Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center - North Hills

Dr. Erin Abrahams is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She served in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and is excited to transition to emergency medicine and help guide owners in difficult emergency decisions for their pets.

When not working, Dr. Abrahams enjoys everything outdoors, especially hiking and mountain biking. She has ridden her bike across the country from Seattle to Boston and also completed the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race.

Dr. Rachel Walters Adams' particular clinical interests include surgical emergencies and polytrauma.

Dr. Adams loves to play and watch ice hockey, especially the Pittsburgh Penguins. Other favorite pastimes include snowboarding, soccer and running. Her family includes her husband, son, and two dogs: Shetland sheep dog Reese, and Catahoula mix Trafford.

Dr. Jonathan Anderson considers challenging surgical cases to be the most rewarding, but particularly enjoys complicated fractures, other orthopedic injuries, polytrauma, minimally invasive thoracoscopic surgeries and thoracic tumor removals.

Dr. Anderson enjoys skiing, both water and snow, home renovations, and restoring/using early to mid-century American-manufactured woodworking machinery. He and his wife have three rescued dogs: yellow lab Bosun, golden retriever mix Cal Naughton, Jr., Jr., and Newfoundland Rookie.

Dr. Isla Arcaro enjoys challenging conditions, like sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection; pheochromocytoma adrenal gland tumors; and diaphragmatic hernias. Creating multi-modal pain management plans for patients with polytrauma or chronic pain is another special interest.

Dr. Arcaro enjoys traveling the world, kayaking and yoga. She has three cats, Quiz, Lefty and Potato.

Dr. Kelsey Arrufat is a surgical resident. Her particular interests include soft tissue surgery, wound management and emergency surgical procedures.

Dr. Arrufat likes to stay active, cross training, weightlifting and spending time outdoors. She has two Chihuahuas, Chloe and Capone.

A veteran in the veterinary ophthalmology field, Dr. Lawrence Bagley started and owned his own practice in Pittsburgh for 20 years before joining BluePearl. His special interests include cataract surgery with lens implantation, corneal disease and eyelid disorders.

Married with three children, Dr. Bagley volunteers with youth organizations, his church and with his children’s schools. He coaches his sons’ baseball teams, plays on softball/basketball teams and cheers on all the Pittsburgh professional teams. The family has two beagles, Gimme and Tucker.

Dr. Kelsi Baxter is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include internal medicine and dermatology.

When not working, Dr. Baxter enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching sports, outdoor activities and skiing.

Dr. Jennifer Bornkamp chose anesthesiology because it brings physiology, pharmacology and patient care together. She is also certified in veterinary acupuncture and tui-na (acupressure & massage).

Dr. Bornkamp enjoys hiking and kayaking. She has two dogs, Candice and Odie, and two cats, Mosquito and Moxa.

Dr. Katlyn Briel finds neurologic diseases and auto-immune diseases particularly rewarding to treat.

Dr. Briel’s favorite pastimes include following her favorite sports teams, the Boston Red Sox and the Tennessee Volunteers, and traveling. She has a great Dane named Big Papi and a cat named Jacoby.

Dr. Shari Brown particularly enjoys treating dental and dermatology cases.

Dr. Brown’s favorite pastimes include reading and traveling. She is married with three daughters and two cats, Cody and Flower.

Within the critical care field, Dr. Kelsey Casey particularly enjoys treating respiratory disease, polytrauma, sepsis, blood dyscrasias and Addison's disease.

Dr. Casey and her husband have one daughter and a house full of pets: golden retriever Louie, Portuguese water dog Splash, coconut retriever Dee and tuxedo cat Jax.

Dr. Rebecca Chesne is a surgical intern. She likes the variety of cases presented and specifically enjoys soft tissue surgery, wound management and emergency surgeries.

Outside of work, Dr. Chesne’s pastimes include horseback riding (hunter/jumper), cooking and spending time with friends, family and pets. She has a white Standard Poodle named London.

Dr. Hope Chisnell's particular clinical interests include trauma surgery and wound management/reconstruction.

Dr. Chisnell likes to stay active with fitness classes, running, lifting weights, water activities and cycling. Her pets include mixed breed dog Pucky, bulldog mix Baloo, and three cats, Kinta, Daku and Loki.

Dr. Brendan Cloonan’s clinical interests include polytrauma, head trauma, enucleations, laceration repair, toxicities and orthopedics.

Dr. Cloonan is a die-hard Steelers fan who enjoys golfing, hiking, kayaking and trying new restaurants and breweries. He and his wife, a general practice veterinarian, have two dogs, Bubba Gump and Ox.

