterinary medicine with a focus in both Surgery and Neurology. Maeve not only enjoys working in the OR but has advanced training in diagnostic imaging including CT and MRI.

In addition to clinical work, Maeve has provided hands-on training and lecturing for other technicians in the areas of anesthesia, surgical ventilation, and other topics. She has also volunteered her time by participating in spay and neuter campaigns in Belize, helping hundreds of animals in need.

Outside of work Maeve enjoys spending time kayaking, camping, and going to concerts with friends. Maeve is constantly taking on challenging projects, tinkering, creating, and enjoying art, but most importantly she prioritizes spending time with friends and her little two-legged dog Bits.

Ruthie Torrey-Stahl
BS, AAS, CVT Emergency Services Manager

Ruthie Torrey-Stahl

My vet med journey started when I moved to Portland about 6 years ago, working as an assistant in a couple of emergency hospitals. I went to PCC for tech school and graduated with my CVT license in 2019. I have been working at a general practice ever since and am excited to join the team at Sunstone and work in the ER again. I enjoy cooking, board games, and bar trivia when not working. I live in the St. Johns area of Portland with my husband and three cats.

Arlene
Internal Medicine Assistant

Arlene

Arlene was born in beautiful Los Angeles, California. At the age of 5, Arlene and her parents packed everything and made their way to Portland, Oregon where she lived up until she was 18.  She now resides in Vancouver, Washington.

Beginning at a young age Arlene set her mind to work around people who would share the same compassion and care for animals. Her career as a veterinary assistant started in a small veterinary practice in Portland where she worked for 3 years. Eager to further her training and knowledge, she joined Sunstone to work in our internal medicine department.

In her free time, Arlene enjoys supporting new local venues with rooftop views, spontaneous drives with friends to enjoy the PNW scenery, and live hip-hop concerts. Arlene has a beautiful 3-year-old domestic longhair kitty named "Kitchune."

Kristy
Internal Medicine Assistant

Kristy

Kristy moved to the Pacific Northwest from Louisiana in 2008 after falling in love with the beautiful scenery. She loves nature and animals of all kind. She dreamed of working with animals since she was a little girl.

Kristy graduated from Apollo College and received a diploma for Veterinary Assisting in 2010. She landed a position in a small animal hospital shortly after graduation. There, she began as a Veterinary Assistant and was later promoted to the Office Trainer. She was there for 9 wonderful years, learning so much about general veterinary medicine and mastering her title as “The Chihuahua Whisperer”. She adores tiny and sassy senior dogs.

Kristy has 4 spoiled pups named Truffles, Sprinkles, Lemon and Heartly. They are all spunky Chihuahuas with very different personalities. Kristy enjoys anything pink, crafting and going for walks near beautiful waterfalls.

Caitlin
Internal Medicine Assistant

Caitlin

Caitlin is proud to be part of the team at Sunstone and is excited to meet your pets! Caitlin worked in Internal Medicine at Dove Lewis before joining Sunstone and also previously worked in cardiology and emergency medicine before discovering her passion for Internal Medicine. She loves the complexity and variety of the medical conditions we treat, as well as the close relationships we can form with both patients and clients through more frequent visits and close case management. She has a particular interest in working with shy and anxious animals, and her favorite part of the job is giving extra time and love to our patients during their visits to reduce their stress. Caitlin was born in Washington state but mostly grew up in Ohio, where she earned her BA at Miami University. She came to Portland by way of LA, where she worked in the music industry before finding her true calling in veterinary medicine. When she is not working, she can be found spending time with her husband and young son or snuggling with her three dogs: Luna (cattle dog mix), Zoey (chihuahua mix), and Indiana Jones (pit bull mix). 

Nina
Surgery Assistant

Nina

Nina grew up in Central Texas and made the big move to Portland, Oregon in 2019. She has always been passionate about animals since a young age. She knew she wanted to grow up and work with animals since she was 10 years old when she joined FFA. She started her career in Veterinary medicine in 2010. Since then, she has been eager to grow and learn in her career and is excited to start her Veterinary Specialty journey. Her favorite part of the job is getting to assist in surgeries alongside an amazing surgeon that we have here at Sunstone.

