BluePearl Pet Hospital
Overland Park, KS
Our Vets

On The Job

Before joining BluePearl, Dr. Aarstad worked in Arizona for several years as medical director of an emergency animal hospital and as a primary care veterinarian.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Mesa Veterinary Hospital, Mesa AZ
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Off Duty

Dr. Aarstad enjoys spending time with his family and his dog, Lightning. His hobbies include hiking, camping, bird watching, hunting, fishing and working on his house.

On The Job

Interested in all types of surgery, Dr. Brenna Barger’s particular interests include orthopedic surgery, particularly fractures, and emergency surgery for trauma patients.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgery-Small Animal
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Bachelor of Arts, Microbiology, University of Kansas, Lawrence

Off Duty

Some of Dr. Barger’s favorite pastimes include cycling, hiking, gardening, knitting and quilting. She has two Portuguese water dogs who love to hike and swim.

On The Job

Dr. Ryan Bragg is especially interested in mechanical ventilation, arterial blood gas monitoring, derangements in pulmonary function and tissue oxygenation, acute abdominal disorders and the management of associated postoperative complications. He also is interested in enteral and parenteral nutrition, continuous renal replacement therapy, and coagulation abnormalities – particularly disorders of hemostasis in the critical patient.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
• Residency, Emergency & Critical Care, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA South Shore Animal Hospital, Boston MA
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Bachelor of Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Off Duty

Dr. Bragg shares a home with his wife and child, two poorly behaved mutts, Billie and Wallace, and Elvis, an even more poorly behaved cat. He enjoys movies, traveling, running and raising show lambs.

On The Job

Dr. Kailah Buchanan is an intern in our cardiology service. She is Fear Free certified and particularly interested in treating feline cardiac disease.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Clinical Rotation, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
• Bachelor of Science, Marine Science, University of Hawaii, Hilo

Off Duty

Dr. Buchanan loves being outdoorsy, weightlifting, hiking and scuba diving. She also enjoys watching TV shows and trying new restaurants with her wife. Their pets include two dogs: a miniature Australian shepherd and a golden retriever; and two cats: an orange tabby and a black cat.

On The Job

Some of Dr. Brent Chance’s favorite conditions to treat are simple and bring quick relief to pets and their owners, like hypoglycemic puppies and fish hooks in the lip.

Education

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Pittsburg State University, Kansas

Off Duty

Dr. Chance is married and has four children. He enjoys four-wheeling, fishing and updating old houses. The family has two dogs, Rosie and Maggie, a cat named Cory Cordelia, and two cows, Jessie and Daisy.

On The Job

Dr. Loren Easterwood enjoys gastrointestinal disease cases because it is interesting to investigate their underlying causes.

Education

• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, New York NY
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Evolutionary Anthropology & Anatomy, Duke University, Durham NC

Off Duty

Dr. Easterwood’s hobbies include yoga and running. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her spouse and her dog, a rescued Maltese mix.

On The Job

Dr. Mary Gardner is an emergency clinician who provides compassionate care for pets with urgent medical needs. She has a special interest in surgery.

Education

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Off Duty

Outside of work, Dr. Gardner enjoys running, reading and cheering on her favorite sports teams, the Chiefs, Royals and Sporting KC. She also likes spending time with her two daughters and her cat.

On The Job

Dr. Grauberger enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

Education

• Internship, Surgery, Indiana
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Mississippi State University
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Off Duty

Dr. Grauberger’s family includes Cooper, a treeing Walker coonhound, and Beau, a large Munsterlander. She enjoys fly fishing, especially when she hooks something other than herself or shrubbery.

On The Job

Dr. Kimberly Gugler has a strong interest in trauma and toxicology.

Education

• Residency, Emergency & Critical Care, Dovelewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital, Portland, OR
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Arboretum View Animal Hospital, Downers Grove, IL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

Off Duty

Dr. Gugler enjoys scuba diving, vegetable gardening, hunting, camping, crafts, and cooking. Her family includes her husband, son, two dogs, and a cat.

