BluePearl Pet Hospital
Brentwood, TN
Our Vets

Dr. Ariel Ackerman is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is interested in improving her surgical skills and treating a wide variety of diseases and conditions.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
• Bachelor of Science, Animal and Nutritional Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown

Dr. Ackerman has a goal of visiting every U.S. national park and, so far, has checked off nine of 56! She has a Doberman named Sylvia and three cats named Denver, Tokyo and Berlin.

Dr. Kendall Adams is a small animal medicine & surgery intern particularly interested in emergency and urgent care medicine.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison

In her free time, Dr. Adams enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking and spending time with her foster-fail cats, Tally and Stella.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus

Dr. Alda enjoys crafts like crocheting, reading fantasy/fiction novels, and spending time outdoors – especially kayaking. She has two cats: Kio and Renly.

Dr. Au practiced at the Murdoch University Veterinary Hospital in Western Australia before joining BluePearl.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Master of Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia

Dr. Au enjoys outdoor activities, including fly fishing and kayaking.

Dr. Jessica “JJ” Leigh Barber is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is most interested in emergency and critical care cases.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville
• Master of Veterinary Forensic Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville

Dr. Barber has two cats, Waffles and Hephy, who keep her sane and a pit bull named Xena, the protector of the house. She loves spending time outdoors playing sports or inside at the gym.

Dr. Kaitlyn Bello Edmonds is passionate about treating chronic, severe dermatologic diseases that compromise the quality of life for both pet and owner. She loves partnering with primary care veterinarians to create a team-based, community approach to pet care. She is happy to take referrals, phone calls and emails at any time and looks forward to caring for you and your pet!

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Dermatology
• Residency, Dermatology and Otology, Ohio State University, Columbus
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Franklin, TN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, Auburn University, AL

Dr. Theresa Blakey has special interests in spinal surgery and managing seizure disorders.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology)
• Residency, Neurology & Neurosurgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Maitland, FL
• Internship, Neurology, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Maitland, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery Auburn University, AL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Outside of work, Dr. Blakey enjoys spending time with her daughter doing outdoor activities, watching movies and making crafts. She has a dog named Chloe and a cat named Luna.

Dr. Ashley Broderick is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is particularly interested in endocrinology and exotic animal medicine, especially herptiles.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

Dr. Justin Campbell is passionate about making a positive impact for families in stressful times, especially by making complex, difficult situations clearer for pet owners. He finds trauma cases particularly gratifying to treat.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Carolina Veterinary Specialists, Greensboro, NC
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Emory and Henry College, VA

Dr. Campbell lives with his wife, whom he met while living in Australia, and his 14-year-old Cavoodle dog named Oakey Dokey. He enjoys travel, fly fishing, volleyball and golf.

Dr. Cassidy Czaykowsky is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is particularly interested in ultrasound and trauma management, specifically wound and laceration repair.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Southern Adventist University, Collegedale, TN

In her free time, Dr. Czaykowsky loves being outdoors, exploring new parks and trails with her big-personality dogs, Thor and Nugget.

Dr. Sarah Daniel’s particular interests are soft tissue procedures, especially wound management. She has a published journal article on the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic liver biopsies.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Dr. Daniel enjoys time with her husband, two daughters, and dogs Hope and Cooper.

Dr. Kristen Datte’s clinical interests include treating septic diseases, providing mechanical ventilation for critical illness, and managing trauma and postoperative patients. She also enjoys working with feline patients, especially those with pyothorax (fluid/pus in the chest cavity) and urethral obstructions.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care, Ohio State University, Columbus
• Master of Science, Comparative Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Madonna University, Livonia, MI

Dr. Datte enjoys gardening, hiking, cycling and reading. When not at work, you can typically find her cheering on the Michigan State Spartans in all sporting events. Her dream is to travel to as many countries as possible and explore this wonderful world. She has two amazing cats named Romeo and Chloe.

Dr. Sarah Decker spent her whole life preparing for a veterinary career, from attending animal-oriented summer camps as a child to being a “trainer for a day” at the San Diego Zoo and working with a local veterinarian while in high school. She brings broad experience to the BluePearl emergency team as a senior clinician, finding emergency medicine exciting because of the variability of cases and the satisfaction of immediately helping pets and families when they need it most. Dr. Decker is particularly interested in cardiac cases and also enjoys performing laceration repairs and correcting urethral obstructions.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Dogwood Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center, Richmond, VA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Dr. Decker loves competitive ballroom dancing as well as outdoor activities like hiking, paddle boarding and camping. The family pets include Dasher, a long-haired dachshund who loves to play and go on hikes, and a very old kitty named Tier.

Dr. Lauren Downey Koos enjoys everything neurology. She’s especially interested in neurosurgeries like hemilaminectomies, ventral slots, stabilizations, craniectomies and more. Dr. Downey Koos is proud to offer BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) testing for her patients.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology)
• Residency, Neurology & Neurosurgery, University of Georgia, Athens
• Internship, Neurology, VCA Animal Specialty Group, Los Angeles, CA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa

Dr. Downey Koos enjoys rock climbing, hiking and camping. When not at work, she and her husband love playing with and snuggling their two pets: Freya and Orion. Freya is the laziest, sweetest, couch potato Catahoula dog you’ve ever seen, and Orion is a feisty, fluffy cat who loves getting into trouble whenever possible.

