MASH - Key Persons
Dr. Strom was born and raised in Los Angeles and is thrilled to still call it his home. He received his veterinary degree at UC Davis, where he first realized his love for surgery and emergency medicine. During his internship at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Strom honed his skills in veterinary medicine and decided that his true passion lay in surgery. After completing a one-year surgical internship with Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, he returned to Los Angeles to complete his 3-year surgical residency at Animal Specialty Group. Under the excellent guidance of the doctors there, Dr. Strom was exposed to and learned a wide range of skills.
With successful completion of the residency program and passing of the certification exam, Dr. Strom achieved diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2011. Until 2017, he worked alongside his prior mentors as a member of the surgical service. He enjoys all aspects of surgery, but is most excited by reconstructive and oncologic procedures, fracture repair, and newer, minimally-invasive procedures. In his free time, Dr. Strom enjoys skiing, scuba diving, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends, and of course, his dog, Frannie.
Dr. Kotelko attended UC Davis for both undergrad and veterinary school, attaining her degree in Veterinary Medicine in 2009. She practiced as a general practitioner in the CA Central Coast for the first two years out of vet school, then moved back to the Los Angeles area, where she grew up, to take on the challenge of overnight emergency medicine. Her interests include trauma and surgery and she loves the diversity of cases seen with emergency medicine. During her time off, she loves to hang out with her 3 cats (Neville and Stevie), watch Hockey (Go Kings!!), play video games, go to concerts, and enjoy the outdoors.
Dr. Jacinto is a Los Angeles native. She has a Master's in Biology with a marine biology focus. She attended Western University of Health Sciences and obtained her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. She did a small animal rotating internship at VCA West LA. Dr. Jacinto joined MASH's emergency team in August 2019. Dr. Jacinto has a one-eyed cat named Donut. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, tending to her house plants, and hanging out with her cat.
Job Titles:
- Doctor, Internal Medicine
Dr. Bianco graduated in 1998 from the University of Torino (Italy) and completed a Ph.D. program in 2002 at the same institution. He met the requirements for practicing as a veterinarian in the United States in 2003 at Purdue University. He did his rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Columbia-Missouri, his residency in small animal internal medicine at the University of Minnesota, and became a diplomate at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2008. He authored several publications in peer-reviewed journals and lectured at many international meetings.
He loves all aspects of small animal internal medicine and his research is focused on hematology, coagulation, and immune-mediated diseases. His clinical interests include gastroenterology, nasal and pulmonary diseases, endocrinology, hepatology, nephrology, urology, and pancreatic diseases. He is skilled in abdominal ultrasonography, thoracic ultrasonography, laparoscopic biopsy techniques, gastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, rhinoscopy, tracheo-bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, vaginoscopy, bone marrow evaluation, and tracheal/urethral stenting.
He spends his free time with his family, friends, as much as he can. He loves going to the beach, playing soccer, alpine skiing, swimming, tennis, and travelling back home to Italy and any other fun places to discover.
Dr. Courtney Smith is a native Oregonian who has spent time enjoying the rain as well as chasing the sunshine. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California Santa Cruz. Following her time in Santa Cruz, she returned to Oregon to attend veterinary school where she developed a love of cardiology and alpacas. After training at a large specialty hospital in San Diego, she traveled North back to Oregon State University where she obtained a Master of Science degree and completed a comprehensive cardiology residency.
Dr. Smith gained extensive experience with echocardiography, electrocardiography, minimally invasive interventional cardiology, and pharmacology during her cardiology residency. She conducted research specifically looking at the treatment of a congenital cardiac disease called pulmonic stenosis. Dr. Smith enjoys working closely with families to provide the very best care and quality of life for her patients.
Dr. Smith moved to Los Angeles shortly after obtaining diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology). She has called the South Bay home for the past 4 years where she can be found outside hiking, camping, gardening, and playing at the beach with her family. She shares her home with a French bulldog, Ruby, and two sphynx cat sisters, Minion and Blue, who couldn't be happier with the warmer weather.
