Mark J Acierno, MBA, DVM, DACVIM
Dr. Mark Acierno received his DVM from Mississippi State University. After an internship in small animal medicine and surgery, he completed an internal medicine residency at Tufts University. Dr. Acierno spent 12 years at the Louisiana State University developing one of the most advanced nephrology programs in the world. He is currently a professor at Midwestern University’s veterinary teaching hospital where his clinical and research interests include hypertension, kidney disease and renal replacement therapies. He also serves as the associate dean for academic affairs. Dr. Acierno has an MBA from Pace University in New York City. Prior to veterinary medicine, he had a career in business and finance. He maintains a special interest in personal finance as it relates to veterinary professionals. In his spare time, Dr. Acierno enjoys scuba diving, climbing, hiking and exploring the Arizona desert.
Rob Armstrong, DVM, DVSc
Dr. Rob Armstrong is originally from Canada and earned his DVM degree in 1982 and DVSc in pathology 1989. He has experience in private practice and as a Global Marketing Director for Merck Animal Health in the USA. He is Professional Services Veterinarian for companion animal ectoparasite products for Merck Animal Health based in the Pacific Northwest. Dr Armstrong is author and co-author of peer reviewed publications on animal health topics and has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences. Merck Animal Health is pleased that Dr. Armstrong can provide audiences with insightful presentations on issues in companion animals based on his wide experience and background in many aspects of animal health and disease management.
Brian S. Beale, DVM, DACVS
Dr. Brian Beale received his DVM from the University of Florida in 1985. He completed an internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C., and a surgical residency at the University of Florida. He became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1991.
Dr. Beale was an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine prior to joining Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in 1992. In 2018, Dr. Beale was named a Founding Fellow in Minimally Invasive Surgery – Small Animal Orthopedics (arthroscopy and fracture repair) by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. In 2020, Dr. Beale founded Beale’s Best and Bark City Veterinary Specialists.
Susan Curtis, LICSW
Susan is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, a Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional, and a Certified Grief Informed Professional located in Gig Harbor, Washington. Susan provides Workplace Well-Being Trainings for those in caring professions. She also provides individual and couples therapy in Washington State and California for those experiencing grief and loss, depression, and anxiety. Susan has spent much of her career working with Active Duty military members and their families. Since moving back to the Pacific Northwest in 2020, Susan has worked closely with veterinarian clinics and hospitals providing well-being trainings to help reduce stress, compassion fatigue, and professional burnout.
Lindsay Elam, DVM, MPH, DACVSMR
Dr. Lindsay Elam concurrently obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees at University of Florida. She completed her post-graduate specialty training (specialty internship in integrative medicine and a residency in canine sports medicine and rehabilitation) at University of Florida, where she additionally then served as faculty from 2016 until 2020. In 2020, she joined the Orthopedic Medicine and Mobility service at Colorado State University as an Assistant Professor. Her clinical and research interests include medical management of neuromusculoskeletal conditions and physical rehabilitation techniques. She additionally is a veterinary consultant for ElleVet Sciences.
Daniel Fletcher, PhD, DVM, DACVECC
Dr. Daniel Fletcher has been on the faculty of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine since 2006. After receiving a BS in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University and a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of California Berkeley/San Francisco, he obtained his DVM from the University of California at Davis. He then completed a rotating internship and emergency and critical care residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He has received multiple teaching awards, including the 2013 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence and is co-chair of the RECOVER Initiative, which published the first evidence-based veterinary CPR guidelines. His research interests include disorders of fibrinolysis, epilepsy, and the use of immersive simulation in teaching. He has been building simulators for veterinary education since 2009 and opened the Tetlow and Roy Park Innovation Lab, an immersive simulation center at Cornell in the fall of 2015.
Karen Gellman, DVM, PhD
Dr. Karen Gellman holds DVM and PhD degrees from Cornell University in animal locomotion biomechanics. She has advanced training and certification in veterinary acupuncture and veterinary chiropractic, and has practiced these and other holistic modalities since 1995. She teaches about posture, biomechanics and holistic therapies to veterinarians world wide, is research director of Maximum Horsepower Research and practices holistic veterinary medicine in New York State, and on a consulting basis. In 2019, Dr. Gellman founded Plena Curae Botanical Solutions, a company making novel botanical pain solutions for pets and horses.
