201: Exploring veterinary social work

Stephen Kochis, DVM, served for nearly 25 years in various positions in veterinary medicine, including Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital and VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists. His veterinary specialties include infectious diseases, immunology and emergency medicine.

As Chief Medical Officer at OHS, Kochis oversees a team of more than 100 veterinary professionals who serve pets and people at the Community Veterinary Hospital, and care for shelter pets in the medical centers at the Portland and Salem Campus.

Kochis received his Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences and DVM from Cornell University. He served on the OHS Board of Directors for three years until he joined the staff. He has served as President of the Portland Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) and currently serves on its Executive Board.

Kelly Bremken, MSSW, VSW,  is the Veterinary Social Worker with Oregon Humane Society. Originally a Midwest native, with a BA in Organizational Communication, Kelly’s experiences have crisscrossed the entire country. She has worked in animal welfare for more than 18 years at Arizona Humane Society, Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, Seattle Animal Shelter, and Oregon Humane Society.

Bremken graduated in Spring 2021 with a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a certification in Veterinary Social Work (VSW). The University of Tennessee Veterinary Social Work Certificate Program trains MSSW students in the four areas of Veterinary Social Work. Those areas are Compassion Fatigue & Conflict Management, the Link Between Human & Animal Violence, Animal Assisted Interventions, and Animal-Related Grief & Bereavement.

At Oregon Humane Society and in the Community Veterinary Hospital, Bremken is on the forefront of utilizing social work practice to attend to the human needs that arise at the intersection of veterinary medicine & animal welfare, and social work practice. She serves as Oregon Humane Society’s first veterinary social worker and is paving the way in the field for greater workplace wellbeing and community partnership.