When she is not working, she enjoys cooking, being outdoors, and exploring the PNW with her two Australian Shepherds, Ziggy and Peanut.

Amanda
ER Assistant

Amanda

Amanda is an East Coast transplant who moved to Portland with her husband by way of San Francisco! She is excited to join the Sunstone Team to assist with opening the Emergency Services department. She worked closely with Dr. Nyboer for several years prior to joining the Sunstone Team. Amanda has been involved in veterinary medicine for nearly 15 years- working her way from kennel assistant to management roles and everything in between; and spent the last five years working and assisting with managing a busy ER and Specialty hospital. Having worked in several different types of practices and specialties ranging from shelter to oncology, dentistry, and general practice, she found her true passion working in Emergency and Critical Care. She enjoys mentoring and helping others expand their skills and love for emergency medicine.

In her free time, she is an avid reader with a love for horror movies and learning new languages, and enjoys traveling as frequently as she can to explore the world with her husband. They are also the proud pet parents of two very spoiled senior cats adopted during her extensive travel in Asia- aptly named Kimchi and Soju.

Yesenia
ER Assistant

Yesenia

Yesenia grew up in California and moved to the PNW with her mom and two sisters when she was 14. She absolutely fell in love with everything that is the PNW. She moved away when she got married due to her husband being in the military, but as soon as he got out, she came right back.

Yesenia has always wanted to work with animals since she was young but didn't know what exactly to do. She did a 1-year online program to become a veterinary assistant and started at a general practice when she moved back to the PNW. She's been in the field for five years and hopes to finish school to become a CVT. She is excited to further her knowledge and skills with Sunstone.

Her favorite things to do is hike, kayak, and do anything outside. She has a one-year-old daughter, two dogs, a Golden Retriever named Athena, and a pitty mix named Ares, as well as two Siamese cats named Sassy and Mr. Biggles, so she has a full house but wouldn't have it any other way. Her favorite color is purple.

Administrative Staff

Marie Xavier
BFA, CVT, Business Manager, Co-Founder

Marie  Xavier

Marie Xavier has worked in the greater Portland area since 1997. She spent 10 years at DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital. At Dove, Marie was able to combine her love of design and space planning while working as the Project Manager for the new DoveLewis Northwest location in 2005. Following the construction of the new hospital, Marie worked as the Operations Director for several years.

In late 2007 she was recruited to build a new specialty practice in Southwest Washington. During her tenure as Hospital Director, she opened a new practice in Seattle, built a new 12,000 square foot veterinary medical facility in Vancouver, WA. She hired many wonderful and talented people growing the collective staff, in Vancouver and Seattle, from 19 people to over 120 talented people.

In mid-2015 Marie formed Sunstone with Dr. Josh Elliott. Together they envision an environment where management systems and veterinary leadership make positive a difference in the lives of their employees, clients, and patients.

Today, she is happy to be a business owner, working diligently to create a culture that the Sunstone staff proudly represents.

Marie enjoys spending her free time renovating her house, gardening, or enjoying the beach with her wife and their dogs.

Crystal Ochsner
Practice Manager

Crystal   Ochsner

Crystal is our Practice Manager here at Sunstone Veterinary Specialists. She is a wonderful asset to our team and is passionate about ensuring that our patients, clients, and staff members are happy and cared for.

She started her journey in the veterinary field by volunteering at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington in 2006. Her time there showed her how excited she was about this field and that she wanted to build a career in it. She went on to complete a veterinary assisting program in 2008 and started a job as a veterinary assistant at a local emergency and specialty hospital. She spent ten years there, progressing through several different leadership roles, until she became the practice manager in 2014. Deciding that private practice suited her values, she joined the team at Sunstone in 2018.
Crystal enjoys being a part of the team here at Sunstone and is excited to be a part of the growth we are experiencing. She loves kayaking any chance she gets and hiking with her three boxers, Harry, Joey, and Leila. If she is out of town, you would likely find her at the coast with her dog Joey.

Lisa Heiting
BA, Systems Manager

Lisa  Heiting

Lisa is a native Oregonian.  After high school, she went to Oregon State University for 2 years before flying off to Hawaii.  A short 3 years later, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Marine Science from the University of Hawaii Hilo in 2000.