Dr. Julie Compton finds perineal surgery, thoracic surgery and trauma cases particularly gratifying to treat.

Dr. Compton is a fast pitch softball coach and enjoys gardening and travel. She and her wife have three kids. The family pets include German shepherd Tisha, Doberman Luther, French bulldog Margeaux, and cats Black Betty and Rascal.

Dr. Devin Cunningham is an resident in our surgery service. His particular interests include complex fractures, wound management and skin reconstruction.

An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Cunningham enjoys hunting, fishing, surfing and snowboarding. He has a three-legged mixed breed dog named Hodor and a cat named Thor.

Dr. Maria Davila enjoys all aspects of emergency medicine.

Dr. Christine DePompeo’s particular clinical interests include angular limb deformities, fracture management, minimally invasive surgery and laser ablation of ectopic ureters.

Some of Dr. DePompeo’s favorite pastimes include rock climbing, distance running, rowing and sporting events, especially Phillies, Flyers and Eagles. She has a German shorthaired pointer named Jeri Lynn and two cats, Leonidas and Fishy.

Dr. Walter Detwiler particularly enjoys ultrasounds and computer tomography, especially with the ability to use 3D printers to convert CT images into teaching tools for clients.

An avid outdoorsmen, Dr. Detwiler enjoys hunting and fishing. He's married to a veterinary dermatologist, and the family includes mixed breed dog Kirra, Australian shepherd Lily, miniature Australian shepherd Roxy, ball python Hurley, bearded dragon Crush, and leopard tortoise Erie.

Prior to joining us, Dr. Michael Doornink was a clinical instructor at Auburn University. Trained in soft tissue, oncologic and orthopedic surgery, he is particularly interested in minimally invasive orthopedic procedures and oncologic reconstruction. He also has a special interest in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antimicrobials and has lectured on antimicrobial use and orthopedics.

Dr. Doornink enjoys fishing, conservation land management and hobby farming. Married to another veterinarian, their family includes yellow lab Samford T. Coates, and feline brothers CBSB and Weagle C. Newton.

Dr. Sam Durkan’s particular clinical interests include trauma, emergency surgery, sepsis, coagulation, endocrine emergencies and mechanical ventilation.

Away from the hospital, Dr. Durkan enjoys hiking, biking, water sports, yoga and is an avid motorcyclist. He and his wife have two children and two dogs.

Dr. Todd Erfourth likes how rapidly the oncology field is evolving especially with the increasing availability of immunologic and molecular targeted therapies. He finds treating lymphoma cases particularly gratifying.

Dr. Erfourth’s favorite pastimes include golf, going to the movies, running and travel. He and his wife have a boxer mix named Bentley and two cats, Moses and Cringer.

Prior to joining BluePearl, Dr. Michael Finn was a clinical assistant professor at Oklahoma State University. His particular clinical interests include cataract surgery and corneal surgery. Dr. Finn volunteers his expertise with the annual free service dog eye exams, sponsored by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology.

Dr. Sarah Frandsen is a small animal surgery intern with interests in orthopedics and pain management.

Originally from Las Vegas, Dr. Frandsen likes playing racquetball, fishing and watching football. She has a pit bull named Ryder and two cats, Potato and Hurricane.

Experienced in all aspects of emergency and critical care medicine, Dr. Michelle Fulks is particularly interested in transfusion medicine and coagulopathies, or conditions in which the blood’s ability to clot is impaired.

Dr. Fulks enjoys cooking, hosting dinner parties and exploring the outdoors. She has a dog and cat.

Dr. Emily Gardner is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. She is especially interested in feline medicine and exotic companion animal medicine.

Dr. Gardner’s hobbies include yoga, traveling and hiking in the Adirondack Mountains. At home, she enjoys reading, playing the violin and spending time with her cat.

Dr. Melissa Gettinger finds gratifying the human-animal bond and its role in the diagnosis, treatment and management of the chronic diseases so often seen in internal medicine. Her particular clinical interests include immune-mediated blood conditions, lower urinary tract disease and kidney diseases. She also enjoys performing minimally invasive procedures.

A Pittsburgh native, Dr. Gettinger likes watching hockey, cooking and DIY home renovations. She has a dog Finnegan and two cats, Stella and Archie.

Dr. Kara Gornik's particular clinical interests include golden retriever pigmentary uveitis, the genetics related to ocular conditions, and inherited retinal conditions.

Some of Dr. Gornik’s favorite pastimes include camping, traveling and hiking with her two dogs, Brie and Rascal. She also has a cat name Nacho.

