Debra L. Weisman, DVM, MS, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Weisman is a Connecticut native. She attained her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and went on to receive a Master's of Science in Physiology from Clemson University. Dr. Weisman received a DVM degree from the University of Georgia in 1995. Her post-graduate training included an internship at Veterinary Specialists of Rochester in New York and a surgical residency at The Ohio State University. She worked as a staff surgeon at the Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, Connecticut for 6 years, prior to taking the position of medical director and surgeon at VCA Cheshire Animal Hospital, where she practiced from 2005 – 2012. Dr. Weisman established Newtown Veterinary Specialists, along with her husband, in 2011.

Dr. Weisman attained board certification in small animal surgery in 2001. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, and the Society for Veterinary Soft-Tissue Surgeons. Her interests include gastrointestinal, cardiothoracic, oncologic surgery, and pain management. Dr. Weisman lectures locally and nationally and has authored numerous scientific journal articles on a variety of surgical topics. She works closely with area oncologists in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of aggressive cancers and is actively involved in clinical research.

Dr. Weisman's pets include a golden retriever, Finn, and two cats, Pat and Pepe. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Scott, and stepchildren, Brian and Katelyn, along with hiking, road biking, learning to play golf, and cooking.

Scott Schifilliti, President and CEO

Mr. Schifilliti has an undergraduate degree in marketing and an MBA in international business. He has worked in management for more than 25 years before founding NVS.

Prior to his position as President and CEO, Mr. Schifilliti was employed by Partsearch Technologies as Vice President of Sales for 6 years. He has extensive experience in sales, marketing, supply chain, and senior level management.

He is ideally suited for this position having a strong working knowledge operating small and large corporations, providing team leadership and support and establishing partnerships with organizations nationally and internationally.

Danielle Berube, DVM, DACVECC

Dr. Berube is originally from the Buffalo, New York area. She received her DVM degree from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. Following graduation, she completed a rotating Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery (2006-2007), and Residency in Emergency and Critical Care (2007-2010), at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She was awarded Diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) in 2011.

Following the completion of her residency, Dr. Berube worked as a Staff Criticalist in New Jersey and has now joined the team at Newtown Veterinary Specialists. Dr. Berube's interests include the management of trauma, anesthesia monitoring, transfusion medicine, and animal blood banking.

Cory Mosunic, DVM, MS, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists

Dr. Mosunic received her DVM degree from Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. In 2000, she completed a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery internship at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Following her internship, she pursued a Master's Degree in Comparative Ocular Pathology at the University of Georgia School of Veterinary Medicine. She remained at the University of Georgia for a residency in Comparative Veterinary Ophthalmology which she completed in 2005. She was inducted as a Diplomate into the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and received board certification in 2005. She has an extensive background in ocular pathology and her main focus of research is Ocular Squamous cell carcinoma. She has published numerous articles and lectured on this, as well as other aspects of veterinary ophthalmology across the country. Other areas of special interest are corneal grafting, cataract, and oculoplastic surgery. Dr. Mosunic served as the head of the Ophthalmology Department at Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center in Bedford Hills, New York from 2005-2012.

Lauren Pinchbeck, DVM, MS, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Dermatology

Dr. Pinchbeck was born in San Antonio, Texas, graduated from Princeton University, and earned her DVM degree from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. After a small animal medicine and surgery internship at the Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, Connecticut, she completed a dermatology residency at Ohio State in 2006. During her residency, she also attained a Master's of Science Degree concentrating on the genotypic relatedness among staphylococcal isolates.

Dr. Pinchbeck was the recipient of an American College of Veterinary Dermatology Research Award in Basic Science in 2006 and the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Resident Award in 2007. In addition to her research interest in staphylococcal infections in dogs, her clinical interests include the diagnosis and treatment of otitis media, autoimmune diseases, and canine atopic dermatitis.

Dr. Pinchbeck was employed at South Texas Veterinary Specialists LLC from 2006 -2011, and established the dermatology department. In 2011, Dr. Pinchbeck moved to Connecticut to become a partner at Northeast Veterinary Dermatology Specialists with Dr. Nina Shoulberg. Dr. Pinchbeck lives in Connecticut with her husband, son, and 2 Greyhounds, "Skoot" and "Krafty".

Dr. Pinchbeck is licensed in Texas, Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, American College of Veterinary Dermatology, American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology, Fairfield County Veterinary Medical Association, and New Haven County Veterinary Medical Association. She was President of the Veterinary Medical Association from 2010 to 2011.

