Practice Manager
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JenManager
Jen has been at St. Francis Hospital for Animals since 2002. She began working with the Schmeiser/Indrieri team and helped transition the practice to new ownership in 2014. She has worked in emergency vet care but grew to love the world of general practice veterinary care. She enjoys seeing the animals, working with computers, and helping out our customers. Jen is best known for keeping the office running smoothly, and offering guidance and support for the rest of the staff. At home, she likes baking, cooking, trail walking, and spending time with her husband, daughter, cat, and dog.
Licensed Technicians
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Denise L.
*Fear-Free Certified Veterinary Technician
An Oakdale native, Denise got her start in the veterinary field at St. Francis in the early 90's. She later spent some years working in specialty veterinary medicine before returning to St. Francis where her passion for general practice and a personal touch could flourish. She has been our resident cold-laser therapy technician for the past five years. At SFHA, Denise most enjoys creating a relationship with the clients and pets and watching them grow over the years. She lives in West Sayville with her family, her dog George, and the cats. Outside of work she loves spending time with her kids and baking delicious and creative cakes.
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Denise D.
Denise has been a licensed veterinary technician since 1988. She started working at St. Francis in April 2025 but has been at multiple other veterinary hospitals over the years. She manages our surgical cases alongside our doctors and loves to continually learn. Dee thrives in handling emergencies and complex cases, and has been a true asset to our team. Outside of work, Denise enjoys spending time with her family. She currently has a hound mix named Jasmine, a yorkie named Stanley, and one cat named Sybil.
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Sofia F.
*Fear-Free Certified Veterinary Technician
Sofia graduated from Bay Shore Highschool in 2018 and completed her Pre-Vet degree at LIU Post in 2024. She joined St. Francis in 2025 and has brought great skill and enthusiasm to our team. She enjoys communicating with clients and helping to educate them about care for their pet. In particular, Sofia enjoys assisting in surgery because of the positive outcomes that she can help deliver to our patients and their families. Prior to her work at St. Francis, Sofia worked as a pharmacy assistant. She is currently applying to veterinary schools to pursue her DVM. Sofia lives with her family and cats, and loves to draw and paint.
Assistants
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Samantha
*Fear-Free Certified Veterinary Assistant
Sam began working at St. Francis in 2011. Ever since seeing the movie Balto as a kid she has loved animals and always wanted to help them! A constant presence on staff for over 12 years, Sam earned her Veterinary Assistant’s Certification with BOCES in 2011 and worked first with the Indrieri team before Dr. Parendo took over the practice. Outside of the hospital, one of Sam’s greatest accomplishments has been as a Field Hockey player, captaining her high school team, playing through college and into adulthood. She lives in Mastic with her husband and her smooshy-faced cat, Christine. Sam is a die-hard San Jose Sharks fan and loves anime.
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Chris Ann
Chris Ann completed the Veterinary Technician program at St. Pete Junior College in Florida. She previously worked at East Islip Vet and then at the Jericho Animal Hospital for 13 years. She has worked part-time here at St. Francis since 2022, filling meds in our pharmacy, running appointments, handling tech services, and assisting with triage and surgery as needed. Chris Ann loves to travel and ski with her family. Her favorite part of working in the animal field is that her patients don’t talk back! She lives in Great River with her husband, daughters, and handsome pup Charlie.
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Brianna
*Fear-Free Certified Veterinary Assistant
Brianna has always loved animals and began riding horses at age 9. Growing up, she participated in western competitions and barrel racing. She graduated from the Suffolk County BOCES grooming program in 2010 and began working as a veterinary assistant shortly thereafter. At work, she loves puppy and kitten visits the most! Outside of St. Francis she works as a licensed groomer. Brianna enjoys country music, line dancing, and sushi. She lives in Bohemia with her husband, daughter, and three dogs: Lilah, Taquito, and Jalapeño!
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James
*Fear-Free Certified Veterinary Assistant
James has been working at St. Francis Hospital for Animals since 2024. Before joining SFHA, he worked at the Veterinary Outpatient Treatment Center in Medford, where he worked primarily with pets undergoing chemotherapy. While at St. Francis, he prefers hands-on work with the animals and is a good sport. Outside of the hospital, he is an avid skateboarder and his favorite movie is Donny Darko. He enjoys Pokémon, gaming, and hanging out with his dog, “Moxxi.”
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Skylar
*Fear-Free Certified Veterinary Assistant
Skylar completed a 2-year CTE-Endorsed Animal Science degree through BOCES before furthering her education at SUNY Geneseo, where she graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She began working at St. Francis during the summer of her undergraduate senior year and while applying to veterinary schools. We are so proud to share that in August of 2025, Skylar will attend St. George’s School of Veterinary Medicine in True Blue, Grenada. We wish her the best as she pursues her DVM and look forward to welcoming her back to our team during her breaks! In her free time, Skylar enjoys baking, going to the beach, and spending time with her cats, Ozzy and Raven. She is a volunteer kitty foster-mom with Last Chance Animal Rescue.
Reception
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Nicole
Nicole joined the team at St. Francis in 2020 and has enjoyed getting to know our clients and patients. A lifelong animal lover, she is always excited to meet all the different breeds and personalities that come through the door. Nicole enjoys talking through concerns with clients and building relationships with our patients. Outside of St. Francis, she transcribes medical documents for human healthcare providers, spends time with her family, and loves traveling and learning more every day. She collects Pez Dispensers and is a big fan of reading. Nicole lives in Patchogue with Teddy the dog and cats Hamlet and Hero.
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Catie
Catie began her career in vetmed with St. Francis Hospital for Animals in 2023. She is passionate about animals and loves working with people, so our office was a great fit! Since joining our team, she has enjoyed learning everything about our patients and meeting our clients. Catie’s favorite thing at the office is the laminating machine. Outside of work, Catie spends time with her fiancé, a few little pups and two crazy cats. She loves hiking, baking, cooking, and Animal Crossing.
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Sarah
Sarah was born and raised in New Hampshire and moved to Long Island during the covid pandemic in 2020. She jumped right in to the fast pace of NY, working in the veterinary field locally before coming on board at St Francis in the winter of 2023. Sarah’s claim to fame is that she previously owned two Domino’s Pizza franchises in New Hampshire. Sarah loves golfing, snowmobiling, and fishing. Outside of work you can find her walking Larry the dog along the beach. She is the mother of 2 and lives in Sayville with her family, Larry the dog, and Tess the cat.
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Lilian
Lily is a California Girl. She moved to Long Island in 2017 and has been working in the veterinary field for over 20 years. She is thrilled to be the newest reception member at St. Francis Hospital for Animals! Lily is passionate about providing exceptional customer service and ensuring a positive experience for our clients and their beloved pets. She loves online gaming, hiking, and LOVES shopping, especially for Hello Kitty merch. Outside of work, you can find her shopping at antique stores or roller blading at the park. Lily lives in Patchogue with her family and four cats!
