BluePearl Pet Hospital
Clearwater, FL

Dr. Samantha Aumann is a critical care resident and is particularly interested in feline medicine and surgery.

Dr. Aumann likes to backpack, hike, kayak and watch movies with her husband. They have three cats: Zelda, Gypsy and Cricket.

Dr. Terri Baldwin finds restoring vision through cataract removal surgery particularly rewarding. She also enjoys repairing eye injuries to save an eye, and diagnosing systemic disease by evaluating the eyes and helping to save an animal’s life.

Dr. Baldwin and her husband have two children, one of whom has autism, so she stays active as an autism advocate. She enjoys playing in the hand bell choir at her church, swimming, needlepoint and playing Sudoku. The family has four dogs and five cats.

Dr. Eduardo Benjamin is particularly interested in cardiovascular pathophysiology and likes managing cases of congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and cardiac tamponade, or fluid around the heart.

Dr. Benjamin likes dinners out with his wife, shopping and visiting parks. He also enjoys watching basketball, football, and track and field; managing his fantasy football and basketball teams; and playing sports video games. The family pets include cat Ryu Alejandro, and lab/beagle mix Pogo Emanuel.

Dr. Maxie Bowen is a resident in our critical care service. Her particular interests include neonatal and pediatric medicine, wound management and trauma.

Some of Dr. Bowen’s favorite pastimes include running, baking and crafting. She has four dogs and three cats.

Dr. Kristine Brown is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. Her clinical interests include surgery, avian and exotic medicine, and nutrition, especially discussing how it can be used as a therapeutic tool.

Dr. Brown is originally from Minnesota. She has two cats she calls the ying yang twins – Jiji is all black, and Rocky is all white.

Dr. Amanda Burke is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. Prior to vet school, she was a zookeeper and worked with many different species to include giraffes, ostriches, zebras, gazelles and red river hogs.

Dr. Burke and her girlfriend keep a miniature zoo at home including dogs, cats, fish, snakes and a crested gecko.

Dr. Sarah Camlic is a small animal and medicine intern with an interest in surgery and exotic animal medicine.

Dr. Camlic has two tuxedo cats, Duncan and Domino. Her hobbies include running, cooking, painting and Krav Maga, a type of self-defense training.

Dr. Dana Clark is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. She enjoys toxicity cases and working with wildlife, in addition to small animals.

Dr. Clark and her husband have one dog, four cats, a rabbit and a tortoise. She loves the sunshine and observing wildlife.

Dr. Trysta Dionne is a resident in our internal medicine service. Her clinical interests include endocrine disorders, renal disease and gastrointestinal diseases.

Dr. Dionne enjoys working out and going to the beach. She has a dog named Benson.

Dr. Kourtney Dowler is an intern in our ophthalmology service. Her clinical interests include corneal and retinal diseases and all types of ophthalmic surgery.

Dr. Dowler enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants and watching documentaries. She has a longhaired dachshund named Rumour and a cat named Isla who has cerebellar hypoplasia, a condition in which the cerebellum of the brain fails to develop properly.

Dr. Maura Faller is passionate about extending the lives of pets with cancer while maintaining their quality of their lives. She enjoys treating lymphoproliferative disorders and has an interest in multimodal therapy and novel therapeutic approaches like immunotherapy.

Dr. Faller loves traveling with her husband. She also enjoys hiking, college football (especially Michigan) and watching the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals. Klu is the family cat, and Finn is their mixed breed dog.

Prior to veterinary medicine, Dr. Merrick Fultz worked in the comparative medicine department at Johns Hopkins University. He is currently a resident in our cardiology service.

Dr. Merrick enjoys golf, tennis, assorted outdoor activities, any kind of international sporting event and spending time with his friends and his Mississippi shelter dog, Miss Wendy.

Dr. Kristin Gill enjoys all aspects of avian and exotics medicine.

Dr. Gill's favorite pastimes include knitting, reading, kayaking and bird training. Her pets include Juno, a mixed-breed rabbit; Pia, a moustached parakeet; Mai, a corn snake; and Cooper, a gargoyle gecko.

