VASTA Singapore

🇸🇬 BIG NEWS FOR SINGAPORE VETS & NURSES

Anaesthesia shouldn’t feel like a gamble.
Yet the occasional mishap can unsettle even the best teams and leave you asking, “How can we make every case safer?”

VASTA, Europe’s specialist-led anaesthesia school, has joined forces with VETDUCATE to deliver a six-module, hands-on training roadmap right here in Singapore.

What you’ll gain
• Anaesthesia knowledge & skills taught by board-certified specialists that you can apply the very next day
• An internationally recognised qualification (CVAP or VAT) endorsed by AVA, IVAPM, AVTA, VÖK & more
• CPD credits (national accreditation pending)
• A peer community committed to safer practice

Let’s raise the standard of veterinary anaesthesia - together. 💙
Veterinary Anaesthesia Services- International- www.vas-int.com

Oioi.. For clarification: I have the utmost respect for anybody who runs a clinic or business in the field if veterinary medicine- it is an amazing field, and I would take that same decision many times over again

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Have yourselves a cosy Merry Christmas 🎄

Special thanks to everyone that’s still on shift- we appreciate you!

X,
Peter
Tasha
Hao Ting
Nicole

📌Our registration period for VASTA Singapore 2024 course now extends until the end of December 2023!

We're anticipating your involvement, and looking forward to meeting you in 2024!

Email us for registration or more information:

💻 [email protected]

💻 [email protected]

Nicole Richards

Veterinary Anaesthesia Technician(Cert IV, Dip. Surgery, VAT, RECOVER BLS/ALS Intl, VAS Intl)

Nicole's journey into the veterinary industry started with volunteer programs at a young age, a testament to her early fascination with animals. Her initial aspiration was to become a surgeon.

She gained experience in various clinical settings, both general and multi-disciplinary. Over time, and with opportunities that came her way, she focused her skills in anesthesia and analgesia, surgery, and emergency-critical care by working closely with many incredibly humble specialists.
Her interest has always leaned mostly towards the silently brilliant world of anesthesia and analgesia.

Nicole's primary goal in embarking on this journey was to elevate the significance of anesthesia and analgesia within the field of veterinary medicine in Singapore with the guidance of several vets and specialists.

She hopes that individuals and teams with shared interests in various specialties will emerge from their comfort zones to elevate the standards of pet healthcare in the region. She encourages collaborations within the veterinary community in Singapore.

During the early stages of her veterinary career, Nicole unintentionally found herself becoming the owner of a French Bulldog, not fully comprehending the breed's anatomical quirks. She often joked with Pogo,that he possessed everything—character, s***k, drama... except proper anatomy.

In her leisure time, Nicole enjoys playing games, fully appreciating the Netflix and Spotify app (cause we all need that kind of day), and spending time with friends and loved ones. Occasionally, she indulges in building or modifying her terrariums, water/sea activities and mountain biking, reflecting her deep-rooted appreciation for nature.

One of her fondest memories involves her winter expedition to Tibet and the base camp of Mount Everest. It happened to be the heaviest snowfall in 10-12 years!

Nicole is currently on the waiting list for her international RECOVER Instructor licensing.

Dr. Annatasha Bartel
DDACVAA (Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia)

Originally from Canada, Dr. Bartel earned her veterinary medicine degree with distinction from the University of Edinburgh in 2008. She gained experience in both small animal and emergency medicine before embarking on specialized training in anaesthesia and analgesia at Cornell University in 2012.

At present, she is employed at Veterinary and Emergency Hospital(VES) in Singapore, where she collaborates with her team of technicians to enhance and expand the existing anaesthesia department.

As a board-certified anaesthesiologist, her clinical interests encompass local and regional anaesthesia, anaesthesia for critically ill patients, and the gastrointestinal impacts of anaesthesia.
Dr. Bartel is also increasingly engaged in exploring Just Culture principles in veterinary medicine and assessing inherent biases in clinical practice.

Dr. Bartel holds the role of President Elect Aside for the North American Veterinary Anaesthesia Society and has previously contributed to the American College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia examination committee. She has also served as a councilor for the College of Veterinarians of Ontario.

Dr. Bartel demonstrates a strong commitment to the foundational education of veterinary technicians and nurses, with a focus on elevating the standards of anaesthetic and analgesic care in general practice.

Outside of her hospital duties, Dr. Bartel enjoys traveling, baking, SCUBA diving, and reading(often in the company of her feline companions, Ziggy and Brownie).