Dr. Kate Elliott is particularly interested in pain management, oncology and cardiology.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Bachelor of Science, Millikin University, Decatur IL
• Bachelor of Arts, University of the South, Sewanee TN

Dr. Elliott enjoys reading, horseback riding, hiking, skiing, knitting, and spending time with her two dogs, Mongo and Olivia.

Dr. Margaret Fortney enjoys all aspects of internal medicine, especially gastrointestinal disease and performing GI endoscopy. She is also interested in immune-mediated hematologic disorders, diabetic ketoacidosis and renal disease.

• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, New York, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, Biology and Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus

Dr. Fortney lives with her husband and their 3-year-old Labrador. In her downtime, she loves to run and has completed several marathons. She also enjoys hiking, spending time outside, painting and drawing.

Dr. Ashton Haas is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is particularly interested in surgery.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Outside of the hospital, Dr. Haas enjoys scuba diving, hiking and reading. She also enjoys traveling and tries to go somewhere new at least twice a year. She has a golden retriever named Aelin and a Turkish Angora cat named Katniss.

An experienced veterinarian, Dr. Jennifer Hamm has been practicing for a number of years, spending the majority exclusively in an emergency medicine practice, most recently as the medical director. Her clinical interests include trauma, wound care, acute kidney injury and bleeding disorders.

• Residency, Emergency and Critical Care, Four Seasons Animal Hospital, Lafayette, CA
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, England
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

Dr. Hamm enjoys gardening, baking and a variety of workouts to include yoga and spinning. She lives with three cats.

• Internship, Large Animal Medicine & Surgery, Dr. T’s Equine Clinic, Salado, TX
• Clinical Rotation, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science and Technology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston, MA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Franklin, TN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Dr. Brianna Huff is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is particularly interested in zoological companion medicine and client education.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

In her free time, Dr. Huff enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, swimming, biking, ATVing and traveling. She has five pets: a chinchilla named Angel, a cat named Honey, an eclectus parrot named Gado and two rabbits named Maddox and Haven.

Dr. Brianna Jacobs is an intern in our oncology service.

• Internship Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Emergency Animal Hospital & Referral Center, San Diego, CA
• Clinical Rotation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Bachelor of Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Dr. Leonard E. Jordan II finds diagnosing and managing endocrine diseases the most gratifying to treat.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Franklin, TN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Bachelor of Science, Microbiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL

Dr. Jordan II enjoys listening to music, cooking and learning new recipes with his wife.

Dr. Alexis Kersting’s clinical interests include vascular anomalies and oncology ultrasounds.

• Internship, Radiology, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Levittown, PA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson, AZ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ
• Bachelor of Science, Veterinary Science, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Associate of Science, Animal Science, Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix, AZ

Dr. Kersting enjoys riding her horse and spending time with her husband and two dogs.

Dr. Jessica Krebs is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include emergency medicine and surgery.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Outside of the hospital, Dr. Krebs enjoys high-intensity fitness, traveling and spending time with her family and two dogs, Sam and Oliver.

Dr. Rebecca Laube has been part of the BluePearl family since 2014, when she began her rotating internship at our Sandy Springs, Ga., hospital. While in residency at our Southfield, Mich., hospital, she published peer-reviewed journal articles on TPLOs. After her residency, her love for the Tennessee weather and people brought her back to Franklin.

A core value of her practice is education – many of her family members are teachers. Dr. Laube helps support the growth of newly graduated veterinarians by running rotating internship and externship programs. She continues to expand her own skills through cutting-edge procedures such as I-Loc (interlocking nail), a technique adapted from human medicine to repair fractures in pets, and SUBS (subcutaneous ureteral bypass system), a device that reroutes urine from the kidneys to the bladder and is most commonly used to treat feline kidney stones. Dr. Laube is one of few surgeons in Tennessee who perform the SUBS procedure.

Her clinical interests include:

• TPLO
• Patella stabilizations
• Abdominal and thoracic procedures
• Mass removals
• Wound management
• Skin reconstruction
• Minimally invasive procedures such as arthroscopy and laparoscopy

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons (Small Animal)
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Southfield, MI
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Southfield, MI
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Franklin, TN
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Sandy Springs, GA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL
• Bachelor of Science, Microbiology, North Dakota State University, Fargo

Outside of work, Dr. Laube stays busy visiting family in Alabama and Georgia, working in her garden and cheering on the SEC. She also enjoys spending time with her tennis ball–obsessed Labrador Retriever, Brinna, who she helped deliver via cesarean section during her residency. Dr. Laube knows how important our pets are to us and would be honored to care for yours!

Dr. Kylie Levan is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include neurology and emergency medicine, particularly in IVDE surgical management strategies.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Gannon University, Erie, PA

Outside of the hospital, Dr. Levan enjoys rodeos, going to farmers’ markets, hiking and being outdoors with her dog, a tripod named Aruba. She also has two cats named Cairo and Theo.

