Meet Our
Veterinary Team

Dr. Hickey joined the Admiral family as a full-time veterinarian in 2008. Dr. Hickey was born in Knoxville, then moved to Chillicothe, OH, only to return to Knoxville to finish high school. When Dr. Hickey was ten years old, she told her Mom she would be a vet and stuck with it through hard work until she graduated vet school. She received her bachelor’s degree at The University of Tennessee in biochemistry. She then continued her studies at U.T.’s School of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2008. Dr. Hickey worked as an associate vet at Admiral until she purchased the hospital in 2014. Dr. Hickey has loved animals large and small her entire life. She says one of her dreams came true the day she and her husband, Charlie, purchased Admiral Vet. She aims to provide the best care possible, from the smallest mouse to the most significant Great Dane we see. Dr. Hickey is a strong advocate for animals being served by rescue groups. Helping provide care to animals that have been neglected and in need of a lot of love and attention is what drives Dr. Hickey. She is also the President of The Knox County Animal Cruelty Alliance.

“Animals are my passion. I love the bond I can form with my clients and their pets. Seeing generations of people and their pets from the same family is wonderful. I look forward to many more years of serving my community.”

Veterinarian

Dr. Neff joined the Admiral Vet team in 2019. She grew up in the foothills of California. Dr. Neff received a degree in Avian Science from UC Davis. She then went on to receive her D.V.M. from Purdue University in 2013. Dr. Neff made East Tennessee her home when her husband accepted a job at Oak Ridge National Labs.

Hospital Administrator

Jennifer joined the Admiral Vet family in 1999. Jennifer is from Alabama, where her family catered to her love of animals from a very young age. She started her career in human medicine, then decided to follow her dream and work with animals. Jennifer wears many hats at the hospital, from assisting the doctors in surgery to greeting our patients as they come into managing our accounts, and you may even find her on a ladder fixing something around the hospital! Whatever the hospital and its patients need, she’s there, ready to help.

“I love my job because I know I can make a difference in the lives of animals and humans. I’m blessed to work with animals and a wonderful group of people. Each day brings a new adventure!”

Office Manager

Rachel joined the Admiral Vet family in 2017. She is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Rachel and her husband came to East Tennessee on vacation and fell in love with the area. Rachel attended the University of Central Florida, where she received her degree in psychology. After graduating, Rachel knew she could help both humans and animals by working in veterinary medicine.

“I love being a voice for animals and helping people at the same time.”