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Sharlee Haas, DVM, DACVECC
Senior Consultant/Partner
Dr. Sharlee Haas is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation she completed an internship in Emergency Medicine at Anne Arundel Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Annapolis, MD. After several years in private practice, she began a residency in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care, and in 2012, became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary and Emergency Critical Care. Dr. Haas worked for several years at the Colorado State University, as a Clinical Coordinator in the Small Animal Urgent Care Department, supervising interns and veterinary students. She enjoys managing critical cases, especially shock, trauma, and intoxications. She is also fond of three legged dogs and geriatric cats. In her free time, Dr. Haas enjoys hiking with the dog, snowboarding and cooking at home.
Merilee Costello, DVM, DACVECC
Consultant
Dr. Costello graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998, and pursued an internship at The Animal Medical Center in New York City followed by a critical care residency at The Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. She then went on to get additional training in nephrology and dialysis at the University of California Davis veterinary College and the dialysis center at the Animal Medical Center. She has worked as a criticalist in both the University as well as private practice setting. She has also worked in dialysis units at the University of Pennsylvania as well as in private practice. Dr. Costello has extensive lecturing experience, both in the United States as well as internationally. She has authored numerous book chapters as well as co-editing a book entitled Feline Emergency and Critical Care Medicine.
Ryan Bragg, DVM, MS, DACVECC
Consultant
Dr. Ryan Bragg is originally from Colby, Wisconsin. He completed both his under-graduate and veterinary school studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated in 2005. From there he completed a one year internship at VCA South Shore Animal Hospital near Boston. Following internship he relocated to Colorado where he worked as emergency doctor for two years prior to residency. He completed an emergency and critical care residency at Colorado State University in 2011. He became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care the same year. Since residency he has worked for BluePearl Veterinary Partners first in Chicago and currently in Kansas City. Away from the clinic he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, traveling, watching movies and raising show lambs.
Anda Young, DVM, MS, DACVECC
Consultant
Dr. Anda Young was born in northeast Ohio and has been a Midwesterner for the duration of her life. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University in 2016. She completed her rotating internship at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Fishers, IN and received board certification in emergency/critical care after completing a residency at The Ohio State University in 2020. Following residency, she continued her career in academia and is currently an Assistant Professor at OSU. Her clinical interests include post-operative critical care, trauma, hemodynamic and volume management, and transfusion medicine. Outside of work she enjoys yoga, gardening, indoor plant care, garbage picking for furniture and dog walking. When motivated she may go for a jog.
Kathy Gerken, DVM, MS, DACVECC
Consultant
Dr. Kathy Gerken received her DVM from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014, followed by a one-year rotating internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Mississippi State University. She completed a residency in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care as well as a Master’s degree at The Ohio State University in 2018. Dr. Gerken is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. She is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of the Auburn University Emergency and Critical Care service with the Department of Clinical Sciences. Dr. Gerken has completed additional training with the Hemodialysis Academy and the Institute of Healthcare Communications for Veterinary Professionals. In 2022, she was awarded the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Clinician of the Year by her peers and students. Outside of clinics, Dr. Gerken loves to go hiking, build with LEGO, and watch college football.
Ladan Mohammed-Zadeh
Consultant
Ladan Mohammad-Zadeh graduated from University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. She completed a rotating internship and residency in Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care at Angell Animal Medical Center and attained board certification in 2010. Most recently Ladan worked at Dove Lewis Emergency and Specialty Animal Hospital in Portland OR as a criticalist, intern mentor, outreach coordinator and content contributor to AtDove.org. She is involved with ACVECC initiatives such as VetCot (Veterinary Committee on Trauma) and contributed work to both RECOVER 1.0 and 2.0. Currently Ladan is working as a consultant focusing on teaching, training and ER doctor mentorship.
Amy Butler, DVM, MS, DACVECC
President/CEO
Dr. Amy Butler is a native of Ann Arbor, MI. She graduated with her DVM from Michigan State University in 2000, and then completed a rotating internship at the University of Minnesota in 2001. Dr. Butler spent several years working at private emergency hospitals in the Detroit area. She then completed a residency in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care and a concurrent Masters at Colorado State University in 2007. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 2008. Following residency, she joined the faculty of The Ohio State University as an Assistant Professor - Clinical, where she co-managed the E/CC service and served as Director of the Intern Program until 2011. She then worked as the Director of Emergency and Critical Care at Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, a busy multi-specialty referral hospital in Clarks Summit, PA. Dr. Butler is currently the President/CEO of Critical Consults. She also has a busy university locum practice, and travels to different teaching hospitals around the country. Her research interests include cardiopulmonary monitoring, sepsis, toxicology and feline urethral obstruction. When not working, she enjoys sailing, hiking, skiing, travel, and spends endless hours renovating her historic home.
Providing practical case management advice
to veterinarians with challenging cases
Lisa Powell, DVM, DACVECC
Senior Consultant/Partner
Dr. Powell is a 1995 graduate of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. She then went on to do a rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, with a 3-year residency in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care to follow, at Tufts University. She became a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 2000. She held a clinical faculty position in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Minnesota from 1999-2014. She is a prolific national and international speaker on many different ECC topics. In her spare time, she is busy with her kids, 3 dogs, and 2 cats. She enjoys running, Crossfit, sailing, skiing, and traveling.
Megan Davis, DVM, DACVECC
Consultant
Dr. Megan Davis was born and bred in the Pacific northwest. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary medicine from Washington State University in 2010. She completed her rotating internship and emergency/critical care residency at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston and received board certification in emergency/critical care in 2014. Following residency, she worked in private practice in the Bay Area, but has since moved back to her hometown of Seattle. Her clinical interests include trauma, critical care anesthesia, acute pain management, respiratory emergencies and sepsis. Outside of work she enjoys good food and wine, travel, horseback riding, hiking and reading all things science fiction and fantasy.
Elisa Mazzaferro, DVM, MS, DACVECC
Consultant
Dr. Mazzaferro is a Staff Criticalist at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists and an Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Emergency-Critical Care, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She is the current President of the Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society (VECCS) and past-president of the American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care (ACVECC). She is the recipient of the 2018 VECCS Zaslow Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Mazzaferro received her specialty certification by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 2002, after completing a combined residency and PhD at Colorado State University. She is a 1997 graduate of Michigan State University. She lectures nationally and internationally, and has authored and edited four books, numerous book chapters and manuscripts on a range of topics relating to Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and anything related to pugs.
Ames Alwood, DVM, DACVECC
Consultant
Dr. Ames Alwood received their Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University in 1998. They then went on to complete an internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. For several years, Dr. Alwood pursued additional academic and clinical experience in the northeast before completing a three-year residency in Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania. They became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 2007 and has worked in private practice since that time. Dr. Alwood’s interests include the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary disease, stabilization of trauma patients, management of disorders of blood clotting, and treatment of sepsis. Mentorship of other veterinary professionals and the formation of collaborative relationships with community veterinarians have always been some of the most satisfying aspects of their work. When not working, Ames loves spending time with their family in western Massachusetts. Hobbies include reading about successful leaders, climbing or paddling with their daughter and beer and wine-tasting with their wife and friends.