Dr. Elizabeth Yi earned her DVM at Western University of Health Sciences in 2013. Following graduation, she completed a rotating small animal medical surgery internship at VCA Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center in San Diego, CA. She was accepted to the VCA Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center's Emergency and Critical Care Residency Program and completed her training in July 2017. She became board certified in Emergency and Critical Care in September 2017.
Her focus is emergency and critical care medicine and enjoys the fast pace and challenging cases that come into the ER. Dr Yi's primary goal is to provide the best care possible for her patients, while providing compassionate care and service during stressful and difficult situations to her clients.
Dr. Eva Ganz received her veterinary degree in 2008 from Western University of Health Sciences. After graduation, Dr. Ganz completed a one-year rotating internship at a multi-specialty practice in Glendale, California. Dr. Ganz's interest in dermatology grew from experience with her own dog who suffered from severe allergic symptoms. Following her internship, she completed a three-year residency in small animal dermatology at Animal Dermatology Clinic in Marina del Rey, CA. In November 2013, she successfully passed her board examination and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. In her spare time, Dr. Ganz enjoys reading, cooking, yoga, and most of all spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Head of Neurology Department
Dr. Jeremy O'Neill is a board certified veterinary neurologist extensively trained in both medical and surgical neurology. Dr. O'Neill was born and raised in New Jersey. He received a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech and graduated with High Honors from Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine. He continued his advanced training with a rotating and specialty neurology/neurosurgery internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, NJ. Dr. O'Neill then completed his neurology/neurosurgery residency at the University of Georgia and became board certified by ACVIM in 2013. Dr. O'Neill has worked in the Los Angeles area for the past 7 years and is excited to bring his services to MASH. Today, his interests include intracranial and spinal surgery, Neuro-Ophthalmology, and dedication to working closely with primary care veterinarians and patient's families to improve the quality of life of patients with neurologic disease. Outside of work he can be found fishing, enjoying sports (Virginia Tech Hokies, UGA Bulldogs, New York Giants, and Chelsea Football Club). He enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and family French bulldog Didier.
Dr. Jodi Kuntz is thrilled to be part of our team at MASH. Before veterinary school, Jodi grew up in the Midwest and was raised by two wonderful hippy parents. As a teenager she studied ballet and ended up touring with a band as a swing dancer while getting her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Political Science. After finishing her bachelor degrees she moved to the West Coast where she managed a youth hostel in Eugene, Oregon. During this time she traveled as much as possible, exploring Mexico, Costa Rica, India, and Europe. Jodi originally planned to become an human rights attorney (also her father's profession) but her interest in science and animals drew her to veterinary medicine. She attended veterinary school at Ross University and Cornell, graduating magna cum laude. Following veterinary school she completed an internship at Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital then a residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. After completing her residency she worked at 2 of the largest veterinary hospitals in New York City before finding her way back to the West Coast.
Jodi has completed extensive postdoctoral training in interventional radiology and interventional endoscopy and is proficient in a variety of advanced treatments for urologic, respiratory, and endovascular conditions as well as minimally invasive oncologic treatments for non-resectable liver and prostatic tumors. She has published and lectured on interventional radiology, diseases of the kidney, liver, and respiratory systems, management of diabetes, and the human-animal bond. In her free time, Jodi loves to do anything that takes her outside. She enjoys spending time with her family and is a long-time runner, a mediocre gardener, and accomplished snuggler of her dog Mazzy.
Dr. Rick Lanuza is a California native, born and raised in the city of San Gabriel. He attended St. Georges University School of Veterinary Medicine in Grenada, West Indies and completed a small animal rotating internship at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. After two years as a general practitioner, he took a position as an ophthalmology intern at Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center and remained there to complete his ophthalmology residency. He has worked as a boarded ophthalmologist along the California coast for the last four years spanning from Arroyo Grande to Santa Barbara. Dr. Lanuza is excited to be part of the MASH family and bring quality ophthalmic services to the Hollywood area.