Dr. Lindsey Jett is a resident in our critical care service. Her particular interests include management of septic shock and postop septic patients, emergent autoimmune disease and mechanical ventilation.

Dr. Jett’s favorite pastimes include yoga, gardening, kayaking and spending time with her pets. Jack is her Newfoundland mix, and Jewel, Jasper and Jasmine are her cats.

Dr. Erin Johnson is part of our emergency medicine training program for clinicians. She is passionate about delivering excellent client service, communication and fostering the human-animal bond. Her interests include avian and exotic animal species.

Dr. Johnson and her husband share their home with Australian shepherds Cinder and Tali, cat Troy and bearded dragons Biggie and Tupac. In her free time, she enjoys reading, weightlifting, traveling, red wine, anything outdoors and Harry Potter.

After working in primary care and emergency medicine in Chicago for 12 years, Dr. Joey Kallem joined us in Pittsburgh where she loves complicated medical emergencies. She also has a special interest in exotic animal medicine.

Married with two boys, Dr. Kallem is a black belt in karate and Tae Kwon Do. She also loves to read, paddle board and ride her horse Rudy. The family has two dogs, three cats, one lizard, two birds, one fish and a rat living in the house with them.

Dr. Rachel Keller Vaughan finds the field of ophthalmology appealing because it combines medicine cases with surgical cases, allowing her to practice a variety of medicine. She also likes the variety of species she is able to see and treat as an ophthalmologist. Volunteering within her field is important to her, and she has served as both a committee member and board member on the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ACVO) Vision for Animals Foundation. She is also a consultant with the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium and participates in the ACVO annual free Service Dog Eye Exam Event. Particular clinical interests include immune-mediated disease cases, such as uveitis and retinal detachments, and eyelid, corneal and cataract surgeries. Her research interests include sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome and equine ophthalmology, both of which resulted in publications and teaching opportunities.

Dr. Keller Vaughan is active in local civic and school organizations. She and her husband, who is also a veterinarian, have a son who loves baseball and cats. The family spends time together hiking, camping, traveling and reviving their older home. Shorty, who is short, and Willie, who has one eye, are the family dogs. Joe Patti, the household "boss" cat comes from Pensacola, Florida where he was rescued outside of Joe Patti's fish market as a kitten. Winnie, is their older diabetic cat, and Chibi (Japanese for Pipsqueak), is their newest cat who received a life- saving transfusion from the generous blood bank donors at PVSEC.

Dr. Michael Kraun’s clinical interests include general soft tissue and reconstructive surgery, tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) for treatment of cranial cruciate ligament disease, less invasive fracture repair, spinal decompressive surgery, and procedural innovation/modification. He is also passionate about teaching, pain management, and issues pertaining to patient safety.

Dr. Kraun enjoys playing sports, especially hockey. An avid college football fan, he is a proud Georgia Bulldog. He loves the outdoors, especially being on the water, and likes to incorporate music into his life whenever possible. He has two cats, Metzy and Cali, and two dachshund-mix brothers, Milo and Graham.

Dr. Kristen Krisulevicz toxicity, trauma and urinary obstruction cases particularly gratifying to treat.

Dr. Krisulevicz enjoys spending time with friends, family and her two cats, Earl and Cameron.

At North Carolina State University (NCSU), Dr. Edward MacKillop was awarded the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Resident Research Award for his project on the incidence of urinary tract infection in dogs after surgery for intervertebral disk disease. He was the cofounder of the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine Clinical Research, Education, And Treatment of Encephalitis (CREATE) Fund, which is intended to provide financial assistance for the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory central nervous system disease in dogs and cats along with supporting small clinically-based research projects. A prolific writer, he has been published numerous times and is a reviewer for a number of professional journals. Dr. MacKillop is particularly interested in malformations of the central nervous system and axial skeleton.

Dr. MacKillop and his wife have three daughters. Their pets include an English bulldog Tulip, calico cat Peach, and momma and baby cat, Mochi and Tsubu. One of Dr. MacKillop’s favorite pastimes is collecting console video games.

Dr. Meredith Maczuzak's clinical interests include polytrauma, parvoviral infections and acute abdominal syndrome.

Dr. Maczuzak has a black cat she calls Dr. Tipper Bruce, PhD, an expert in seasonal conifers and décor. Her great Dane is Sir Lloyd Von Maczuzak.

Passionate about emergency medicine, Dr. Kayleigh McCormick's clinical interests include gastric dilatation volvulus, abscesses and urethral obstructions.

An avid reader, Dr. McCormick enjoys most genres. She also loves being in the water and is happy that she can swim year-round in Arizona. She grew up with a beloved Welsh terrier named Lucky.