Dr. Chelsea Gyure enjoys the variety of cases, challenges, and fast-paced, organized chaos that is emergency veterinary medicine. She finds neurologic and toxicity cases to be particularly gratifying.

Dr. Gyure enjoys all types of outdoor exercise, traveling, singing in the shower, coloring, Netflix, cleaning, shopping and all things Disney. Her Dutch mix rabbit Beatrix is named after Beatrix Potter.

Dr. Dalal Hares' clinical interests include surgical emergencies, thoracic surgeries, trauma and critical care.

A fan of outdoor activities like kayaking, horseback riding and scuba diving, Dr. Hares admits that her favorite pastime is traveling to new places around the world. She has a Manx cat named Cleopatra.

Dr. Lauren Harris' primary clinical interests include treatment of coagulation disorders and severe trauma. She also enjoys providing continuing education to the veterinary community.

Dr. Harris is a self-described workaholic, but when possible she enjoys traveling, running along the Tampa Bay waters, reading, crafting and drinking a fine glass of wine.

Dr. Bradley Harris is a resident in our critical care service.

An outdoorsmen, Dr. Harris can often be found running, camping and fishing. He also enjoys watching Cardinals baseball and spending time with his wife and daughter.

Dr. Peter Helmer came to BluePearl with almost 20 years of experience in both small animal and avian and exotics medicine. He lectures at national conferences on topics such as avian orthopedics, radiology and physical exam. His special interests include senior pet care, especially long-lived birds, orthopedics, surgery and treatment of rabbit and rodent dental disease. Dr. Helmer treats birds of all types, including backyard poultry; non-venomous reptiles; amphibians; and small non-domestic mammals such as rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, sugar gliders, hamsters and rats.

Dr. Helmer’s home is filled with the kind of a menagerie of animals you might expect from an avian specialist: there is golden retriever Davis, Shih Tzu Fergie, and cat Boots, plus a Derbyan parakeet named Big Bird and a yellow-naped Amazon parrot, Sonny, who is almost as old as Dr. Helmer is. His favorite pastimes include kayaking, fishing, growing orchids, cooking and enjoying fine wine.

Dr. Kelsey Human is a resident in our surgery service.

Dr. Human enjoys activities with her husband, especially training at the gym, hiking, rock climbing, rollerblading, watching documentaries and cooking. Fascinated by small ruminants and camelids, she hopes to have a hobby farm one day to raise them. The family has two Bengal cats, Bonsai and Koi.

Dr. Eleanor Itzkow is a small animal medicine and surgery intern with interests in avian and exotic medicine, internal medicine and dentistry.

Dr. Itzkow has two large fluffy dogs and an aged Amazon parrot.

Dr. Brittany Jaeger's particular clinical interests include blood disorders, diabetic ketoacidosis, toxicities, trauma and postoperative management. Additionally, her research interests include blood-related topics, especially blood storage lesions, transfusion medicine and anemia in critical illness.

Dr. Jaeger likes to spend time with her fluffy black kitty, hiking, swimming and exploring the warm Florida beaches.

Dr. Curtis Kane enjoys all aspects of oncology.

Dr. Kane enjoys spending time with his family, which includes four dogs. He is also a soccer fanatic.

Prior to emergency medicine, Dr. Kevin Kelley worked in private practice and as a zoo veterinarian, completing externships in zoos in Australia and Chicago. He is particularly fond of emergency surgery and complex internal medicine cases.

Dr. Kelley loves traveling with his three children to national parks, colonial Williamsburg, Disney and the beach. He enjoys swimming, reading, weight training and karate.

Dr. Michalina Kenig is a small animal medicine and surgery intern.

Dr. Kenig likes the outdoors, especially hiking or going to the beach. Other favorite pastimes include cooking, exploring new cities and cheering on the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team.

Dr. Danielle Lang is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. In addition to small animals, she is interested in zoo and exotic animals. Her clinical interests include internal medicine, emergency care and integrative medicine.

Dr. Lang spends time away from the hospital hiking, going to the beach, painting, and playing the violin and ukulele.

Dr. Melinda Larson is especially interested in endocrine diseases, as well as abdominal ultrasonography and endoscopic procedures such as gastroduodenoscopy, cystoscopy and rhinoscopy.

