MOUNTAINVIEW SMALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Owner and CEO of Mountainview
Dr. Hempel, a native Californian who was born and raised in San Diego, graduated from SDSU with a BS in Zoology. He then graduated with honors, as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Since that time, Dr. Hempel has been practicing medicine in Lake Elsinore for over 29 years. In 1988, he became a 50% owner of Mountainview Small Animal Hospital with Dr. Thomas Jessup, and in 2012 he became the sole owner of the practice. Early in his career, Dr. Hempel found he had a natural aptitude for surgery and as a result of his interest and skill in this area, he is our primary surgeon. Additionally, his advanced training and interest in ultrasound technology allow for a broader range of diagnostic medicine, which he enjoys.
Dr. Hempel's wife Monica is an elementary school teacher, and together they have two grown children, Jenna and Christopher, and one wonderful little granddaughter, Tessa; not to mention a handful of rescued dogs running around his house. When he finds free time, Dr. Hempel enjoys deep-sea fishing, distance running, tennis, camping, auto mechanics and working on home-improvement or other "fix it" projects.
Here is a face some of you already know, and others may occasionally see in the future. Dr Melanie Mitchell (Dr Mel) has been our relief veterinarian too far back to remember; and before that she worked here as a kennel attendant and then as a receptionist while going to college before she went off to UC Davis. We love having Dr Mel here with us and you can be sure your pet will be in good hands when you come in and see Dr Mel.
Dr. Erin McConnell graduated from Humboldt State University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a minor in Philosophy. In May, 2020 she received her Degree in Veterinary Medicine from Midwestern University in Arizona and while her rotation was originally geared towards the mixed animal track, she found herself gravitating towards the small animal track with an emphasis on Feline Medicine…which brought her to Mountainview in July of 2020.
While it's obvious she has a love for dogs and cats, she also loves some of nature's more interesting creatures, like the Praying Mantis or the Opossum. She volunteered for the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife where she worked with bats as well as working with Exotic Felines at a Conservation Center in CA.
Her personal interests include riding motorcycles, playing video games, getting tattoos, and playing with hair color and make up. Always very stylish, it's quite fun to see what pretty scarf or cool piece of jewelry she may have on to compliment a new hair color or makeup palette when she arrives to work. We are so happy to have Dr Erin on our team and we are sure our clients are going to appreciate the great care she provides for their pets.