Our Team
Doctors
Our dedicated staff is educated and experienced in giving the best care for your pet, and we always offer our services in a professional and friendly manner. You can rest assured that you and your furry friends will be well taken care of at Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic.
Lawrence Gerson, VMD
VETERINARIAN
In 1977, Dr. Gerson founded the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic as a family veterinary practice, providing care primarily for cats and dogs. He is a 1975 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and a past president of its Alumni Society, which has also awarded Larry their Award of Merit.
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Stephanie Berger, DVM
VETERINARIAN
After graduating in 2009 from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Stephanie Berger was thrilled for the opportunity to return home to Pittsburgh to practice veterinary medicine. Prior to veterinary school, Dr. Berger attended Penn State University and completed her undergraduate degree in Animal Bioscience. In her spare time she enjoys reading and scuba diving. Dr. Berger also enjoys living in Squirrel Hill with her husband, Brad, their daughter Ellie, their son Henry, and their Portuguese Water Dog, Tug.
Linda Mathias, VMD
VETERINARIAN
Dr. Mathias is a 1988 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. She worked in a mixed animal practice in State College prior to joining the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic in 1996. A lover of the outdoors, as well as animals of all kinds, she resides on her family farm in Southeastern Butler County with her husband Kevin.
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Caroline Simard, DVM
veterinarian
Dr. Caroline Simard graduated from La Faculté de médecine vétérinaire of the Université de Montréal in 1994. After three years in emergency and critical care, she opened her own practice in Montréal before moving permanently to Pittsburgh in 2003. She has been at the Point Breeze veterinary clinic since then, she found a high quality practice and considers the office like a second family. She now lives in Lawrenceville with two Australian Shepherds and two cats, and regularly visits Montréal where her family still lives.
Christie Schroth, VMD
VETERINARIAN
Dr. Christie Schroth graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. She previously earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Oberlin College. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Dr. Schroth appreciates being able to practice veterinary medicine in her hometown. In July 2017, Dr. Schroth received her Veterinary Acupuncture Certification from the Chi Institute (now Chi University) and has been practicing Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine since then. She believes that acupuncture and herbal treatments are beneficial supplements to a pet’s routine veterinary care. In her spare time, Dr. Schroth enjoys spending time with her fiancé; one Australian Shepherd; and three cats. She is also an avid traveler and yogi.
Dr. Jennifer Finnerty, DVM
VETERINARIAN
Dr. Jennifer Finnerty graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019 and interned at PVSEC for the following year. She is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in zoology and went to school in Denver, Colorado to become a certified veterinary technician. She found her way to Pittsburgh in 2011 so she could be closer to family, and other than her four years of veterinary school has been here ever since! Dr. Finnerty has a love for cats (even the cranky ones!) and plans to work toward becoming a feline specialist in the coming years. In her spare time, she loves to travel, hike, and read. She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her four cats.
Meriel Walsh, VMD
Veterinarian
Dr. Meriel Walsh is a 2021 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She obtained her undergraduate degree in General Biology at the University of California, San Diego. Having moved frequently growing up, she is excited to put down roots in Pittsburgh and continue to explore the area. Dr. Walsh enjoys yarn crafts, gardening, playing video games, and spending time with her three dogs Benji, Murphy, and Nora, and partner Dan in her free time.
Dina LiVolsi, DC
ANIMAL CHIROPRACTOR
Dr. LiVolsi joins us in the clinic for appointments on Wednesdays and Fridays at Point 2. She is an experienced chiropractor with over 12 years of animal care. A member of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, she was the first AVCA certified practitioner for Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties. Dr. LiVolsi is a leader in her field, and she has served on the AVCA’s Practice Standard Committee and helped to write and administer their first national board. We are proud to offer her services here at Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic. For more info go to https://www.drdinalivolsi.com/
Our Team
Veterinary Team
Jane Gruber
HEAD VETERINARY TECHNICIAN
Jane has been with the practice since 1981. She is a member of the PVMA and secretary/treasurer of the WPVMA. She has served on the board of directors and is a past President of the PVTA. Jane is married to her husband, Ron, and has two children. They have one dog, Chase. She enjoys teaching puppy socialization classes, as well as doing agility and dock-diving with her dog. She enjoys gardening and being outdoors in her free time.
Terri Sutorka-Meyers
Veterinary Technician
Terri has been a member of the Point Breeze Vet team since 1988. She enjoys providing in-house care to patients and working with cats. Terri and her husband enjoy spending time with family, especially their two precious granddaughters who bring out the kid in them. They also like to rock out at 80's hair band concerts. In her spare time, you can find Terri reading, watching movies, and learning about astronomy.
Christina Jackson
Veterinary Technician
Christina began working at the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic during the Autumn of 1994. She has two dogs, Remy and Ruby, and three cats, Piper, Walter, and Chingy. Christina actively competes with Remy in the sport of Dock Diving with the North America Diving Dogs. Remy recently competed on a national level and is currently the first-ranked English Setter in North America 2020-2021. Christina also enjoys target shooting, riding her ATV, and traveling.
Amanda Dumas
Certified Veterinary Technician
Amanda has been working at Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic full time since 2007 since graduating form Veterinary Technician Institute. She lives with her husband, her daughter, and their pack of Beagles. Amanda enjoys spending time with friends and family, and outdoor activities.