Dr. Shaylee Albert grew up in Edmonton, AB, Canada where she obtained a BSc in Animal Health in 2017. She then moved to Melbourne, Australia to attend veterinary school and obtained a DVM degree in 2021. Following this she moved back home to Canada to complete a small animal rotating internship and has been working in emergency since. Shaylee then decided to move to LA to pursue all the city has to offer, and is very excited to continue to progress her skills as an emergency veterinarian. During her free time, she enjoys traveling, being active in the gym or outdoors (skiing, hiking, running), going to the beach, and trying new food. She has a standard schnauzer named Frankie back home who she hopes to bring to LA soon!
Dr. Tracy Yen is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and completed her undergraduate studies at UCLA. She received her veterinary degree from Western University of Health Sciences in 2008, followed by a one-year rotating internship at VCA West Los Angeles. After working for several years in general practice and emergency medicine in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Yen successfully completed her residency training at Animal Dermatology Clinic in Marina del Rey and achieved Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Yen enjoys exploring the outdoors, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Dr. Stikeman was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto. She moved to Perth, Australia to attend veterinary school at Murdoch University and was a founding executive and President of the Murdoch Animal Welfare Society. Following graduation, she undertook a rotating medical and surgical internship at a private specialty practice in Connecticut before moving inside the Beltway to work as a generalist for two years. Drawn by a fascination of Internal Medicine's unique ability to answer (almost) any question, she moved to Texas to pursue a specialty internship and subsequent Residency at the Center for Veterinary Specialty + Emergency Care. Dr. Stikeman has successfully completed all board examinations and is awaiting publication of her research paper to attain board-certification.
Dr. Stikeman is extensively trained in ultrasonography including echocardiography and enjoys all diagnostic endeavors. Her areas of clinical interest include intestinal diseases at large, protein-losing enteropathies in particular, as well respiratory diseases and pulmonary hypertension, endocrine disorders, and all aspects of feline medicine. While uncommon in Los Angeles she also enjoys fungal infections and has an extensive background in managing them from her time in Texas. Dr. Stikeman adores all of her patients and the chance working at MASH provides to meet the wonderful cats and dogs of the Los Angeles community!
When not at work, Dr. Stikeman is a pilot who can usually be found in the skies flying out of Santa Monica Airport, at home studying aeronautical maps and world history (especially WWII), or can be found watching Blue Jays baseball and working on future travel plans. She also loves spending time with her two (giant!) cats Winston and Clementine, and visiting her sister and her cat, Ray Finkle.
Dr. Joseph Bisignano originally grew up in Brooklyn, NY and graduated from New York University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Biochemistry in 2006. He attended veterinary school at Western University of Health Sciences, graduating in 2010. He went on to complete his internship in small animal medicine and surgery at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital, followed by completion of his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Bisignano is a board-certified specialist in Internal Medicine.
Dr. Bisignano has advanced training and interest in the field of interventional endourology. He performs specialized procedures such as lithotripsy and percutaneous cystolithotomies (PCCL) that are minimally invasive approaches for removal of bladder and urethral stones. He also performs laser procedures to correct ectopic ureters as well as cystoscopic interventions for urinary incontinence. These procedures allow patients to recover faster and with less pain than traditional surgery and have more successful outcomes. He is one of very few doctors in Los Angeles trained to perform these procedures. Dr. Bisignano is available for consultation regarding minimally invasive methods for stone removal, management of urinary incontinence, congenital urinary conditions and long-term solutions and management for prevention of urinary stone disease in dogs and cats.