Dr. Bartel spent the third year of her undergraduate degree studying in Kenya.
Her proficiency in German is a result of her father's Viennese heritage, as she spent her formative years in Vienna
Ice cream is Dr. Bartel's favorite food.
Galápagos Islands is the coolest place she’s ever visited!

Dr. Bartel is the third individual out of the four who played a crucial role in bringing VASTA Singapore to life.

Her presence here in Singapore has already left an impact✌🫶


Vet Emergency & Specialty Hospital - Singapore

Anesthesia is frequently underestimated. It goes beyond simply relying on medications:

It involves understanding the unique physiology of each patient.

It requires addressing any pre-existing medical issues in patients of all ages.

It entails anticipating the highs and lows in each patient's condition, often necessitating a well-thought-out plan, sometimes even multiple plans.

It centers on ensuring a patient's safety and comfort while they're unable to do so themselves.

It encompasses far more than what meets the untrained eye.

Reach us at:

[email protected]
[email protected]

Already recognized within our local community, meet the second member of our team:

Dr. Haoting Chow
DVM (Melbourne), President of Singapore Veterinary Association

Dr. Haoting Chow is the current President of the Singapore Veterinary Association (SVA).

As an advocate for the local veterinary profession, he has served on the SVA Executive Committee since 2017.

Over the years, he contributed to various industry guidelines and continued education programs for veterinary professionals.

He spent almost 5 years at SPCA Singapore and helped with the upgrade of their Community Animal Clinic.

One such major upgrade was inviting a veterinary anaesthesia specialist to hold regular workshops at SPCA so the team can improve their anaesthesia skills and protocols.

Together with his incredible wife, Dr. Veevien Chan, they started a general practice veterinary clinic in 2022 with a strong focus in surgery, anesthesia and analgesia.

Because we all know while surgery gets all the attention and praise, it is the anaesthesia that keeps the patient alive, and as pain free as possible.

Through VASTA, he hopes to elevate patient standards of care and career progression for veterinary paraprofessionals in Singapore.



Veterinary Association

Get introduced to the initial member of the team, one of four.

Founder of Veterinary Anaesthesia Services (VAS) – International and VASTA.

Dr. Peter Kronen
DVM, DipECVAA, Dr.med.vet.

Peter graduated from the University of Munich (Germany) after studies in Pisa (Italy) and Munich.

Thereafter he completed a Doctoral degree at the University of Pisa while working in a busy small animal referral centre in Tuscany where he developed his love for Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care.

He went on to train at the Brigham and Women’s Research Center in Boston (MA,USA) and completed his residency at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA) where he stayed on as a junior faculty member.
From there he conducted research and teaching projects in Vietnam and on Guam Island.

He moved further west to become a lecturer in Anesthesia and Intensive Care at the University of California (Davis, CA, USA).

Coming back to Europe he worked for the University of Berne (Switzerland) and completed a Swiss Thesis as well as his European Specialty Boards.

In 2006 , together with Urs Schatzmann, he founded VAS as the first internationally available Anaesthesia and Analgesia Specialty Service outside the USA.
Numerous research, teaching and clinical collaborations have arose since then, but Peter also works for the University of Zürich and is Group leader for Experimental Anaesthesia and Analgesia in the CABMM (Center for Applied Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine), a joint Competence Center of the ETH and the University of Zürich.

In 2008, Peter founded VASTA, the Veterinary Anaesthesia School for Technicians, the first and only international school that provides a degree in Anaesthesia for technicians and nurses at an intermediate level.

Peter is also very involved in the professional organisation of Anaesthesia and Analgesia around the world as he previously served as President of the AVA, Member of the Board of Directors of the IVAPM, President of the IVAPM Research and Scholarship Foundation, honorary secretary of the IASP Special interest group for non-human species and member of the WSAVA’s Global Pain Council among many other activities.
Peter is also involved in the build-up of a new high-quality veterinary hospital group, the CADOMO-group.

Peter has a family and 2 teenagers, whom he spends quality time with when he can.

One of Peter’s major hobbies is reconstruction of old houses. While he currently has no time to do so, he’s renovated three old houses from scratch.

Peter tries to keep a nutritionally balanced diet and life-style.
In his free time, Peter loves taking mountain walks.
His personal goal is to someday walk and take in the beautiful views of ‘La Cima del Simano (Ticino)’.

One of Peter’s personal missions is to help make anaesthesia care better in practices all over. He firmly believes that anaesthesia has a significant impact on patient wellbeing and overall outcome.

Stay tuned for our next post to get to know the team better🫶

In the mean time, we hope everyone has a memorable experience this weekend!