Dr. Larson enjoys running, reading or spending time with her Labrador retriever and two cats. She also enjoys traveling to Arkansas to visit her family.

Dr. Sylvia Lee sees surgeons as “fixers,” and the types of surgical cases she especially likes to “fix” include advanced orthopedics, oncology and regenerative medicine for chronic osteoarthritis. She also finds minimally invasive surgery gratifying.

Dr. Lee's favorite pastimes include trail running and cooking (but not baking). She has two animal companions, boxer mix Bailey and cat Slinky.

Dr. Andy Leung likes trauma cases and wound care. He also finds diabetic ketoacidosis cases rewarding.

Dr. Leung’s favorite pastimes include traveling, recreational sports, and playing music and attending concerts.

Dr. Melanie Madsen is a small animal medicine and surgery intern.

Dr. Madsen enjoys meditation, watching documentaries and geocaching. She has a Great Pyrenees named Bear and a Maine coon cat named Waylan.

Dr. Andrea Marquiss is a small animal medicine and surgery intern with an interest in surgery, wildlife and exotics.

Dr. Marquiss has a variety of interests including outdoor sports, video games, art, foreign languages and horticulture. She has three rats for pets.

Dr. Kathy Martinez-Rodriguez is a small animal medicine and surgery intern.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. Martinez-Rodriguez is fluent in both Spanish and English. She enjoys the beach, yoga and sipping tea or wine. She adopted a cat in Grenada named Zeus.

Dr. Mears has been with BluePearl, and its predecessor, Florida Veterinary Specialists, since 1997.

Erick enjoys spending time with his family and Bosco, the family cat.

Dr. Rachel Melvin is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. She enjoys zoo and exotics medicine, surgery, and treating wounds and abscesses.

Dr. Melvin taught herself to crochet, braid paracord and sew surgery caps. She has two cats, Smudge and Ouija.

Dr. Jennifer Mulz has volunteered her board-certified veterinary skills for a number of years screening the breeding dogs at Southeastern Guide Dogs for the presence of cardiac disease. Her particular clinical interests include chronic degenerative valvular disease, feline cardiomyopathies and treatment of preclinical heart disease to delay the onset of clinical disease.

Dr. Mulz and her husband enjoy any activities involving the water. They have a son and four pets. Komodo, Curry and Rosemary are the three cats, and Harris, a friendly chocolate lab, came to join the family after being diagnosed with heart disease during his guide dog screening at Southeastern Guide Dogs.

Dr. Laison Nguyen is an intern in our ophthalmology service.

A fan of the outdoors, Dr. Nguyen can often be found playing soccer or ultimate Frisbee. He has a German shepherd named Junior.

Dr. Nicholas Olson is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. He is particularly interested in surgery.

Dr. Olson enjoys camping and cheering on the Florida Gators with. His wife and son. Their furry family members include two cats, two dogs and a horse.

Dr. Cameron Owens is an intern in our ophthalmology service.

Dr. Owens enjoys watching Auburn football, adding coffee mugs to his ever-growing collection, listening to old and new records on his record player and playing board games with friends. He has a lab/terrier mix named Izzie and a cat named Paddington.

Dr. Ashley Patterson is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. Her particular interests include emergency triage and trauma.

Dr. Patterson spends her free time hiking and snowboarding. She has a cat and a dog who she loves to train.

Dr. Mallika Prabhakar is an intern in our internal medicine service.

Dr. Prabhakar is an avid tennis player and fan. She is trained in voice and piano and is learning to play the guitar. To unwind, she cooks and bakes. Cookie is her Rhodesian ridgeback/yellow lab mix.

Dr. Alejandra Príncipe Martínez is an intern in our internal medicine service. She particularly enjoys treating gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders.

Dr. Príncipe Martínez considers the water her happy place, enjoying the beach, scuba diving and snorkeling. She also likes to hike and play video games. Carmelo is her island cat from Grenada.