Don A. Hulse, DVM, DACVS
Dr. Hulse graduated from Texas A&M in 1970 and completed his surgical training at Kansas State University in 1973. Commencing in1970 and continuing until his appointment as a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Texas A&M University in 1984, Dr. Hulse served as a clinician in general practice and as a Staff Surgeon at Louisiana State University and Oklahoma State University. He successfully fulfilled the requirements for admission into the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1977. He is a recognized leader in veterinary orthopedics and is frequently an invited speaker at National and International Veterinary conferences. He has developed techniques commonly used for treatment of bone and joint disorders in dogs and is a co-author of Small Animal Arthroscopy. His clinical research interests focus on minimally invasive surgery for joint disorders and for fracture treatment.
Michael Jaffe, DVM, MS, CCRP, DACVS
Dr. Michael Jaffe is a 1991 graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. After practicing as a primary care veterinarian for five years, Dr. Jaffe completed a one-year companion animal medicine and surgery internship and a three-year small animal surgery residency at LSU, where he also received his master’s degree. Dr. Jaffe practiced for 17 years in specialty surgical practice in Michigan and Arizona. He entered academia as part of the founding faculty at Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine and remained on faculty for four years. During that time, he established the small animal surgical curriculum and pioneered the small animal surgery department at the University’s Companion Animal Clinic, developing student rotations through small animal surgery and rehabilitation therapy. Dr. Jaffe is currently an Associate Professor of Small Animal Surgery and Service Chief of Small Animal Surgery at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Laura H. Javsicas, VMD, DACVIM
Dr. Laura Javsicas is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in Large Animal Medicine and has special interests in neonatology, ultrasonography, cardiology, gastrointestinal diseases and emergency/critical care medicine. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and completed an internship at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, KY and her residency in equine internal medicine at the University of Florida. At Rhinebeck Equine, Dr. Javsicas provides emergency and elective internal medicine services in the hospital and field and frequently consults with ambulatory veterinarians from Rhinebeck Equine and surrounding practices. Dr. Javsicas is passionate about educating the next generation of equine veterinarians and runs Rhinebeck Equine’s rotating internship program.
Jessica Johnson DVM, DAVDC
Dr. Jessica Johnson graduated from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008. After 10 years in small animal practice (GP, EC, and relief), she began a residency with Heidi Lobprise DVM, DAVDC in Flower Mound, Texas. In 2022, she became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dentistry. She is the lead dentist at Flower Mound Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center and is a leader in the Southern Veterinary Partners Dental Education Program.
Julie Kluxdal, DVM
Dr. Julie Kluxdal is a 1998 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She spent eight years in clinical practice. Her practice experience includes canine, feline, emergency, exotic pet and wildlife medicine. Her career transitioned to the animal health industry when she accepted a position as a Field Technical Services Veterinarian in 2006 and most recently joined Dechra Veterinary Products as a Professional Services Veterinarian in November 2019. In addition to her work within veterinary medicine, Julie’s interest in personal wellbeing has led her to gain certifications in Compassion Fatigue, Yoga, Meditation, and as a Breath Coach. Outside of work Julie enjoys spending time outdoors with her family hiking and biking at home in California. When they can, they enjoy visiting other parts of the United States and the world. Her family includes her husband, son, a house full of cats and one snake.
Jennifer Mathis, DVM, CVPP
Dr. Jennifer Mathis is in the final dentistry boards testing process after training under Dr. Heidi Lobprise, DAVDC. She practices in Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to formal dentistry training, she became a certified veterinary medical acupuncturist and a certified veterinary pain practitioner with the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management. Treating the mouth is treating/preventing pain.
Mike McClenahan, DVM
Dr. Mike McClenahan earned his DVM at Iowa State University in 1997, and has worked in private practice, relief services and as a technical services veterinarian with Bayer Animal Health. He completed the faculty training with Institute for Healthcare Communications and has lectured on communications at veterinary schools in the US and the Caribbean. Dr. McClenahan has been a stand-up comedian for 10 years. He has performed at The Ice House, The Comedy Store, and has opened for nationally touring headliners. He has written and produced web series and comedy specials, and he is the creator and host of The Bow Tie Vet Guy channel on YouTube. He is the co-host and co-creator of the podcast, The Vets Unleashed. He is passionate about comedy and the use of humor in the healthcare community.