Gerald Post, DVM, MEM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology)

Dr. Post is one of only approximately two hundred board-certified veterinary oncologists in the United States. Dr. Post graduated with distinction from Cornell University in 1983 and received his DVM degree from the University of Minnesota in 1988. In 1991, he completed a residency in Oncology at the Animal Medical Center in New York and in 1992 became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Dr. Post has authored many papers and book chapters on the topics of oncology and hematology, and was recently recognized by New York magazine as one of the best veterinarians in the tri-state area. Recently Dr. Post and colleagues authored two seminal papers significantly advancing the treatment of both B-cell lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma in dogs.

Dr. Post has devoted his life to animals and always had a strong interest in small animal oncology. He champions the field of comparative oncology every chance he gets. He truly believes that the knowledge gained through comparative oncology can be used to cure many cancers not only in animals but humans as well.

Julie A. Stephens, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine)

Dr. Stephens received her undergraduate and DVM degrees from Cornell University. In 1998, she completed a rotating internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery working exclusively with referral cases at Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Dr. Stephens completed her residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in 2001 and was inducted as a Diplomate into the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine after receiving board-certification in 2002. After working as a staff internist for two veterinary specialty hospitals in Long Island, New York Dr. Stephens established the Internal Medicine Department at the Katonah-Bedford Veterinary Center in Westchester, New York where she served as the head of the department from 2003-2012.

Dr. Stephens also served on the medical advisory board for the BrightHeart Veterinary Network in 2010 and 2011.

While Dr. Stephens enjoys all aspects of Internal Medicine, her primary clinical interests include gastroenterology, infectious disease, endocrinology, and transfusion medicine. She performs endoscopy of the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urinary tracts, as well as ultrasounds and ultrasound-guided procedures.

Lauren Baker, DVM

Dr. Baker is originally from Virginia, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Virginia. After working in a lab at the National Institute of Mental Health in Maryland for a few years, she went on to earn her DVM degree from Tufts University in North Grafton, Massachusetts. She completed a rigorous, post-graduate internship with a focus on emergency medicine at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. In her spare time, Dr. Baker enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, and spending time with her two cats, Gherkin and Azrael.

Benjamin Nappa, DVM

Dr. Nappa is our newest team member. He brings with him a great deal of experience in emergency medicine. Dr. Nappa's military background (Afghan War Veteran) keeps him level-headed and focused in emergency settings. Dr. Nappa received his veterinary degree from Ross University, and fine-tuned his emergency skills as a rotating intern at Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists. His passion for emergency medicine is seen through his unending drive to offer the best care for every patient he sees. Last year, Dr. Nappa was voted one of the top 100 veterinarians of Westchester County by his referring veterinary community. His wonderful bedside manner and outstanding skill set makes us happy to have him on our team.

Christopher Potanas, DVM

Dr. Potanas is originally from New York City. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Biology from Sacred Heart University in 2003, and proceeded to earn his DVM degree from Kansas State University in 2010. He then completed a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship at MSPCA-Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. After Angell, Dr. Potanas went on to complete a Surgical Internship with Ohio Veterinary Surgery & Neurology at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital in Akron, Ohio. He joins NVS as our Surgical Resident in order to complete his training and accomplish board certification in Small Animal Surgery with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Dr. Potanas's specific interests include juvenile orthopedic disease, total hip replacement, portosystemic shunts, the surgical treatment of intervertebral disc disease, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and shock and polytrauma cases. He enjoys lecturing to and teaching other veterinarians, students, and technicians, and is actively involved in numerous research projects, as well as contributing to progressive surgical treatments and patient care.

Dr. Potanas's pets include a Dogue de Bordeaux named Denali and two cats named Cabernet and T-Bone. In his spare time, Dr. Potanas is an avid sports fan who enjoys spending time in the kitchen with his beautiful wife Robyn, and playing golf when he has a spare moment.

Michele Lannon, LVT

Michele is our newest full-time staff member and an asset to our team. A graduate of SUNY Delhi, she has been in the field for over 12 years. Michele’s excellent technical skills help us take our patient care to a new level. She is an extremely hard worker whose attention to detail keeps everyone on their toes. We are proud to have Michele on our team.

Sue Paganelli, CVT

Sue has been part of the Emergency Clinic team for over 10 years. As a Certified Veterinary Technician she has the skill necessary to be able to recognize and understand the needs or our patients. When not helping us care for dogs and cats, Sue is running a large horse farm and giving riding lessons to kids of all ages.