Dr. Michael Reems has particular interest in both surgical oncology, including cancer removal and reconstruction, and minimally invasive surgery arthroscopy, laparoscopy, and thoracoscopy. He has performed urinary bladder stone, lung lobe tumor, adrenal gland/mass, cryptorchid retained testicle, and gall bladder removals minimally invasively, in addition to prophylactic gastropexy fixation of stomach for prevention of gastric-dilatation volvulus and laparoscopic liver biopsy. He has also completed specialized training in circular external skeletal fixation fracture repair, and tibial tuberosity advancement TTA and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy TPLO procedures for anterior cruciate ligament tears.

Dr. Reems volunteers examinations and surgical treatments for service dogs. He enjoys spending time with his wife, a criticalist at BluePearl, cat Fat Bobby, and dogs, Emma and Maggie. His favorite pastimes include saltwater fishing, mountain biking, and fly fishing.

Dr. Rick Samu is a small animal medicine and surgery intern.

Dr. Samu likes keeping fit with soccer and hockey and playing piano and drums for relaxation. He is also passionate about traveling and has been to over 20 countries.

Dr. Sherrie Satmary is a small animal medicine and surgery intern.

Passionate about going to the gym, Dr. Satmary also likes outdoor activities with her dog Jack, like hiking, fishing and horseback riding.

Dr. Simone Schechtmann is an intern in our ophthalmology service.

A fan of travel, bilingual in Spanish and conversational in French, Dr. Schechtmann has studied in Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Paris and Dublin. She loves playing tennis and is interested in current events, foreign films and classical music.

Dr. Kali Sherman is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. She enjoys treating toxicology cases and wound management.

Away from the hospital, Dr. Sherman’s favorite pastimes include photography and time with her beagle.

Dr. Heather Siemon is a resident in our surgery service. Her clinical interests include total hip arthroplasty, fracture repair and neurosurgery.

Dr. Siemon and her husband have a dachshund named Nico and a dachshund mix, Lulu. Her favorite pastimes include traveling, cooking and photography.

Dr. Will Smith is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. His particular interests include surgery and zoo/exotic medicine.

Dr. Smith relaxes by playing video games, ukulele and guitar. He grew up on a farm and gets a big dose of farm animals when he goes home.

Dr. Jessica Stine has a special interest in microsurgery of the eye including endolaser for glaucoma treatment. She is especially fond of blepharoplastic procedures to correct problems with the eyelid and vision sparing procedures, such as corneal grafting and cataract surgery. One of the most rewarding parts of her job is returning vision to a pet with cataracts.

Dr. Stine happily volunteers her expertise with the Florida Aquarium, the SPCA Tampa Bay, The Narrows Raptor Center at George C. McGough Nature Park, and several other rescue organizations. She loves gardening, running, and paddle boarding with her husband. She has a one-eyed calico cat, Winks.

Dr. Steven Tutela enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

Dr. Tutela enjoys lifting weights and the endless outdoor activities found in Florida, although he admits to missing family and friends back in New Jersey.

Dr. Autumn Vetter is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. Particularly fond of cats, she likes treating feline chronic kidney disease. Endocrine disorders in both dogs and cats are also a special interest.

Dr. Vetter and her husband have seven cats, a Great Pyrenees mix (who thinks he's a cat) and a crested gecko named Ichabod. They love cheering on the Georgia Dawgs. Other favorite pastimes include running, cycling, hiking and crocheting sweaters for her pets.

Dr. Jessica Weeks' special interests include ocular disease, dystocia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and gastrointestinal foreign bodies. Before vet school, she worked as a dolphin trainer at the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon FL.

A former NCAA division I All-American swimmer, Dr. Weeks enjoys any activity associated with water: scuba diving, spearfishing, surfing and underwater hockey. Dr. Weeks is also a concert pianist. She has a cat named Tamale.

Dr. Janine Wing is a small animal medicine and surgery intern. She enjoys diagnosing and treating metabolic disorders like diabetes and Addison’s disease, and treating toxin ingestions.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Dr. Wing met her husband in college. She loves running and reading at the beach.

Karen enjoys interventional procedures to correct defects that cause congenital heart diseases. She also enjoys helping patients with acquired heart disease live longer and more comfortably. Her family includes a pug, Chihuahua and four cats, and she loves traveling and watching her son play baseball.