The Crown Veterinary Specialists team of board-certified experts and skilled veterinarians welcomes you to our practice. It is our privilege to provide the highest quality veterinary care available for your cherished pet in a compassionate environment.
Our board-certified specialists have received extensive post-graduate and residency training and regularly participate in continuing education to keep current on the latest advances within their respective specialties.
DVM, DACVECC
VV
BVSc & AH
DVM
DVM
DVM
DVM
DVM
DVM, DABVP
BA, CVT, VTS
DVM
DVM
DVM
DVM, DACVS
DVM, MS
Dr. Cooley is a 1992 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Cooley completed an internship at the University of Missouri of Columbia, and her surgical residency and Masters degree at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. A native of the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area, she is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Cooley has taught principles in asepsia, anesthesia, and abdominal surgery to junior and senior veterinary students at Cornell University for 3 years. She has done extensive research in canine urethral healing after trauma. Her areas of interest include: urogenital surgery and head and neck surgery.
DVM
Dr. Alexandra Kuvaldina is a graduate of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a Small Animal Rotating Internship at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center in Columbia, MI, followed by an Internship in Small Animal Surgery at Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center in Middletown, CT. Dr. Kuvaldina then completed a Residency in Small Animal Surgery at Cornell University Hospital for Animals in Ithaca, NY.
Dr. Kuvaldina’s professional interests include soft tissue/orthopedic surgery, minimally invasive surgery (intracorporeal gastropexy, laparoscopic ovariectomy) and high volume spay and neuter. She was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and grew up in Brooklyn since she was 12. She enjoys hiking with her husband and two dogs as well as spending time at home with their two cats and rescued Conure. The beach is Dr. Kuvaldina’s happy place and she also enjoys tennis, pickleball and hiking.
BS, CVT, VTS
(Anethesia & Analgesia)
Elizabeth is a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) and Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in anesthesia & analgesia. She obtained her CVT in 2007 and her VTS later in 2022. Elizabeth’s passion is rooted in patient care and safety which is evident in her work.
When she’s not anesthetizing small animals, she enjoys riding and competing in Dressage. Elizabeth lives with her partner, Christy, who is also in the veterinary medical field (LVT/RVT). Together they have 8 dogs, 9 cats, 6 horses, and 6 chickens on a small farm in Pennsylvania
DVM,DACVS-SA
Dr. Hess graduated with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the University of Illinois. She completed a one year private practice internship at Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, NJ. She then moved across the country to complete a one year Internship at the Las Vegas Veterinary Specialty Center. She stayed in Las Vegas, completing a three year residency. While in Las Vegas, she was afforded the opportunity to operate on several exotic species like lions, capybaras, a camel, fox and
sugar glider.
After her residency, Dr. Hess has practiced in Gainesville, FL, Syracuse, NY and most recently, Chattanooga, TN, where she practiced as part of a cutting edge cancer team for two years. Dr. Hess’s professional interests include thoracic and abdominal surgery, neurologic surgery, wound management, and regenerative medicine.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Hess dreamed of becoming a
veterinarian since she was 10 years old. In college, she played four years of collegiate basketball, during which her team made three NCAA tournament appearances. In her free time, she still enjoys basketball, volleyball and tennis as well as hiking and kayaking. She also loves to travel! She has one rescued Labrador Retriever obsessed with playing ball.
DVM DACVECC
Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
Veterinary School: University of Florida
Internship/Residency: Long Island Veterinary Specialists
Other Education: BS in Bacteriology and Chemistry from Wagner College, NY
Practice history:
Personal interests: Aviculture, Yoga
Professional interests: Immune mediated hemolytic anemia, liver failure, Fulminant cardiogenic pulmonary edema, severe sepsis, and abdominal /thoracic ultrasound.
Pets: 4 dogs (Penny, Hazel, Teddy, and Tucker), 2 cats (Fran and Midge), a rabbit (Chester), and several exotic birds.
VV
Dr. Fromzel received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from St. Petersburg State Academy of Veterinary Medicine in Russia in 1999 and has dedicated her career to emergency medicine.
She practiced for three years in St Petersburg before moving to the United States in 2003. Following a rotating small animal and surgery internship at Red Bank Animal Hospital, Dr. Fromzel went on to practice at several leading emergency and specialty practices in New Jersey before joining Crown Veterinary Specialists in 2016.
Her special interests include management of trauma patients and critical care medicine. In her free time, she enjoys reading, downhill skiing, hiking, traveling and spending time with her family, friends, her dog Bard and cat Moor.