In addition to his interest in urology, Dr. Bisignano manages endocrine, gastrointestinal, liver and kidney diseases. He has a special interest in marine mammal medicine, specifically Bottlenose Dolphins, having worked as both a marine mammal trainer and veterinary preceptor at the New York Aquarium, Dolphin Quest Hawaii and the US Navy Marine Mammal Program in San Diego. He also serves on the Medical Advisory Board for the Los Angeles Zoo. Dr. Bisignano has published several research articles about feline endocrine diseases, inflammatory bowel disease in dogs, minimally invasive urinary interventions in cats and gastrointestinal disease in marine mammals. He has written and published several textbook chapters on the clinical management and prevention of urinary stones.
In his spare time, Dr. Bisignano loves cooking and trying new restaurants and cuisines. He and his partner have a beautiful son and he loves every minute of being a father. Dr. Bisignano has two dogs- a Rhodesian ridgeback named Brodie and a maltese named Shorty.
Dr. Bisignano is in the office and available for consultation Wednesday through Saturday each week.
Dr. Ahn Wong is a Los Angeles native. She attended Western University of Health Sciences and obtained her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. She did a small animal 1-year rotating internship through Animal Specialty Group, where she stayed on to be an emergency veterinarian. Dr. Ahn joined MASH's emergency team in April 2017. She has three dogs and one crested gecko. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.
Dr. Weeth received her veterinary degree from the University of California, Davis, in 2002. After two years in general and emergency practice, she returned to UC Davis in 2004 for a Residency in Clinical Nutrition. She completed her training in 2007, became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN), packed up her family and moved from the west coast to the east coast. There she established the first dedicated Clinical Nutrition Department in a private practice setting at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Fall, NJ. Dr. Weeth provided nutritional support to veterinarians and pet owners in the greater New Jersey/New York area until January 2014, when she and her family (including the 3 cats) once again packed up and moved, this time to the United Kingdom. While living overseas she started Weeth Nutrition Services, a veterinary referral service that provided nutrition telemedicine to veterinarians and technical support to members of the pet food industry. In August 2016 she and her family moved back to California and Dr. Weeth was able to expand her telemedicine service to offer in-person appointments to patients and their caregivers in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.
In her free time Dr. Weeth enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new parks and walks with her rescue dog Penny, and traveling to new and interesting places. Dr. Weeth loves all things food and food-related from growing the ingredients in her garden to putting them together in delicious ways for her friends and family.
Dr. Williams grew up in Toronto, Canada and received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from The Ontario Veterinary College in 2011. She then moved to the Los Angeles area where she completed a small animal rotating internship, surgical internship and residency in small animal surgery at Animal Specialty Group where she was trained in orthopedic, oncologic, soft tissue and neurologic surgery. She enjoys all facets of small animal surgery however her favorite part of the job is working together with a skilled team of multiple specialists to be able to provide well-rounded care for all patients in need. Dr. Williams's extracurricular interests include musical theater, exploring southern California and spending time with her husband, James, and their herd of dogs: Gus, Tito, Minka and Elton.
Dr. Kirk was born in Philadelphia, PA but was raised in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Kirk earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Florida State University and earned his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences in 2013. He did a rotating internship with VCA California Veterinary Specialists prior to staying on as an emergency veterinarian for the past 7 years. In his spare time, he enjoys playing sports, spending time with his wife, Elizabeth, his dog Wylie and his cat Dot.
Paul Hobson graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 1981. He owned and operated veterinary hospitals in the UK for 20 years before moving full time into veterinary dentistry. He has focused his skills on oral and craniomaxillofacial surgery for the last 17 years. He operated a large dental referral practice in the UK before meeting his wife and moving to California. He started to work in California, while still frequently travelling back to the UK. He is now working full time in Southern California and is working towards his dental specialty qualification in the USA. Interested in all aspects of veterinary dentistry and craniomaxillofacial surgery, Paul is especially interested in endodontics, craniomaxillofacial trauma treatment and reconstruction, and oral oncologic surgery. He is also adding dental implantology to his treatment options.
Paul lives in the Hollywood Hills with his wife and 5-year- old son. They have a German Shepherd named Nola to further add to the chaos at home, so his passions for triathlons and street photography are on the back burner for now.