Oakton-Vienna Veterinary Hospital, Our Team

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Meet the OVVH Team!

Oakton-Vienna Veterinary Hospital (OVVH) has been serving the community for over 25 years. We are committed to giving you and your companions the highest quality care available. We're animal lovers too, and you'll notice the difference that makes from your very first visit.

DR. CHARLES W. BLEVINS
I grew up in Washington DC. My love of animals began when I found a baby raccoon at the age of 8. As founder of Oakton-Vienna Veterinary Hospital, I have been practicing veterinary medicine in the Northern Virginia area for over 25 years. I love being at OVVH because I can care for animals in a fun warm atmosphere and my clients are my extended family. In addition to my veterinary education, I have been trained as a cognitive therapist, a skill that assists me in my interest in the human-animal bond and the relationship of companion animals to our emotional and physical health. The Oprah Winfrey Show featured my work with the human-animal bond in 2001. This work plays a big part in my everyday role working with clients - caring for their pets but also caring for their needs in times of distress. I love the connections I have created and feel very lucky to be at OVVH. In my spare time, I enjoy a variety of outside activities including kayaking, biking and hiking. I also work out at the gym and take weeky yoga classes.

DR. SANDY CHRISTMUS
I spent most of my childhood in South Carolina and graduated from Clemson University with a BS in Microbiology. After graduation, I worked at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as a lab technologist dealing with organ transplants, paternity tests and research studies. I graduated from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in 1995 and was inducted into the Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Society while at school. The Vienna/Fairfax area has been my home since graduation from veterinary school. I am past vice-president of The Shiloh Project, a nonprofit group dedicated to helping at-risk youth learn compassion and responsibility by allowing them to socialize and train rescued homeless dogs. I also work a great deal with Greyhound Rescue, Inc., both pre-and post-adoption. I have a special interest in ultrasonography and have performed more than a thousand sonograms on dogs and cats. My wife and three cats take care of me when I'm not at work!

DR. JACKIE JONES:
I am a native of Maryland, but left to attend the Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 1993. My first job took me to California, where I worked in a mixed animal practice, treating ostriches, wolves, cows, pigs, and everything in between! Although the variety was stimulating, it had the down side of being physically risky. Seeking safer work, I moved to the San Francisco area to work for a corporate owned small animal practice. This is where I began to treat exotics, especially reptiles, as the California climate is great for them. Tiring of missing my family, I decided to move back to the East coast, and transferred to a hospital in Northern Virginia. My personal interests include reading, gardening, skiing, hiking, traveling, jewelry making and stamping. My husband and I share our home with Trouble, a 12 year old Terrier mix (and yes, the personality did cause Trouble's name, not the other way around!).

DR. DIANE HEINZ
I received an MBA in Finance from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986. After 10 years in the financial services industry, I returned to my first love, veterinary medicine. I received my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000, and have since been working in private practice and in the public sector. I am interested in companion animal internal medicine, and enjoy promoting the health and happiness of pets and their owners. In my spare time, I enjoy renovating my house and making stained-glass artwork. I am owned by two silly cats and one very sweet dog.

MITCH
Mitchell will forever live in our hearts...

LINDA ZESWITZ
I have been with OVVH for over 10 years. I started as a veterinary assistant, and currently I am in charge of the bookkeeping. When I am not at OVVH, I am very involved in animal rescue and founded Collie Rescue, Inc., a non-profit animal rescue serving Virginia and Maryland.

MARIA SARACHO
I graduated from Falls Church High School in 2003. I am currently attending Northern Virginia Community College in the pursuit of my dream goal of receiving a degree in Veterinary Medicine. I just got a puppy boxer named Lailia. She keeps my boyfriend and I very busy running around! When I am not busy with Lailia, you will find me scrapbooking, jogging, or watching movies.

EFFIE DROSOS
I was born and raised in Northern Virginia and have been working as a vet assistant/tech for over 4 years. I am in charge of the hospital inventory for OVVH and assist the doctors with treatments and surgeries. I am owned by my two loving dachshunds, Penelope and Suzie. In my free time, I enjoy scrap booking.

JANELLE KENZOR
I only recently moved to the Northern Virginia area after growing up in Indiana. I graduated from Indiana University in May 2006 with a BS degree in Microbiology. For the past few years I have been working in academic research labs, but recently decided to pursue the medical avenue with my science background. I really enjoy the patient interaction and continuous learning that I receive while being a vet assistant. Everyone at OVVH has given me a warm welcome and make me feel at home. When not working, I enjoy running, hiking, and watching IU basketball.

KAITLIN HARTE
I have been working at OVVH since June 2008, after leaving my job as a veterinary assistant in Great Falls. I knew this was the place for me when I saw pets who were excited to be at the vet’s office! You can find me at the reception desk these days, I feel privileged to work for a clinic that makes patient care the first priority. I attended Kalamazoo College and GMU and plan to continue my education in vet medicine. I moved here from Michigan in 2007 and currently live with my boyfriend Andrew and our 3 year old cat, Chloe.

AVA BENAMI
I love working with animals, and have been a veterinary assistant/technician for almost 8 years. I spent 2 years working in emergency medicine where I gained many valuable technician skills, but enjoy the long-term patient and client relationships that are built in day practice. Every spring, I raise and adopt out orphan kittens, which I love to do. My two kitties Dharma and Ellie keep me company at home. I am hoping to finish my Biology degree at George Mason in the next few years, and would like to work in the field of conservation biology in the future, helping to save endangered species. I enjoy birdwatching, hiking, live music, reading, and riding my motorcycle.

RACHEL SCHMIDT
I was born and raised in Oklahoma and went to college in Texas but have lived on both coasts due to my husband being in the Navy. I only recently moved to Virginia from Washington state where I worked as a vet assistant/tech for over 2 years. I miss the mountains and the ocean but I'm so happy to be back in a warmer climate! In my free time I enjoy exploring Viriginia's green spaces with my black lab Hana, nature photography (especially birds) and watching japanese tv dramas.

JEAN MARIE KELSCH
Ever since I started my first veterinary position in 2006, I knew it would be a job I would enjoy coming to everyday. I have been with OVVH since 2007, and have learned a great deal along the way. Although I don’t plan on being in veterinary medicine forever, I am hoping to stay in the scientific field where I can use my degree in Biology as well the experiences I have gained. I have a goofy 4-year-old German Shepherd mix named Chase, and enjoy traveling, being outdoors, and being active in my free time.