Dr. Michael McGinley’s particular clinical interests include urethral obstruction and hemorrhagic gastroenteritis.

Dr. Shaina Mooshian particularly enjoys transfusion medicine, mechanical ventilation, and treating sepsis and traumatic brain injuries.

Dr. Mooshian loves to sing, and enjoys traveling, cooking and gardening. Her pets include dogs Ripley, Eros and Apollo; cats Khaos and Raja; and rats Odin, Ramses, Maui and Loki.

Dr. Rebecca Newman worked as a researcher at the National Institute of Child Health and Development in Bethesda, Maryland before vet school. She chose the veterinary medical oncology field because it allowed her to combine her love of research and molecular biology with medicine. Extensively published, she has been invited to make presentations at numerous conferences and continuing education events.

Dr. Newman has an active lifestyle and loves playing sports, like ice hockey and soccer, and running after her children. In her quieter time, she enjoys baking and gardening.

Dr. Corinna Palko is a resident in our emergency & critical care service. Her clinical interests include emergency surgeries, polytrauma, post-operative patient management and transfusion medicine.

Dr. Palko enjoys playing basketball, working out and spending time with her two dogs, Pixie and Sven, who she adopted while in vet school in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Dr. Anthony Pardo is especially interested in respiratory surgical conditions - tracheal collapse, laryngeal paralysis and in orthopedics - knee surgery, fractures and hip replacement.
He spent five years as an associate professor of surgery at the University of Tennessee and is currently an adjunct assistant professor with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His current research interests include tracheal collapse in the toy breed dog; management of cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in the dog; canine hip replacement; and oncologic surgery.

Dr. Pardo is on the executive board of Humane Animal Rescue, a local animal shelter in Pittsburg. Some of his favorite activities include fly fishing, bowling, bicycling and hiking. He is married and has three sons and three cats.

Dr. John Payne is a pioneer in the field of veterinary arthroscopy and has been a sought-after lecturer and instructor in the field for over 20 years. He spent nine years as a professor of surgery at the University of Missouri and is currently an adjunct associate professor with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He serves as a consulting surgeon for a number of zoos at major cities throughout the Midwest and for manufacturers of minimally invasive surgical equipment. As an expert in the field, Dr. Payne enjoys arthroscopy and other minimally invasive orthopedic procedures. Other clinical interests include joint reconstruction and fracture repair procedures.

Dr. Payne volunteers his time as a board member of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and with annual Christian Coalition Outreach fundraisers. Married with two sons, he enjoys fly fishing and shark diving, and is a licensed pilot. The family has a small farm and two dogs, black lab Molly and Chesapeake Bay retriever Roxy.

Dr. Tracey Peterson's clinical interests include endocrinology, immune-mediated disease, gastrointestinal, liver and renal disease, and infectious diseases. She is highly skilled in respiratory and gastrointestinal endoscopy including non-invasive foreign body retrieval. She also has extensive experience in abdominal ultrasonography, bone marrow aspirates and core biopsies and both esophageal and endoscopically-guided gastric feeding tube placement.

Dr. Peterson enjoys spending time with her husband and dogs. She also stays busy maintaining her 15,000 gallon koi pond with over 50 koi.

Dr. Pedro Rivera Puig is a resident in our surgery service with an interest in thoracic and orthopedic surgery.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dr. Rivera loves the beach and the ocean. One of his favorite hobbies is installing and maintaining salt water reef aquariums. He has an American bulldog mix named Belgium, and a long-haired Chihuahua named Demo.

Before joining our team, Dr. Saile worked as an assistant professor of companion animal surgery at Louisiana State University where she served as chief of the companion animal surgery service and program director for the small animal surgery residency program. She has lectured around the world, and has authored and coauthored numerous book chapters and scientific papers.

One of Dr. Saile’s favorite pastimes is training for and competing in triathlons and running events. She also enjoys traveling and is an avid baker. Dr. Saile has three pets, terrier mix Gromit, suspiciously tall beagle Huck and a cat named The Kid.

Dr. Laura Scoda is an experienced clinician in our neurology department. Her medical interests include the treatment of inflammatory disease in critical patients, as well as any and all types of surgery.

Dr. Scoda likes exploring new cities, especially if she can find a new restaurant or brewery. While at home, she enjoys crocheting and spending time with her terrier mix, Primrose, and two orange cats, Sheldon and Elliot.

After her residency, Dr. Lisa Sepesy worked in academia at Ontario Veterinary College and Cornell University. Her particular clinical interests include endocrine and gastrointestinal diseases, and hepatic disorders.

