Dr. Chih is a Board Certified Emergency and Critical Care Specialist. Born and raised in Queens, New York, her first job was as a veterinary assistant.

She received her veterinary degree from the University of Missouri in 2011 and saw the diversity of emergency/critical cases as personal challenges. Her inspiration comes from her mother who taught her to have a strong work ethic and to have compassion for all beings.

In 2012, Dr. Chih completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at Michigan Veterinary Specialists. She then completed an emergency/critical care intern- ship and a residency in emergency/critical care, both at Lakeshore Veterinary Specialists in Glendale, Wisconsin.

Her specialty interests include fluid therapy, CPR, transfusion medicine, polytrauma, nutrition, ultrasonography, and the value of the human-animal bond. Dr. Chih is a certified CPR rescuer in basic life support and advanced life support through the RECOVER (Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation) initiative, which is endorsed by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society.

Dr. Chih enjoys being outdoors and going to film, music, and food festivals. She lives with her spouse and their tabby cat and beagle mix, both of which have taught them “to be the type of person my dog (or cat) thinks I am” and to “wag more and bark less.”

Dr. Reiss was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City. He graduated from New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell in 1993. Following graduation he completed a small-animal Internship at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital and Residency in emergency and critical care at Denver Veterinary Specialists. Dr. Reiss obtained board certification in emergency and critical care in October 2002.

Dr Reiss has been involved in the growth and development of four large 24-hour emergency and referral centers in Denver, Seattle, Medford and Portland. He has published a paper on traumatic cardiac injuries, as well as book chapters on subjects such as dystocia and pneumonia.

Dr. Reiss has special interests in trauma, transfusion medicine, critical care nutrition, pulmonary diseases and oncology. He has a broad based skill set and can perform echocardiographs, abdominal ultrasound, diagnostic and emergency endoscopic procedures, as well as emergency surgery.

Dr. Kissinger has special interests in emergency care and surgery, feline medicine and geriatric care. She is passionate about providing top quality emergency veterinary care in an informative and compassionate environment.

Dr. Kissinger has a cat named Coconut and a small dog named CC. Outside of work, she is a true soccer mom, shuttling her young son to his competitive soccer and basketball games much of the time. They also enjoy camping, hiking, gardening and occasional road trips.

Dr. Johnson has special interests in feline medicine, neurology, and cardiology.
In her spare time Dr. Johnson enjoys international travel, backpacking, reading and motorcycle riding. She lives with her husband Simon, their two Persian cats, and a leopard gecko.

Dr. Nicole White graduated from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, where she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine as well as her Bachelor of Animal Science. After earning her DVM in 2018, Dr. White pursued a one-year small animal medicine and surgery internship at Seattle Veterinary Specialists in Kirkland to gain additional training in emergency medicine and critical care.

Dr. White also has a broad range of experience working with exotic animal species. Between her undergraduate and graduate studies, she worked at a private zoo in Queensland, Australia, where she spent a year interacting with many native Australian species and primarily working in the reptile department. She has also spent time in Bangladesh, working with a local conservation group, radio tracking Burmese pythons and performing endangered species survey work.

While working with exotic animal species has broadened her general knowledge and passion for all types of veterinary medicine, Dr. White has special interests in sepsis, polytrauma, immune-mediated diseases and the comprehensive management of critically-ill patients.

Dr. White is a Pacific Northwest native and currently lives in Seattle with her partner Noah and their two Pitbulls and two orange tabby cats. In her spare time, Dr. White enjoys hiking, kayaking, international travel, and cooking.

Dr. Mahalingam made the decision to move to Washington State in the summer of 2019 to continue practicing emergency medicine. In the spring of 2021, Dr. Mahalingam joined the Animal Medical Center of Seattle’s ER/ICU team.

Dr. Mahalingam loves all aspects of emergency and critical care medicine, but especially likes managing toxicities, sepsis, electrolyte and cardiac emergencies. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking with her dog Fia, traveling, camping, reading, biking and swimming.

Dr. Rushing has a special interest in toxicology, nutrition, and polytraumas. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two dogs, whether it’s hanging out at home, reading, or doing outdoor activities.

Dr. Celeste Cruz was born and raised in San Jose, California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her undergraduate degree in Animal Science from the University of California, Davis, in 2012 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2020 from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA. During veterinary school, Dr. Cruz rotated through a few veterinary hospitals in the Seattle area (AMCS being one of them) and enjoyed exploring the Pacific Northwest. After graduating from veterinary school, she pursued a 1-year rotating internship with VCA Encina Veterinary Medical Center in Walnut Creek, CA. Dr. Cruz treasures the skills and knowledge during her internship performing emergency surgeries, routine ultrasounds, and managing critically ill patients.
Dr. Cruz decided to leave California and start the next chapter of her life and career in the Seattle area in the summer of 2021 with her partner and two cats, Chula and Maple. She looks forward to exploring more of Washington’s beautiful outdoors, meeting new friends, and making great memories.

While enjoying many aspects of emergency medicine, Dr. Ackley has a special interest in trauma, auto-immune disease, toxicities, and emergency surgery. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, traveling, and nerdy board games. She also enjoys reading snuggled up with her cat, One Eyed Willamina.

Dr. Danielle Hopping graduated from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Anthropology. She spent a year collaborating on archaeological digs through Portugal and Spain in addition to teaching archaeological techniques in Scotland. She returned stateside to finish her research and ultimately decided to change careers. After moving back to Columbus, Ohio, Dr. Hopping graduated from The Ohio State University and obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. 

After earning her DVM, Dr. Hopping pursued a year-long small animal medicine and surgery internship at MedVet, a large specialty and emergency hospital in Chicago, Illinois. There she developed a passion for emergency medicine with special interests in toxicology, atypical endocrine emergencies, anaphylactic hemoabdomens and emergency surgery.

Dr. Hopping decided to leave the Midwest and join the Animal Medical Center of Seattle emergency and critical care team. In her free time, she has thoroughly enjoyed exploring hiking, camping and cycling around the Pacific Northwest.

Originally from the Central Coast of California, Dr. Nicole Blevins obtained her undergraduate degree in Animal Science at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. She then went on to attend the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2016 with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). Following graduation, she went on to complete a one-year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery with Georgia Veterinary Specialists in Atlanta, GA. Since then, she has pursued a career in emergency medicine, continuing to work in the Atlanta area for a few years and most recently in Florida’s Space Coast region. She and her husband recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and she joined the Animal Medical Center of Seattle in November 2021.

Dr. Blevins’ special interests include toxicities, transfusion medicine, coagulopathies, sepsis and emergency surgery. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest outdoors, hiking with her two Siberian Huskies, traveling, and reading.