On The Job

Dr. Paige Hafner enjoys all aspects of internal medicine. Although, she finds gastrointestinal and infectious diseases the most interesting to investigate and treat.

Education

• Master of Science, Mississippi State University, Starkville
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Franklin, TN
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• Bachelor of Science, Biology and Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

Off Duty

Dr. Hafner played soccer for a short period in college and still enjoys the opportunity to play or watch. She also loves to read and is a huge Harry Potter fan. Her pets include Dalmatian Cassie and tuxedo cat Elsa.

On The Job

Dr. Heather Heeb enjoys all aspects of the oncology field.

Education

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

On The Job

Dr. Odle enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, Overland Park KS
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Off Duty

When not at the hospital, Dr. Odle enjoys the outdoor life.

On The Job

Dr. Karissa Severud finds orthopedic diseases and internal medicine conditions the most gratifying to treat. She is interested in exotic animal medicine and enjoys discussing ideal husbandry and environmental conditions for exotic animals.

Education

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, Overland Park, KS
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Off Duty

Dr. Severud has three dogs that she refers to as “the girls,” one of which is a puppy with medically managed portosystemic shunts. She also has a cat and a snake. She enjoys being outside, training with “the girls,” working out and running half marathons with her mother.

On The Job

Dr. Justin Thomason enjoys teaching veterinary students, interns, and residents, and delivering excellent care to pets through clinical service consultations with referring veterinarians. He is passionate about advancing the field of veterinary cardiology through clinical research, particularly on the topics of cardiovascular diseases, cardiorenal syndrome, and general internal medicine.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology)
• Residency, Cardiology, University of Georgia, Athens
• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Residency, Internal Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

Off Duty

Dr. Thomason enjoys spending free time with his wonderful wife and son. He also enjoys jogging and studying, as well as watching college football and the occasional episode of Duck Dynasty.

On The Job

Dr. Kayla Viebrock enjoys all aspects of internal medicine.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Residency, Small Animal Internal Medicined, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Kansas City
• Internship, Internal Medicine, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Kansas City
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Miami Veterinary Specialists, FL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Off Duty

Dr. Viebrock enjoys time with her husband and sons. The family has two dogs, beagle Madison and dachshund Sven.

On The Job

Dr. Kaylee Visser’s areas of interest include trauma cases, pain management and intervertebral disc disease. She has a special place in her heart for small geriatric patients and her favorite dog breed is Chihuahuas.

Education

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Off Duty

Dr. Visser has an Australian Kelpie dog named Ava and an orange female cat named Doris. She loves playing sports, traveling and watching the Chiefs.

On The Job

Dr. Dana White’s clinical interests include upper airway surgery, intervertebral disc disease and cranial cruciate ligament repair.

Education

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Small Animal
• Master of Science, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Residency, Small Animal Surgery, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia

Off Duty

Dr. White enjoys kayaking and baking. She and her husband live with a multitude of dogs.

On The Job

Dr. Carmen Yeamans McGee utilizes implanted vagal nerve stimulators to assist in controlling epilepsy in patients. She has completed numerous procedures to assist in relieving pressure within the brain due to excess fluid accumulation within the ventricular system or cystic structures within the skull.

Dr. Yeamans McGee has a strong interest in surgical management of neurological conditions and finds intervertebral disc disease and inflammatory disease of the brain the most gratifying to treat.

Education

• Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Residency, Neurology & Neurosurgery, University of Glasgow, Scotland
• Internship, Small Animal Neurology & Neurosurgery, VCA Animal Specialty Group, Los Angeles, CA
• Internship, Small Animal Surgery, SAGE Veterinary Centers, Concord, CA
• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, VCA Animal Hospital, Chicago, IL
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan
• Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry and Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Off Duty

In her free time, Dr. Yeamans McGee enjoys outdoor activities, such as skiing, hiking and fishing. She appreciates spending time with her husband, daughter, Dachshund named Angus, German shepherd named Sergeant and Savannah cat named Echo.

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