She began her career in veterinary medicine in 2001 as a receptionist at a general practice in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Her restless spirit soon carried her to Orlando, Florida where she spent 7 years at an avian/exotic practice, before moving back home to the Pacific Northwest in 2009. Lisa spent the next 9 years working at an emergency and specialty hospital in Southwest Washington as the Financial Coordinator and Systems Manager. 

Lisa is excited to be part of the family here at Sunstone and to be working with her dream team of people.  Her job is to inspire us all to peak performance by supporting our systems, helping us embrace technology, and adopt best practices for our systems (whatever they may be).  She is a very patient person.

Lisa lives with two spunky cats. She is a huge Harry Potter buff and avid music lover. You may spot her around town in her handmade Gryffindor beanie or at a show!

Erin Johnston
Referral Coordinator Co-Manager

Erin  Johnston

Erin is the Front Office Manager at Sunstone Veterinary Specialists. She works closely with the medical team in the back, to ensure our clients and patients receive the best experience possible. She loves building relationships with our clients, and does everything she can to keep them comfortable in any situation.

Erin earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Washington State University Pullman in 2013. She made her move into the veterinary world that same year. She spent five years at a local emergency and specialty hospital - learning the ropes of reception and into a leadership role. She came to us in February of 2018, and couldn't be happier to be a part of this amazing team!

Erin lives in Vancouver, WA and spends her free time camping, gardening, and reading with her family and her dog and cat - Zola and Tiger.

Caitlin Sullivan
Referral Coordinator Co-Manager

Caitlin Sullivan

Caitlin was born and raised in Port Townsend, Washington. She attended Western Washington University in Bellingham where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology.

Shortly after graduating college, Caitlin moved to Portland where she found her first job in the veterinary field at a small general practice. She quickly realized her passion for working with people and their pets. After working there for 5 years as the front desk manager, she joined the human medical field as a Doctor’s assistant at an optometry practice. She is thrilled to be working in the veterinary world once again and to be a part of the amazing Sunstone team.

Caitlin lives in Portland with her fiancé Nolan and their small pit bull mix Cadillac (Caddy). Caitlin enjoys going to shows, enjoying the local Portland food scene, playing video games, and going to the movies.

Dannell
Referral Coordinator

Dannell

Dannell grew up in a small town in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California and later moved to Vancouver, Washington, where she has happily spent the last 13 years. She graduated from Clark College in 2016 with her AA and a Certificate in American Sign Language studies. After spending a little time in human medicine, this is her first dive into the veterinary world, and she couldn't be more excited! As the proud pet parent of two adorable cats (Saroo and Tuni), she looks forward to providing clients with all the support they need as a Referral Coordinator. 

For fun, Dannell loves to spend time reading, hiking, playing video games, and working on crafting hobbies of all kinds. If she isn't starting a new project, she's hanging out with friends and playing D&D.

Daisy Sue
Referral Coordinator

Daisy Sue

Daisy Sue is new to Sunstone and is a part of the referral coordinator team. She was born and raised here in Portland, Oregon and grew up on a small farm with many animals. She now lives in Vancouver with her twin kitties, Simon & Daphne and her adorable mini–Australian Shepherd, Emmet. She enjoys all forms of crafting, baking, kayaking, and hiking with her fur babies. She came to us from human medical oncology and is super excited to be back in the world of working with animals. 

Moni
Referral Coordinator

Moni

Moni was born in Washington and later moved to Idaho with her family. She came to Portland after graduating high school in 2018 and has loved it here ever since.

Moni entered the vet industry early 2022 at an urgent care practice though ever since she was little, she had always dreamed of working with animals. She is so excited to further her skills at Sunstone.

Moni lives with her two cats Osaka, a grey domestic shorthair and Tokyo, a black domestic shorthair. Her favorite activities include hanging out with her two cats, crocheting, painting and watching TV.

Josie
Referral Coordinator

Josie

I grew up in Washington, I have a very adorable kitten named Doug, who was rescued from the streets and now lives a very spoiled life. I enjoy traveling with my partner. I have fallen in love with the travel bug and all the lovely variety of things to do in this area, going to comedy shows and concerts. I enjoy discovering new things to do around the city. I love animals, working with them, and helping them.

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