Every October, veterinary teams across the United States celebrate Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) Week, and at Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital (BBVSH) Bellingham we’re celebrating the whole team that makes specialty medicine work. What sets our hospital apart is collaborative care—people across the hospital working together to create a seamless experience for patients and families from the first call to the final follow-up.
LVT Week—organized by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA)—shines a light on credentialed technicians and the diverse ways they contribute to veterinary medicine. It also highlights how our LVTs thrive within this larger team, shoulder-to-shoulder with colleagues across client support, clinical care, specialty services, and leadership that invests in education and communication.
What teamwork looks like here
At BBVSH Bellingham, patients don’t just see “one person”—they experience coordinated care. From the first phone call to follow-up after discharge, different roles step in at the right moment:
- Client care & reception: Welcome families, facilitate check-in, and keep information flowing so clinicians can focus on the pet in
- front of them.
- Referral coordinators: Help primary care veterinarians and pet owners navigate specialty services and schedule seamlessly.
- Veterinary assistants: Support patient handling, treatments, and daily care across services, reinforcing safety and comfort.
- Licensed veterinary technicians (LVTs): Anchor clinical workflows—monitoring anesthesia, implementing treatment plans, assisting with imaging and procedures, and communicating home-care instructions.
- Specialty veterinarians (cardiology, internal medicine, surgery, diagnostic imaging, rehab): Develop and adjust advanced care plans in partnership with the entire team.
- Management & coordinators (including education and team communication roles): Sustain training, CE, and cross-department alignment so the whole team grows together.
LVTs at the center of specialty care
Our Licensed Veterinary Technicians (LVTs) are clinical anchors—translating complex treatment plans into moment-to-moment patient care while helping families understand each step. On any given day, LVTs may:
- Run and monitor anesthesia; prep, assist, and recover patients for procedures.
- Deliver inpatient nursing, including IV catheterization, medication administration, nutrition support, pain scoring, and monitoring.
- Coordinate multi-service care, ensuring accurate orders, treatments, and hand-offs between specialties.
- Assist with diagnostics, from imaging support to sample collection and in-house lab work.
- Educate and advocate, teaching home-care instructions, demonstrating techniques, and supporting families through complex decisions.
- Elevate quality, mentoring teammates, supporting inventory and equipment readiness, and contributing to safety and protocol improvements.
Some LVTs pursue additional credentialing as Veterinary Technician Specialists (VTS) (e.g., anesthesia, internal medicine, emergency & critical care, dentistry). Their advanced skills strengthen workflows and help train the team.
Your path to becoming an LVT
If you’re inspired to join the team as an LVT, here’s the typical U.S. pathway:
- Complete a two- or three-year AVMA-accredited veterinary technology program (associate degree).
- Pass the VTNE (Veterinary Technician National Examination).
- Obtain state credentialing (title varies by state: LVT/CVT/RVT) and maintain it via continuing education.
For accredited programs and career resources, visit AVMA and NAVTA. More resources on accredited programs and career pathways can be found through NAVTA and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Interested in joining the team? Explore career opportunities at Boundary Bay →
24/7 emergency with AEC
As we close LVT Week, we’re grateful to our BBVSH Bellingham technicians—and to the ER LVTs and team at Animal Emergency Care (AEC), our 24/7 emergency partner. Together, BBVSH and AEC provide round-the-clock emergency care in Bellingham and work as a united team with primary care veterinarians to support seamless, high-quality care for pets and their families.