BVSc & AH
Dr. Batchu completed her Bachelors in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH) from Hyderabad, India. She graduated in 2015 and practiced in general practice for one year. She moved to the USA in 2017 and attended the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri and completed her equivalence program. She completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Center in Fairfax, Virginia.
Dr. Batchu grew up in rural south India and grew up with farm animals and clowder of cats! She is multilingual and enjoys travelling. Her interests include reading, trail walking, sketching and cooking.
DVM
Dr. Michali Berenstein completed her undergraduate studies in environmental science at Barnard College, Columbia University, and went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University in 2010. She completed a small animal rotating internship at Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists in NYC and has worked as an emergency veterinarian in Staten Island and New Jersey since then. Dr. Berenstein’s special interests include trauma, endocrine emergencies, and oncology. She loves spending time with her furry family of rescued animals, including two cats ( Bunnie, and Dora) and a standard poodle (Fennel). On her days off, you may catch her at a Broadway show, traveling, or diner hunting for the perfect pancake.
DVM
Dr. Meredith Berger obtained her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Animal Science from Cornell University in 2004. She went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ross University in 2008. After spending 2 years in general practice, she completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists in NYC. Dr. Berger proceeded to gain extensive emergency care experience working in Staten Island and New Jersey since that time. Dr. Berger’s special interests include toxicities, trauma, transfusion medicine, and surgery.
In memory of her coconut retriever, Susan, Dr. Berger volunteers with rescue organizations in the U.S. and the Caribbean, where she sends veterinary medical supplies and helps bring homeless companion animals from the Caribbean to the United States, where they are placed in their forever homes. She loves spending time with her two current rescue pups: Lily the Frenchie and Ellie the Chiweenie. On her days off, you may catch her riding horses at the barn or taking a Caribbean dance class.
DVM
Dr. Taylor Nehlsen graduated from St. George’s University in 2019. After a year in general practice, she decided to further her education by becoming the inaugural member of Crown’s internship program in 2020. After completing her training, she decided that her love of the team and medicine at Crown was more than enough to have her stay on board as a part of our emergency service. Her special interests in the field include endocrine diseases, trauma, and shock. Although you may see her during the daytime occasionally, she tends to be one of the overnight doctors available for some of your late-hour emergencies.
Dr. Nehlsen was born and raised in NJ, but loves to adventure to different states and countries as often as possible. On her days off, she spends time with her husband and two dogs, Caly & Nalu, hiking, reading, crafting, roller skating or cooking.
DVM
Dr. Katy Browne received her doctorate of veterinary medicine from University of Missouri – Columbia in May of 2023. She pursued an ER mentorship program at Crown immediately after graduation. Upon completion of the mentorship program, Dr. Browne remained at Crown as a staff Emergency Veterinarian. Her special interests include trauma and endocrine disorders.
Dr. Browne was borned and raised in New Jersey, but loves to travel to new places whenever given the chance. Her interests outside of work include disc golfing with her fiance and their dog, Luna, as well as reading, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends.
DVM
Dr. Allison Szarejko is a New Jersey native and was working on her master’s degree in physiology at Montclair State when she was accepted into the veterinary school at Kansas State.
After vet school, she returned to NJ and completed her rotating medical/surgical internship training at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital. She then went on to work in other emergency and referral hospitals in NJ and NY before starting at Crown in 2022. She has a special interest in feline medicine.
Outside of work, Dr. Szarejko is kept busy at home with her husband and children as well as a pitbull named Rigby, six cats, chickens, ducks and a pig named Peach. She enjoys reading, traveling, hiking and gardening in her spare time. Photo Coming Soon!
DVM, DABVP
Dr. Clare Deming graduated veterinary school in 2001 from The University of Florida and has been working in emergency medicine ever since. She completed a rotating internship at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls, New Jersey and then worked at a smaller ER before helping to start two new emergency practices. Dr. Deming completed her ABVP certification in 2016 and is a Founding Fellow in Emergency Practice. Dr. Clare is a RECOVER certified rescuer in Basic and Advanced life support. She is particularly intrigued by trauma and toxicity cases, soft tissue surgery, and feline medicine.
In her free time, Dr. Deming enjoys writing fiction, competing in fencing and triathlon, and spending time with her husband and five cats.
BA, CVT, VTS
Jessica started her career as an assistant in her hometown veterinary hospital over 25 years ago. She is still inspired in this field by learning something new every day. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Rutgers University, intending to become a veterinarian. At the time she started working in an ICU of a specialty hospital and fell in love with nursing. Fortunate enough; Jessica was mentored by a very patient critical care technician who supported her on the path to become a VTS in Emergency and Critical Care.