Kari Mundschenk, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice)
Dr. Kari Mundschenk graduated from Washington State University and is certified as a diplomate by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners specializing in feline practice. Her career experience includes 16 years in mixed- and small-animal practice, followed by 10 years of feline-exclusive practice. She is a past director of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and is coauthor of the 2014 AAFP Feline Inappropriate Elimination Guidelines. She serves as a Scientific Advisor on the EveryCat Foundation grant review committee. Though she enjoys learning and teaching about all species, her special interest is feline internal medicine, particularly hyperthyroidism, renal disease, oncology, and the role stress plays in the expression of behavior and disease.
Kathryn Reif, MSPH, PhD
Dr. Kathryn Reif is an associate professor in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. Dr. Reif’s research interests broadly revolve around vectors and vector-borne diseases of veterinary, medical and agricultural importance, with a primary focus on ticks and tick-borne pathogens of public health and veterinary concern. Some of Dr. Reif’s on-going research projects include: i) developing new approaches for real-time monitoring of tick salivation and feeding behaviors, ii) evaluating antimicrobial efficacy to control tick-borne pathogens, iii) evaluating efficacy of ectoparasitcide products, iv) investigating transmission dynamics and control strategies for bovine anaplasmosis; v) examining tick-borne pathogen prevalence; and, vi) tick-borne pathogen vaccine development. Dr. Reif enjoys engaging veterinarians and clients/producers in research projects, and developing and delivering presentations on the importance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens to clinicians and the general public.
Vanessa Rizzo, DVM, DACVIM
Dr. Rizzo graduated from Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. She completed a small animal rotating internship in internal medicine and surgery at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls, NJ. She completed a residency in small animal medical oncology at Cornell University. Dr. Rizzo is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in Oncology. She now owns Hope Veterinary Oncology Services and is passionate about bringing veterinary cancer care closer to home. She and the entire Hope team are looking forward to being able to help Hawaiian pets via our remote consultation service.
Heather Ann Scott RVT, LVT, VTS-ECC
Heather, a San Clemente-born California native, began her career in veterinary medicine as an assistant in general practice in 1996. She branched out into her first referral hospital after a year and a half and spent 3 years training and learning the ways of referral practice medicine ranging from ICU, CCU, Oncology, and MRI. Heather quickly fell in love with emergency and critical care and continued her career path by working in both general practice and referral hospitals eventually obtaining her RVT in California. She ultimately chose to return to specialty medicine full-time and decided to specialize in emergency and critical care. Heather also worked in the state of Nevada obtaining her LVT and then passing her VTSECC exam in 2018. Heather has written articles for two nationally published technician journals and has been an active member of the AVECCTN credentials committee for the last 3 years. Heather is a certified BLS/ALS RECOVER CPR instructor and currently holds the position of technician learning and development specialist at Ethos Veterinary Emergency and Referral Center of Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Her hobbies include snuggling with her kitten Ollie, professional photography, martial arts, snowboarding, free diving, hiking, archery, surfing, and enjoying the beautiful state of Hawaii with her husband Josh any time she gets a chance.
Scott Weinman, DVM, MBA
Dr. Scott Weinman was raised on a family farm in Minnesota. From a very early age, he dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, and eventually earned his DVM from Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. While in practice, he returned to Seattle University-Alber’s School of Business and Economics to earn his MBA in Operations Management. Dr. Weinman also completed a year-long Fellowship in Shelter Medicine in 2016 at UC Davis. His veterinary career has encompassed general and emergency practice, managing veterinary practices, serving on the board of a multi-state practice network, working as a corporate trainer, providing relief veterinary services, offering business consulting, and spending over a decade as a Field Based Technical Services Veterinarian. Prior to joining Virbac, Dr. Weinman was an urgent care veterinarian at a busy 24 hour emergency practice in the Portland area. He currently resides in Davis, CA where he lives with his partner, a labradoodle named “Daisy,” and two rescue cats; “Pinot Noir” and “Squidge.”He is an avid traveler, outdoor enthusiast, successful podcast host, and amateur mixologist and chef.
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