Dr. Sepesy returns to Ithaca, NY every year to participate in an annual fundraiser in which she swims across Cayuga Lake. Other interests include travel, hiking and birding. She has two golden retriever rescues, Snicker and Amber, and a Yorkie/Maltese mix named Little Bear-Bear.

During veterinary school, Dr. Rachel Smith's peers selected her for an award that recognized the highest level of professionalism, collegiality and compassion. Her particular clinical interests include endocrinology, particularly diabetes, gastrointestinal disease and urinary tract disease.

Dr. Smith can often be found at a sporting event or somewhere near the water. Payton is her Labrador retriever who came to the family after deciding to make a career change from being a service dog.

Dr. Loren Sri-Jayantha is a resident in our surgery service.

Dr. Sri-Jayantha says that he lives to eat and eats to live, so it’s no surprise that cooking is one of his hobbies. He also enjoys hiking, camping and reading. He has two cats Luna and Ripley.

Dr. Kate Stewart is a doctor in our emergency service. Conditions she especially enjoys treating include immune-mediated thrombocytopenia and anemia, transfusion medicine, seizure disorders and toxicities.

Dr. Stewart enjoys riding hunter/jumper horses and going to concerts. She has two dachshund mixes and two guinea pigs.

Dr. Danna Torre’s particular clinical interests include transfusion medicine and mechanical ventilation. She also finds it rewarding to treat coagulation disorders and immune-mediated diseases.

Dr. Torre enjoys exercise classes. She and her husband have two children and three brachycephalic (short-snouted) dogs.

Dr. Bridget Urie’s particular clinical interests include hematopoietic malignancies, thyroid carcinoma, immune-mediated hematologic disorders, and palliative, hospice and end-of-life care.

Dr. Urie volunteers her time with local shelters and off-the-track thoroughbred rescue and rehoming organizations. She enjoys Auburn football, Pirates baseball, photography and just about anything outdoors. She and her husband, another veterinarian, have many pets: Googie, the lymphoma-surviving boxer; Samford T. Coats, the geriatric lab; cats Weagle C. Newton and CBSB; Shrimp, an off-the-track thoroughbred; and Fina, a retired, bay thoroughbred.

Dr. Madeline Vind’s past experience includes working for a cardiology research group managing anesthesia for animal patients. Her clinical interests include treating toxicities, coagulation disorders and urethral obstructions.

Dr. Vind loves to be outdoors and particularly enjoys hiking with her husband and Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Emmylou. She also likes to ski, read and try new restaurants.

Skilled in all aspects of imaging, such as radiography, CT and MRI, Dr. Christopher Warrington especially enjoys performing diagnostic ultrasound studies, and finds it gratifying to either directly identify the primary cause for the patient's illness or lead the clinician to the diagnosis, via guided sampling of a lesion or recommendations for additional testing based on ultrasound findings.

Dr. Warrington spends his free time playing broomball at the local, regional and national levels. He also enjoys reading fantasy/science fiction and watching movies. He is married with two children, and a family cat, Ziggy.

Dr. Sara Wilkes is a small animal medicine & surgery intern. Her clinical interests include endocrine disorders and acute kidney injury.

When not working, Dr. Wilkes enjoys hiking and traveling internationally. Most recently, she visited Nepal.

Karen is passionate about helping patients enjoy their lives to the fullest, and for helping families understand their pets’ illness and treatment in order to make the best decisions. She enjoys learning about rare forms of cancer, radiology and advanced imaging.

Jacqueline is passionate about both the science behind medicine and the nursing component, whether that is the comfort of a bed, attention to small details, or advocating for treatment changes based on the patient's needs and finding creative solutions that fit within the client’s budget. Her particular clinical interests include transfusion medicine, blood auto-immune disorders and mechanical ventilation.

Kristen strives to give her patients the best anesthesia treatment and pain management, and finds complicated abdominal surgery and thoracoscopy to be particularly interesting procedures. She enjoys time with her husband and daughter, as well as cooking, baking and running, and has two dogs, Tucker and Olive.

A lifelong love of animals led Kyle, who once dreamed of being a zookeeper, into the veterinary field and emergency care, where he relishes the look on families’ faces when a pet has been saved. He finds respiratory cases to be the most interesting, with the opportunity they present for using advanced skills.

Relieving patients’ pain and giving them the best care possible are priorities to Vicky, who is also particularly interested in pediatric and thoracotomy surgeries. She works to help technicians attain their VTS certifications, and teaches bible school at her church. Married with two kids, she loves horseback riding and hiking with her four dogs.