In 2000, Jessica became the ICU Team leader. In 2003, the specialty referral and emergency hospital she was employed at closed. This was the platform where Jessica started a business with a fellow colleague, Four Paws Consulting LLC. She traveled to clinics and conferences across the U.S. meeting and working with so many amazing teams. She has lectured at local and national conferences. In 2013, Jessica joined a referral and emergency clinic in Langhorne, PA as the Nursing Team Leader. In 2020, She started her position as Team Education and Management Support Specialist at Crown Veterinary Specialists in Lebanon, NJ.
Jessica has served on the AVECCT board and the NJVTA board as a Treasurer and as a Member at Large on the AVECCT board. She is an active member of NJVTA, AVECCT, VECCS and NAVTA. In 2016, Jessica became part of the “One Team, One Goal Training” group at PetPartners. She is also Fear Free certified.
In her spare time, she likes to spend time at home with her partner Tommy, a greyhound (Stella) and two cats (Aliza and C.C.). When venturing out, she enjoys outdoor activities and concerts.
DVM
DVM
Dr. Amanda Miller-Koerner graduated in 2011 from Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She has been an emergency veterinarian for 13 years. Dr. Miller’s career interests include toxicology, pericardial disease, and sepsis. She has two journal publications; one about deadly microcystins and the cases she treated in an outbreak.
Dr. Miller lives half of the month in Florida and half of the month in New Jersey. She is in charge of Crown’s social media. In her off time, Dr. Miller can be found riding her horses, going to Costco obsessively with her husband and helping stray animals. Besides her four horses, Dr. Miller and her husband have an elderly chihuahua named Helen Noodles, an elderly black lab named Max and a very bad cat named Biscuits.
DVM, DACVIM
Dr Carly Bloom received her veterinary degree from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She then did an internship and residency at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in Small Animal Internal Medicine in 2006.
Dr Bloom moved to Australia to teach and practice at the Small Animal Hospital at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. She has also worked and taught veterinary interns and residents at large referral hospitals in New York City and New Jersey.
Dr Bloom enjoys all aspects of dog and cat Internal Medicine. Her special interests include the work up and long-term management of endocrine diseases, especially diabetes mellitus. Additional interests include work up and management of diseases of the kidney and bladder. She enjoys working with older cats with multiple Internal Medicine diseases. She enjoys performing abdominal ultrasound and endoscopic procedures, such as gastrointestinal endoscopy, colonoscopy, rhinoscopy, and tracheoscopy.
Dr Bloom lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children, two lovely cats, and a rotating roster of foster animals, fish, and pocket pets.
VMD, DACVIM
Dr. Simon completed her undergraduate studies at Colgate University and received cum laude status and high honors in Philosophy in 2002. She attended veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania School where she received her Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (VMD) in 2007. She was also inducted into the Phi Zeta National Honor Society at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Subsequently, Dr. Simon completed an Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey from 2007-2008. Dr. Simon was a general practitioner in Hillsborough, New Jersey for 10 years before deciding to pursue specialty veterinary care. In 2020, she completed an Internship in Small Animal Neurology in Lewisville, Texas. She then completed a residency in veterinary neurology at The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine from 2020-2023.
She achieved board-certification in veterinary neurology and Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in 2023. Her interests include seizure management, non-infectious inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, spinal cord trauma/surgery and management of brain tumors. Dr. Simon is originally from Franklin Square, NY. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, her two cats, Camus and Pita and her dog, Kyma. Dr. Simon is an outdoor enthusiast and an avid trail runner. She has completed over 60 ultramarathons (distances over 26.2 miles). Her favorite races are 100K and 100mile distances. She is also an avid reader, reading books of various genre such as philosophy, classical literature, historical fiction, non-fiction, and memoirs.
VMD, DACVIM
Dr. Peddle completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University in 2002. He attended veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania where he received his Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (VMD) in 2006. Dr. Peddle then completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, NJ in 2006-2007 before returning to the University of Pennsylvania for a residency in veterinary cardiology from 2007-2010.
He achieved board-certification in veterinary cardiology and Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in 2010. Dr. Peddle served as the sole cardiologist for Animal Emergency & Referral Associates in Fairfield, NJ from 2010-2018 before joining the team at Crown Veterinary Specialists in January 2019. He has published original research, review articles, and case reports in the veterinary literature. His particular interests in veterinary cardiology include pulmonary hypertension, management of congestive heart failure, and interventional cardiology.