Dr. Lily Lewis’ primary interest is theriogenology, and she is excited to bring this specialty service to BluePearl.

• Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists
• Residency, Theriogenology, Auburn University, AL
• Master of Science, Biomedical Sciences, Auburn University, AL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Nashville Veterinary Specialists + Animal Emergency, TN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Bachelor of Science, Agribusiness, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

Dr. Justin Loudermilk is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. His clinical interests include orthopedic surgery, dental extraction and ultrasound.

• Clinical Rotation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies

Dr. Pamela Lucas’ clinical interests include hematopoietic cancers such as lymphoma and multiple myeloma and also primary bone tumors such as osteosarcoma. She also focuses on alleviating pathologic pain.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology)
• Residency, Medical Oncology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Master of Science, Comparative Oncology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Internship, Oncology, Animal Cancer Care Clinic, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Specialists of South Florida, Cooper City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Bachelor of Science, Agriculture, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville

Dr. Lucas is married to her high school sweetheart, and considers family the center of her life. She enjoys traveling, cooking, watching football, gardening, backpacking and reading. Sage and Barley are the family dogs, and O’Malley is the cat.

Dr. Kristen Maxwell enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine and finds stabilizing emergent cases like heatstroke, gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), hemoabdomen, sepsis and traumatic brain injury especially gratifying.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Sandy Springs, GA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Trinity College, Hartford, CT

Dr. Maxwell has four pets: a dog (Gracie), a cat (Catniss), a blue-tongue skink (Sheldon), and a crested gecko (Curtis). She enjoys hiking, mountain biking, playing hockey and trying new foods and restaurants.

Dr. Breanna Morton is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Dr. Morton finds wound management, C-sections, emergency cases, and neurology-related disorders the most gratifying to treat.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Dr. Morton has a bichon frise named Gus and a tuxedo cat named Princess Jasmine. She is a plant mom and loves baking, watching movies, going on nature hikes, and kayaking.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology-Radiation Oncology
• Residency, Radiation Oncology, The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Internship, Radiation Oncology, The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Internship, Equine Medicine, Surgery & Sports Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Master of Science, Comparative Anatomy, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb
• Bachelor of Science, American Literature, Iowa State University, Ames

Dr. Rogers enjoys horseback riding, jewelry making and attending conformation exhibitions and herding trials with her dogs.

Dr. Kelly Ross has always loved caring for animals, and her family knew by the time she was five that her career was determined. She spent her childhood riding horses, training dogs and even administering insulin injections to her diabetic dog. It is the variety of cases in emergency medicine that keeps her challenged and excited. Proficient in all aspects of emergency medicine, Dr. Ross is particularly interested in endocrine and urinary tract emergencies, radiology and ultrasound.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Bioscience, Pennsylvania State University, State College

While living in Scotland, Dr. Ross met and married her husband who is a drummer. She enjoys watching his concerts, gardening and spending time outdoors with her husband and two children. They have an orange female domestic shorthair cat named Hamish, a domestic longhair named Aurora and a dwarf rabbit named Priscilla.

Dr. Kayla Schonvisky is a small animal medicine & surgery intern.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Dr. Ashley Schug is a small animal medicine & surgery intern.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Master of Science, Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

In her free time, Dr. Schug enjoys cooking, crafting and exploring the outdoors – especially hiking to waterfalls. She has two cats, Toothless and Cappuccino.

Dr. Cambrie Schumacher is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is particularly interested in oncologic surgery, wound management and emergency procedures, including foreign body and urethral obstructions as well as dystocia (difficult labor).

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

In her free time, Dr. Schumacher enjoys reading, gardening, exploring the outdoors and visiting local farmers’ markets. She and her husband, Tyler, share their home with a cat named Sherriff, who is basking in being an only child.

Dr. Nora Sloan is particularly interested in nutrition and gastrointestinal diseases.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Franklin, TN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Regis University, Denver, CO

In her free time, Dr. Sloan enjoys cross-stitching, reading and spending time with her Labradors (Tetley, Verbena and Cricket) and cats (Friday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday).

Dr. Lauren Valad’s clinical interests include feline medicine, emergency medicine and quality of life care for geriatric pets.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Franklin, TN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Bachelor of Science, Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville

Dr. Valad has a cat named Mazey and enjoys hiking, rock climbing (very casually) and watching Gator games.

Dr. Carly is passionate about many areas of internal medicine and finds the diagnosis and treatment of infectious, immune-mediated and endocrine diseases particularly rewarding. She enjoys diagnostic and interventional endoscopy.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Dr. Waugh enjoys running, cooking, traveling, playing the piano and spending time with her husband, Travis, and their two dogs, Wynn and Charlie.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Jonna Woodson is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is particularly interested in medical oncology, specifically diagnosing urogenital tumors. She also has a passion for end-of-life care, client education and clinical pathology.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL
• Bachelor of Science, Agriculture, Murray State University, KY

Outside of the hospital, Dr. Woodson enjoys reading, cooking, eating pad Thai and going to the gym with her fiancé. She has gone three for three on foster fails, having a senior German shepherd mix named Mildred and two cats named Molina and Pesto.