BluePearl Pet Hospital
Clearwater, FL

Dr. Barbara Avalos Cavero is particularly interested in treating gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, endocrine disorders, toxicities and feline urinary tract diseases.

In her spare time, Dr. Avalos Cavero enjoys exercising at the gym, salsa dancing, painting and traveling. She loves to spoil her dog, Koko Puff.

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. Tony Blanco joined BluePearl to extend his formal training in veterinary medicine through a one-year specialty internship.

Dr. Blanco spends time outside kayaking, cycling and playing tennis. He also enjoys horror shows or movies, cooking, and listening to music. Leia is his miniature Australian Shepherd who befriends everyone and gets all the attention.

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. 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. Rebecca Cassidy brings her talents to our emergency medicine service. Her interests include avian and exotics, neurology and endocrine disorders.

Dr. Cassidy enjoys painting and drawing. She has three dogs, a leopard gecko and a snake.

Dr. Dana Clark is an emergency clinician. Her interests include zoo, exotic, and wildlife species and nutritional management.

Dr. Clark and her husband share their home with a pit bull, five cats, a rabbit and a turtle. In her free time, Dr. Clark enjoys opportunities to observe wildlife and spend time outdoors.

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. 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.

Dr. Merrick Fultz is particularly interested in treating active congestive heart failure. Prior to veterinary medicine, he worked in the comparative medicine department at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Fultz enjoys golf, tennis, assorted outdoor activities and any kind of international sporting event. He has two dogs.

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.

As a veterinary criticalist and cardiology resident, Dr. Bradley Harris is particularly interested in congestive heart failure, pericardial effusion, respiratory disorders, sepsis and coagulation disorders. He has pioneered pilot studies using a novel bedside viscoelastic coagulation monitors to better assess patients’ coagulation statuses in real time.

Outside of work, Dr. Harris enjoys spending time with his young child. He likes to participate in outdoor activities like running, hiking, hunting and coaching youth cross country and track. He also watches baseball and cheers on the St. Louis Cardinals.

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 mixed breed dog Red, 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 knew from the start of her veterinary career that she wanted to be a surgeon and finds it particularly gratifying. She has a strong interest in orthopedic and soft tissue procedures, postoperative pain management and physical rehabilitation.

Dr. Human enjoys activities with her husband, especially training at the gym, rollerblading, watching documentaries and movies. Her relaxation time includes gardening and sewing. The family has two Bengal cats, Bonsai and Koi, and a wonderful tripod cat named Bento.

Dr. Eleanor Itzkow has a background in wildlife rehabilitation and is quite interested in avian and exotic medicine. She particularly enjoys treating gastrointestinal and dermatological conditions, as it can bring so much relief to both the owner and the pet.

Dr. Itzkow currently shares her life with a very sweet and aged Amazon Parrot, a very fluffy and ridiculous Belgian sheepdog, and one very patient fiancé.

Dr. Meghan Johnson is a resident in our critical care service. Her particular clinical interests include liver diseases, sepsis and trauma.

Dr. Johnson enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and their two mutts. Her favorite pastimes include kayaking and exploring the city looking for quality caffeinated beverages and curry.

Dr. Megan Johnson's particular clinical interests include feline medicine, urethral obstructions, renal failure, trauma and shock.

A diehard sports fan, Dr. Johnson’s favorite teams are the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Mets. Favorite activities include biking, running and working out on her elliptical. She and her husband have three cats: grumpy Siamese mix Caleb and two naughty orange kitties, William Alexander and JT.

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. Michelle Kenig is a dedicated clinician and is especially interested in surgery and emergency & critical care.

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 an emergency clinician. In addition to small animals, she is interested in zoo and exotic animals. Her clinical interests include internal medicine, emergency care and integrative medicine.

In her free time, Dr. Lang enjoys being hiking, biking, traveling, and painting.

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.

Fond of all aspects of emergency medicine, Dr. Melanie Madsen is particularly interested in clinical pharmacology.

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

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 surgical 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.

Fond of both orthopedic and soft tissue surgery, Dr. Brianna Miniter particularly enjoys minimally invasive procedures, like arthroscopy, procedures within a joint, and laparoscopy, procedures within the abdomen. Her research has involved computed tomography (CT) diagnosis of gastrointestinal obstructions in dogs and cats, and infections in dogs and cats from embedded Cuterebra, or fly larva.

An outdoor enthusiast, Dr. Miniter likes water sports, hiking, snowboarding, horseback riding and sporting events. Other interests include live music, cooking, traveling, and her pets.

Dr. Laison Nguyen is a resident 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 specialty intern with our surgery department. He is especially interested in fracture repair, arthroscopy, and cranial cruciate ligament disease.

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. Raz Peress is particularly interested in minimally invasive techniques for thoracic and abdominal surgeries.

Outside of work, Dr. Peress enjoys mountain climbing and kayaking. He has three dogs and one cat.

Dr. Mallika Prabhakar is a resident with our internal medicine service. She particularly enjoys the management of gastrointestinal (GI) disease.

Dr. Prabhakar has a kitten named Chikki, who loves playing, cuddling and eating treats.

Dr. Alejandra Príncipe Martínez is a resident 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. Sherrie Satmary is an emergency & critical care resident.

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 a resident in our ophthalmology service. She particularly enjoys treating diseases of the eyelids, cornea and sclera, which is the white part of the eye.

Dr. Schechtmann loves playing tennis, barre method classes, current events, watching films and going to music events. She has a dog named Jameson.

Dr. Kali Sherman enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine, especially 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. Brittany Sinclair'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. Sinclair likes to spend time with her fluffy black kitty, hiking, swimming and exploring the warm Florida beaches.

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.

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.