Dr. Peddle is originally from Garden City, NY. He now resides in Hunterdon County, NJ with his wonderful wife, three daughters, and their dog, Rosie. Dr. Peddle loves wildlife, travel, and history. He is also a big Mets and Giants fan when time permits.
CVT, VTS
Kate holds a BA from Temple University and an AAS in Veterinary Technology from Bergen College. From the beginning of her career, she knew she wanted to work in specialty and emergency medicine, and she quickly discovered a passion for cardiology. She is a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Cardiology, certified through the Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians (AIMVT), where she also serves as the Credentialing Committee Co-Chair, overseeing the academy’s application process.
Deeply committed to education, Kate has lectured at both local and national veterinary conferences and co-authored the “Cardiology Emergencies” chapter in the 5th edition of Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care for Veterinary Technicians. She loves her role at Crown, where she has the opportunity to care for patients during emergency situations and continue their treatment through long-term care.
Outside of work, Kate enjoys traveling with her husband, Mike, and spoiling their two Shiba Inus, Renfield and Zelda.
DVM, DACVIM
Gabrielle Angelo, DVM, completed her undergraduate studies in animal science at Rutgers University then earned her veterinary degree from the University of Tennessee in 2012.
She completed an internship in small animal emergency medicine and surgery at BluePearl Veterinary Specialists in Brentwood TN, followed by an oncology internship at the same location. She went on to do her oncology residency at the New England Veterinary Oncology Group in Waltham, MA.
Dr. Angelo achieved Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in Oncology in 2017 and prior to starting at Crown in 2019, worked at Veterinary Specialty Care, Mount Pleasant SC. She has published original research, review articles, and case reports in veterinary literature. Dr. Angelo enjoys connecting with clients and working together to determine the course of action that is best for an owner and their pet and having an ongoing relationship with them throughout treatment. She also has a keen interest in lymphoma treatment, particularly because it is a very responsive type of cancer to many different chemotherapy drugs.
Dr. Angelo is originally from New Jersey and currently lives with two cats and two dogs – Maeby, a chihuahua, and Selkie, a pitbull, as well as her husband Sean. She loves to cook, try new restaurants, exercise and read short stories for fun.
DVM, MS, DACVD
Dr. White-Weithers is a Board Certified Dermatologist. She graduated from Tuskegee University with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a Masters degree in Animal Nutrition. She completed a 3-year residency in veterinary allergy and dermatology at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. During her residency at the University of Georgia, she was awarded a fellowship to the University of Miami Medical School. This allowed her to broaden her knowledge in Comparative Dermatology. After completing her residency, she returned to Tuskegee University as an Assistant Professor where she achieved tenure-ship.
She has spoken on several topics pertinent to allergy and dermatology in dogs and cats locally, nationally and internationally over the years, and has published several articles on this subject. She has previously been the Editor for The Derm Dialogue, an online journal of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology and the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology.
Dr. White-Weithers has been practicing dermatology for over 20 years and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her job. She treats all aspects of dermatological disease, but has a special interest in autoimmune and ear diseases of the dog and cat. In her spare time, she enjoys sewing, reading and traveling.
PT, DPT, CCRT
Dr. Patricia Deotte earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). She brings over 25 years of experience in human physical therapy and holds a board certification as a Geriatric Clinical Specialist, emeritus and advanced training as a Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults. Throughout her career, Dr. Deotte has owned and operated her own practice, taught as adjunct faculty at UMDNJ, and presented research at national professional conferences.
Inspired by a lifelong dedication to animal fitness—from running agility courses with her French Bulldog, StellaLuna, to teaching “Fit-to-Ride” with her horses—she earned her CCRT through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute and brings that same passion to canine rehab.
As a CCRT, she designs customized rehab plans tailored to each dog’s unique needs, empowering their owners
every step of the way.
DVM, DACVIM
Dr. Marissa Torre received her veterinary degree from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. She completed a small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship in Tampa, Florida. She then completed additional advanced training internships in Internal Medicine, hemodialysis and Interventional Radiology (minimally invasive procedures) before completing her small animal Internal Medicine residency training at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2022. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2022. As a board certified internist she has worked in private practice, consulting, and performing ultrasounds in North New Jersey before starting with Crown Veterinary Specialists.
Dr. Torre enjoys many aspects of internal medicine, however her special interests include diseases of the kidney and urinary tract and minimally invasive procedures of the urinary tract. This includes cystoscopy (camera in the urinary tract), minimally invasive bladder stone removal, and ectopic ureter ablation.
Dr. Torre enjoys life with her husband, toddler son, and will be soon expanding her family with a baby girl. She enjoys water activities, puzzles and spending time with her family.