BluePearl Pet Hospital
Christiana
Newark, DE
Our Vets

Dr. Amy Alwood is an advocate for community-based medicine and expanding access to veterinary care. She is a passionate educator, mentor, and specialist in academic and hospital settings. During her residency, she received the Winn Feline Foundation Research Grant to investigate the use of low molecular weight heparins in cats.

Dr. Alwood’s clinical interests include respiratory disease, coagulation disorders as a complication of disease and critical illness, sepsis, postoperative complications, and responsible antibiotic use.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, The Animal Medical Center, New York City NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Medford MA
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ

Dr. Amy Alwood shares her home with her wife, daughter, two dogs and one exceptional cat. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, rock wall climbing, enjoying food and craft beer, and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Bernadetta Bernatowicz developed her passion for emergency medicine while treating urgent-care patients as a former general practitioner. She enjoys the challenges and rewards that come with emergency medicine cases.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Scranton, PA

Dr. Bernatowicz enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, which includes her sidekick Panda, an adorable pit bull mix.

Dr. Twila Booke finds Addison’s disease, seizures and wounds the most gratifying to treat.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Newark, DE
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Dr. Booke enjoys snuggling with her dogs, reading, kickboxing, yoga and traveling the world with her partner. She does volunteer veterinary work with wildlife and particularly loves birds.

Dr. Jeffrey Bowersox enjoys the microsurgical aspect of ophthalmology. Some of his favorite procedures include cataract surgery, oculoplastic reconstruction and ocular surface and corneal reconstruction.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
• Residency, Ophthalmology, The Eye Clinic for Animals, Scottsdale AZ
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Specialty Center of Connecticut, West Hartford
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus

Dr. Bowersox has played ice hockey since he was six. Other favorite pastimes include hiking, motorcycle riding, reading, visiting Civil War battlefields, and international travel with his two children and his bilingual wife who grew up living in various countries in Latin America. The family has two dogs, Toffee and Truffles.

Dr. Natalie Dean is part of our emergency medicine training program for clinicians. She finds cardiovascular and neurologic emergencies the most gratifying to treat.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Dr. Dean enjoys reading, running, baking, traveling and spending time with her tabby cat, Doe.

Dr. Alyson Frederick enjoys both soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. Her particular clinical interests include, but are not limited to, minimally invasive procedures, emergency surgeries, surgical oncology, and fracture repair. Her previous research involved evaluating prognosis and survival time for dogs with functional thyroid tumors that were surgically removed.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, PA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, PA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens
• Bachelor of Science, Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College

Dr. Frederick is an avid runner and has completed a number of marathons including the Boston Marathon. She also enjoys kayaking, swimming, cycling and Penn State football games.

Dr. Rachael Gaeta enjoys clinical practice, teaching interns and nurses, and providing continuing education opportunities for our referral community. Her favorite part of clinical oncology is working with families to maintain the quality of life of their pets and helping them to find options that work within their means and comfort level. She has a particular interest in thyroid tumors and hematopoietic malignancies.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology)
• Residency, Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Dr. Gaeta is an avid foodie and enjoys scrapbooking, gardening, and reading (especially books that start with a map). She and her husband have two sons and two cats, Boo and Door.

Dr. Dana Gale particularly enjoys surgery involving the thorax, or chest region, to include mass removals, surgery to correct chylothorax, a condition in which fluid builds up in the chest cavity, and surgery to correct a heart defect called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). She also likes airway surgeries such as those to correct laryngeal paralysis. Her orthopedic interests include regenerative medicine and minimally invasive arthroscopy to treat joint conditions, such as cranial cruciate ligament injuries (similar to ACL injuries in humans) and elbow dysplasia.

• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Las Vegas Veterinary Specialty Center, NV
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, Houston TX
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Friendship Hospital for Animals, Washington D.C.
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Dr. Gale enjoys dressage and eventing horseback riding, and in her quieter times, reading. She and her husband like traveling and new restaurants. They have two dogs, Remi and Weezer, and cat Amadeus.

Dr. Yi Gu is part of our emergency medicine training program for clinicians. She particularly enjoys treating and healing critical patients and helping them return to their families.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
• Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University, College Station

In her spare time, Dr. Gu loves cooking and trying out different cuisines. She has a sweet orange tabby named Crouton.

Passionate about providing high quality care to all patients, Dr. Laura Guliani finds treating minor traumas especially gratifying.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Angell Animal Medical Center, Boston MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill MA

Dr. Guliani enjoys being outdoors and spending time with friends and family. She has two yellow Labrador retrievers.

Dr. Lindsey Jett finds stabilizing trauma patients, managing sepsis, treating respiratory diseases, performing mechanical ventilation and transfusion therapy the most gratifying.

• Residency, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care, Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, PA
• Internship, Emergency & Critical Care, Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, PA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, PA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Western University, Pomona, CA
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, PA

Dr. Jett enjoys spending time with her husband, her Newfoundland mix named Jack and three cats – Jasper, Jewel and Jasmine. She loves to cook, garden, paint, kayak and practice yoga.

