Our Staff
Veterinarians
Dr. Jones
Dr. Jones was born and raised in the San Francisco area. She received her B.S. degree in Environmental Toxicology from U.C. Davis in 1985. In 1989 she received her DVM degree from U.C. Davis. She completed an intense internship at a busy small animal emergency/specialty clinic in Santa Cruz, CA. It was also there that she met her Kansas sweetheart, Scott. They married and moved “east” to Kansas where they live with son, Jack (13), and daughter, Julia (11). Dr. Jones and Scott also share their home with a Golden Retriever (Olympia), a King Charles Spaniel (Eddie), a lab/German shorthair (Roxie) and a cat (Taz).
Dr. Jones joined State Line Animal Hospital family in 1992. She has a passion for diabetic and kidney failure patients because she was a juvenile diabetic and subsequently experienced kidney failure. After receiving a kidney/pancreas transplant in 1993, Dr. Jones returned to work at SLAH. She truly appreciates life and the blessings that God has given her-one of those being the ability to empathize with her furry patients and their owners.
As of October 2011, Dr. Jones completed a 130 hour course in Veterinary accupuncture at the Chi Institute for Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicince and is now a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA).
Dr. Barchman
Dr. Barchman is a 2006 graduate of Iowa State University Veterinary School and has been a full-time veterinarian at State Line since January of 2011. After receiving her DVM, she did a one year rotating internship at Carolina Veterinary specialists and Emergency Center in Greenboro, North Carolina. Following her internship, she married her husband, Matt, and moved to Colorado where they enjoyed the slopes for a year. In 2008, they moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where their first daughter, Evalyn (Evey) was born. Then they decided to move back to the Midwest to be closer to their families and settled in Kansas City. Dr. Barchman was a relief veterinarian for the greater Kansas City area prior to working parttime at State Line. Their second daughter, Emarsyn (Emma), was born in November 2010.
Dr. Barchman enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine with special interests in ophthalmology and surgery. When she is not helping the critters at State Line, she enjoys spending time with her family (outdoors if possible), including her mixed breed dog, Jack, and Burmese cats, Harry and Vivienne. Dr. Barchman is an active member of her church and is a member of the Leawood Rotary Club. The Barchmans live in Lenexa in their newly purchased ‘dream house.’
Receptionists
Pat Schimins - Pat has been a familiar face at the front desk for the last 20 years! After she retired from Firestone, she happened to answer SLAH’s ad for a receptionist – even though she had never worked around animals. From her first day, you didn’t see Pat without a dog on her lap and many around her feet or under her desk. She has cut down her hours in the last 2 years, but you will still hear her voice on the phone or see her in person several days a week.
Greeting clients and owners, making appointments, keeping track of the end-of-month figures, answering the phone, and caring for the Puppy Day Out guests are just a few of Pat’s daily tasks. She is enjoying her new parttime work schedule as it keeps her in contact with the clients and her many “adopted” children.
When she is not at State Line, Pat spends time with her daughter, Stephanie, and grandson, Jacob. She enjoys reading and walking with her wire-haired dachshund, Piper.
Betsy Avenia
For Betsy, working at State Line is a “different experience every day!” You will find Betsy behind the desk surrounded by an assortment of 4-legged ‘friends.’ She has worked at SLAH as a Receptionist for 3 years and spends her time greeting clients and pets, scheduling appointments, arranging payments, and interacting and caring for the Puppy Day Out dogs.
When she is not working, Betsy is a busy soccer and volleyball mom for Spencer, 17, and Kendall, 14. Golf, scrapbooking, and jewelry making are on her list of ‘pre-motherhood’ hobbies. She and her husband, Tommy, also share their busy home with a cat, (Milo) and a black lab (Astro).
Betsy loves being around the animals at SLAH, especially the Puppy Day Out dogs.
Jeannie Unruh
Jeannie has been a Receptionist at State Line for 3 years and is now SLAH’s Office Manager. She thinks that “we have wonderful clients and pets!” Jeannie is always busy answering the phone, scheduling appointments, greeting clients and their animals, arranging for boarding, getting records ready for the doctors, and being a “mom” to the many Puppy Day Out dogs! As Office Manager, Jeannie is also responsible for scheduling the employees and taking care of the day to day issues at the clinic.
When Jeannie is not working, she enjoys going to the lake with her husband, Brian, and their two teenagers, Andy (20) and Maddie (15.) She also enjoys water sports, running, reading, and gardening.
At home, Jeannie and her family have 3 dogs (Scooter, Mick, and Hank) and 3 cats (Jupiter, China, and Ashes.)
Veterinary Technician
Micra Callender
Micra has been with Dr. Otte since 1983 following her graduation from Maple Woods Community College as a Registered Veterinary Technician. As a Veterinary Technician, Micra’s duties include treatment of hospitalized patients, preparing patients for surgery, exposing and developing radiographs, performing dental prophylaxes, performing laboratory procedures including reading cytology slides, and advising and educating owners.
Because of the many stray dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens that find their way to State Line AH, Micra has become the
“adoption officer” at the hospital. Adopting a pet is not a casual affair at SLAH! Adoptive ‘parents’ are screened and interviewed to make sure a pet will have the perfect “forever home.” Further, she spends time teaching the new pet owners the correct ways to care for their animals.
When wild critters are brought to the hospital needing care, Micra is usually their primary care giver. Through her extensive reading, studying, and hands-on experience, she knows just what to feed the orphaned possums or injured squirrels and how to care for them until they are ready for release.
Birds are another of her passions; in her home aviary, she raises cockatiels and finches.