Amanda Bowan
Certified Veterinary Technician
Amanda Bowan has been involved in Veterinary medicine since 2002. A licensed Vet Tech with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Amanda has over 15 years experience with shelter medicine, emergency veterinary medicine and veterinary management. Before Amanda came to Point Breeze Veterinary, she was the medical manager for the Animal Rescue league. Her down to Earth approach and animal compassion and empathy are invaluable to us at Point Breeze Vet.
Melissa Wilson
Certified veterinary technician
Melissa has known she wanted to work in veterinary medicine since she was a child. She obtained her Bachelors of Science degree from Edinboro University in 2014, then attended the Vet Tech Institute and graduated in 2016. Shortly thereafter, she started her veterinary technician career at the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic and obtained her CVT. If Melissa isn't working, you can usually find her spending time with friends and family, her dachshund, Lloyd, or her cats, Jekyll and Nimbus.
Angélica González
Veterinary Assistant
Angélica believes it is a blessing for her to be able to be able to work at Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic to help take care of your pets. She believes love is a language everybody understands. Angélica thinks that life is wonderful and she enjoys nature.
Lisa Unicek
Veterinary Technician
Lisa began working at the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic shortly after graduating from the Vet Tech Institute in 2016. She lives with her boyfriend and dogs. Lisa loves her work, animals, and swimming. She is also a very talented massage therapist.
Elyse Hoffman
Certified Veterinary Technician
Elyse is a 2008 graduate of the Vet Tech Institute. She obtained her CVT in 2009. In 2021, she also completed the Western Veterinary Herbal Medicine program at the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies. In addition to herbalism, Elyse has a special interest in feline behavior, and is also an assistant dog trainer.
Jessica Folmer
Veterinary Technician
Jess's love for animals started in 1998 after attending Median School. When not working, Jess enjoys spending time with her husband, 3 children, 3 dogs, 4 cats, 1 bunny and a few other 4 legged friends.
Nicole Glider
Certified Veterinary Technician
Nicole completed her Vet Tech Institute externship at the Point Breeze Vet Clinic in 2019, and she loved it so much she joined the team permanently after graduating. Nicole had always wanted to work with animals, and now she is fulfilling her dreams. She lives with her husband and their 4 silly and adorable kitties. In her free time she loves gardening, playing video games, and thrift shopping.
Taylor Nemcik
Certified Veterinary Technician
Taylor began her career at the Point Breeze Veterinary clinic shortly after graduating from the Vet Tech Institute, and obtained her CVT in 2019. She lives with her three cats: Mama Tip, Charlie, and Elvira. In her spare time, Taylor enjoys discovering new music, playing videogames, and spending time with her partner, friends and family - particularly her favorite person, her nephew.
Liz Belczyk
Veterinary Assistant
Liz became a Certified Veterinary Assistant in 2011 at Great Lakes Institute of Technology. She has been working with cats & dogs over the last 10+ years. She is married to her husband, Will, and together they have a son named Ezra! They also have two cats, a Ragdoll named Jiggly Puff (nicknamed Sissy) & a calico mix named Mochi. Liz enjoys family time, nature, music, and trips to Cape Cod!
Coleman Fish
Certified Veterinary Technician
Coleman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. She then attended the Vet Tech Institute to become a Certified Veterinary Technician and joined the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic in 2020. Coleman has a passion for dog training and behavior, and recently became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). When she isn't working at the clinic or training, Coleman loves fly-fishing, practicing yoga, and participating in dog sports with her Red Heeler, Arvo.
Kelly Wilson
Veterinary Technician in Training
Kelly joined the Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic in November 2022. Prior to that, she worked at the Humane Society (now Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh) for twenty-five years as a veterinary technician in training and lead trainer. She earned her Professional Dog Training Certification (CPDT-KA) in 2021 and is also a Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI). Kelly is currently enrolled in veterinary technician school. She will graduate and become certified in 2024. In her spare time, she enjoys running and hiking with her dog, Bullet.
Tyler Wantiez
Certified Veterinary Technician
Tyler has always had a passion for working with people and animals. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017 with a Masters degree in Social Work, and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. For several years he specialized in child and family mental health services, and after having exposure to the discipline of animal assisted therapy, he expanded the scope of his profession to include veterinary medicine. He began working at Point Breeze in January 2023, graduated from the Vet Tech Institute in June 2023, and obtained his CVT in December 2023. Since graduating, he plans to continue his work as a veterinary technician in conjunction with working with children and their families via animal therapy, and pursing work as a veterinary social worker. Tyler lives in Pittsburgh with his girlfriend, Nicole, their cat Dub, and dog, Gaia. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, weight lifting, and playing video games.
Annie Berko
Veterinary Assistant
BIO COMING SOON
Maeve Hicks
Veterinary Assistant
Maeve is a recent graduate of City of Bridges High School. She began shadowing at Point Breeze Vet when she was just twelve years old, and then became an official employee as soon as she turned sixteen. You can ask her about her hamsters, Winifred and Mishka, and her bunny, Brisket! Maeve will be attending CCAC starting in the Fall of 2024 to become an RN, but will still be a part-time veterinary assistant at the clinic while taking classes.