Publications & Articles

Dr. Jenna Kahn is part of our emergency medicine training program for clinicians. She is passionate about pet care and is especially interested in treating kidney injuries and neurologic emergencies.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Master of Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University, Davie FL
• Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, University of Florida, Gainesville

A self-described foodie, Dr. Kahn also enjoys skiing, traveling, and binging TV shows at home with her two dogs and her cat.

Dr. Dora Kassel is a highly experienced emergency clinician. Her professional interests include cardiovascular emergencies, sepsis and immune mediated conditions

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Georgetown University, Washington DC

Dr. Kassel enjoys group fitness classes, spending time with her husband, children and two dogs, a rescue border collie/Labrador mix and a cocker spaniel.

Dr. Landon Katz is especially interested in orthopedics, particularly fracture repair.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Newark, DE
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, Veterinary Specialty Center, Buffalo Grove, IL
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospitals, New York City
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Favorite pastimes for Dr. Katz include biking, hiking, skiing and cheering for the Baltimore Ravens. He has a cat named Julio.

Dr. Michelle Mason is passionate about helping pets and finds it especially gratifying when her senior patients gain a better quality of life, post-op patients return to their previous activity levels and neurological patients’ conditions improve.

• Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, International Veterinary Acupuncture Society
• Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada

Dr. Mason enjoys spending time with her husband, their dog and three cats. She loves baking, cooking, running, traveling and practicing Krav Maga.

• Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Canine & Feline Practice)
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Master of Science, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Auburn University, AL
• Bachelor of Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee

Dr. Stephanie Phillips has been practicing veterinary medicine for 25 years. She is interested in the diagnostic procedures, including ultrasound and endoscopy, and finds gastrointestinal, immune and urology cases the most gratifying to address.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
• Bachelor of Science, Animal and Dairy Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL

Dr. Phillips enjoys hiking and camping with her husband and kids. She has three dogs, a cat, two rats and a hamster.

Dr. Yael Porat-Mosenco enjoys all aspects of diagnostic imaging.

• Diplomate, European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging
• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
• Residency, Diagnostic Imaging, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

A dedicated emergency clinician, Dr. Taylor Robinson particularly enjoys treating conditions such as Addison’s disease, lameness and fractures.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Delaware Valley University, Doylestown PA

Dr. Robinson enjoys gardening and eventing with her horse. She is married and also has two dogs and two cats.

Dr. Laura Roy-Eitner is the intern coordinator and ER team lead. She especially enjoys treating trauma and endocrine emergencies, and managing patients in shock.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
• Bachelor of Arts, Biology, Oberlin College, OH

Dr. Roy-Eitner enjoys hiking with her dog, a pit bull named Fidget. She also has two litter-mate kittens named Chachi and Cha-Cha. One of her favorite pastimes is baking, but she admits to as many failures as successes.

As an anesthesiologist, Dr. Laurie Sorrell-Raschi offers both anesthetic care and pain management. With a wealth of experience in multiple pain management techniques, including therapeutics such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids, she is also experienced in local anesthetic and analgesic techniques, such as epidurals, nerve blocks and regional blocks. Additionally, Dr. Sorrell-Raschi is trained in acupuncture, which can be a valuable aid for patients undergoing surgery, cancer treatment, and chronic pain management.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia
• Residency, Anesthesiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Rowley Memorial Animal Hospital, Springfield MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
• Registered Respiratory Therapist, State University of New York, Syracuse
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Dr. Sorrell enjoys gourmet baking, knitting, crocheting, playing the recorder and saxophone, and reading. She is married and has three daughters. The family’s pets include two Bernese mountain dogs, Lochlan and Zaphod, a pit bull/Corgi mix named Kaliope, and a shih tzu mix named Kevin.

Dr. Kristen Sprayberry is particularly interested in treating infectious diseases, GI emergencies such as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), pneumonia and heart failure.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Science, Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Dr. Sprayberry comes from a Greek-American family and has two senior golden retrievers who love trouble. Her hobbies include reading, practicing calligraphy, cultivating indoor plants, hiking and playing video games.

Dr. Mary Joe Tyler worked as a vet tech before becoming a veterinarian. She finds treating feline urinary obstructions particularly gratifying.

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, Pittsburgh PA
• Clinical Rotation, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Master of Science, Biology, Chatham University, Pittsburgh PA
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, University of Delaware, Newark

Dr. Tyler has four cats and enjoys hiking, reading, baking and Netflix.

Dr. Connie Yeh’s particular clinical interests include blepharoplastic procedures, corneal disease, inherited retinal diseases and glaucoma.

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
• Master of Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing
• Residency, Comparative Ophthalmology, Michigan State University, East Lansing
• Fellowship, Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Internship, Ophthalmology, Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware, New Castle
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• Bachelor of Arts, Chemistry, New York University, NY

Dr. Yeh is fluent in both English and Madarin Chinese. She enjoys photography, traveling, trying new foods and wines, and watching University of Michigan football with her husband. Their family pet is a cat named Ted.