When she is not at work, Micra has too many interests and too little time to pursue all of them. She holds a red belt in Tae Kwon Do. She is also an active member of her church and has participated in several church related mission trips to help underprivileged countries. She is an accomplished musician and has participated in community bands.
Veterinary Assistants
Alanna Morris
Alanna has worked at SLAH since November 2005. She worked after school, during vacations, and summers throughout high school and college and began working full time in 2010. Alanna is now a seasoned Veterinary Assistant and works closely with the doctors, both in the exam room and in surgery. She graduated from Cornell College in Iowa with a degree in Outreach & Education in Environmental Science. In addition to assisting the doctors with patients’ care, Alanna is on her way to being the ”go to” person for information about pet nutrition.
Alanna’s ‘furry family’ includes Franklin,- a black dachshund/Australian shepherd mix, and Marius, an orange bobtailed cat. Franklin and Alanna are presently undergoing agility training and both are loving it!
In her limited free time, Alanna enjoys reading, movies, cooking/baking, and pet sitting. But, her primary interest these days is planning her upcoming wedding to Nick Light on May 26.
Molly Melling
Molly has worked for State Line since 2006; part time while she was in college and full time from 2008 until August 2010 when she began vet school at K-State. When she is on break from school, Molly continues to work for SLAH. As a Veterinary Assistant, she helps the doctors and the technician during medical procedures, assists Dr. Otte during surgery, fills prescriptions, helps with cleaning, and enters inventory into the computer. She is also takes care of Garfield, the hospital cat.
Molly enjoys working with pets and clients andthinks that the valuable knowledge and experience she has acquired will help her in vet school. In her rare spare time, Molly works out, coaches a swim team, and has begun scuba diving. She is also a housesitter/petsitter.
At home in Manhattan, Molly has an “awesome” white/tabby cat named Rocky.
Jacquie Conn
Jacquie has worked as a veterinary assistant at State Line for 4 years. She began by entering inventory data into the computer, but now assists the doctors with x-rays, medical procedures, bloodwork, and inventory control.
She enjoys people as well as animals and is always interested in learning about the various medical cases presented at the hospital.
When Jacquie is not working, she spends her time with her 8 year old daughter, Abby, often going on nature walks at Shawnee Mission Park. She takes Abby to Girl Scouts and is a member of her school’s PTA. Jacquie also enjoys movies and cooking, and finds time to care for her two dogs, Spanky and Spence.
Kennel Assistants
Jessie Ford
Jessie’s love and compassion for animals makes working in an animal hospital the perfect job for him. He has worked for Dr. Otte at State Line for 22 years, during many of which he was the only person taking care of the kennel. His duties include giving baths, feeding and watering the animals, walking the dogs, giving medications, keeping the kennel clean, talking to our clients and working with the staff.
When he is not working, Jessie spends his time with his daughter, Jessica. He also enjoys
reading, watching TV, playing with their two dogs, Jennie and Maverick, and doing “Army stuff.”
Jessie holds the rank of Staff Sergeant in the 445th Medical Detachment (Veterinary Service) in the Army Reserves. During his 22 years at State Line, Jessie has been deployed 3 times, to Iraq, to Bosnia, and to Afghanistan – each deployment for a year’s tour of duty.
Billy Smith
Billy spent over 20 years working in shelters and wanted to work with owner animals for a change. He came to State Line 9 years ago to work weekends and has stayed because “the owners and management are great to work for.” Billy cares for the boarding animals and the animals brought in by Leawood Animal Control. He spends busy Saturdays and Sundays feeding, watering, cleaning cages, walking animals, and generally making sure all of the ‘guests’ are happy and comfortable.
When Billy is not at SLAH, he works on his farm and also raises show chickens. And when he has any free time, he enjoys canoeing, hiking, camping, traveling, reading, and folk music. He and his wife, Marcia, share their home with 5 dogs (Otis, Marcus, Winnie, Chuckles, Groucho), 2 cats (Uno & Dos), 2 goats (Bud & Kelly), and a house rooster, (Buckley).
Tom Seaton
Tom has been a Kennel Assistant at State Line for 6 years. In addition to feeding, watering, and walking the dogs, Tom cleans the cages, helps with the laundry, bathes dogs (especially the large ones) and is the general “fix it” guy when something breaks.
Working at an animal hospital is a natural for Tom because he loves working with animals and caring for them.
When he is not working, Tom enjoys fishing, camping, and ‘fixing things.’
He and Anna are raising their son, William (3) who was the “light of our lives” until he had to share that ‘light’ with twins, David and Daniel. Tom and Anna are busy parents, indeed.
Groomer
Mary Mayden
Mary has been a groomer for over 26 years; State Line has been lucky to have her for the last 6! She learned to groom in Westport with Darrell Smith and later taught dog grooming with him.
At State Line, Mary’s clients come to her by reservation only. She grooms all types and sizes of dogs and can turn a matted mess into a movie star dog pretty quickly! She also advises the animals’ owners on home grooming steps and ways to keep “Fluffy’s” coat soft and shiny.
Not only do the grooming clients love Mary, but she loves them and all of the animals at SLAH. Dr. Otte’s Toby runs to Mary first thing every morning so that she will pick him up and give him a hug; then he’s on his way.
When she is not working, Mary works parttime at a dance studio, does cardio and strength training, and enjoys time with her friends and family (she has one daughter, Alex), and often spends weekends at the Lake.
She doesn’t have dogs at home; rather, she shares her home with 3 cats, Zoomie, Oink, and Solomon.