Dr. Lawson attended the University of Tennessee and practiced as a primary care veterinarian in that state before deciding to pursue specialization in cardiology. His fascination with the physiology of the heart, and passion for the difference he can make in each patient’s life through medical intervention led him to join our team.

Dr. Lawson has moved to South Florida with his wife and their two cats, Obi Wan Katnobi and Luke Skywhisker. A devout Christian and a self-described nerd, Dr. Lawson spends his free time trying new foods, relaxing on the beach, and exploring everything South Florida has to offer.

What would characterize the ideal Practice Manager at a Veterinary Cardiac Hospital? A love of animals? Many years’ experience? Someone who truly cares? We’re pleased to say that our own Erick Kabler fits all these descriptions and more.

Erick received his veterinary Emergency Room and Intensive Care training at the University Of Florida. He managed a busy ER for 10 years prior to joining our practice. But unlike the emergency environment, VetCCC gives Erick the opportunity to form longer relationships with patients and their families. This is a profound difference Erick loves. In addition to his technical skills, he is strong on the business side, with a servant leadership style which benefits the entire team.

He stays busy outside the office, too. Erick is a pilot, scuba diver, nature enthusiast, and—most importantly—the cool dad to his four children: Little Henry, Ava Lilly, Ethan Jade, and Hannah Rose. And let’s not forget Myam the cat, and his favorite turtle, Donatello.

Erick signs his emails with the title, “Proud Practice Manager.” We’re pretty proud to have him on board here as well.

Cardiopulmonary care often involves the use of echo-cardiograms and other sonographic exams. These require the expertise of a trained professional, and Tara DeVoursney, RDMS is exactly that, earning her degree at Cambridge College of Healthcare, and now serving patients at VCCC.

A long-time resident of south Florida and a dedicated proud mom of three adult sons, Tara enjoys her family, travel, the beach, and water sports of all types. She is also totally in love with her two dogs, Bella and Mikey.

Tara finds her career as a medical sonographer hugely rewarding as it allows her to be an important part of a dedicated care team, and see patients improve with the treatments they receive.

Rachel Panarites is the Client Care Supervisor for our hospital. She absolutely loves taking care of animals and serving their owners.

Rachel graduated high school in 2012, went into the veterinary profession right away, and never looked back. She joined the VCCC team in early 2020, based on a strong desire to expand her knowledge in the fascinating specialty of cardiology.

Her personal life revolves around animals as well. Rachel has two pets: Moo, a beautiful Labrador, and OC, her cat. What’s more, she’s an avid equine barrel racer. And whenever possible, Rachel takes advantage of the south Florida lifestyle and heads to the beach.

Ethan Cabrera has a passion for learning, because he loves simplifying complicated concepts and explaining them to others in ways that are easy to understand. Combine that with being the owner of two dogs and two cats, and you have a solid formula for a successful career in the veterinary field.

With degrees in both Biological Science and Epidemiology, plus a certificate in Veterinary Assisting, Ethan skillfully serves VCCC’s patients as a Veterinary Nurse on his way to aspirations of ultimately attending vet school.

A rare Florida native, he takes time out from his occupation to indulge in two favorite hobbies: woodworking and candle-making.

Ethan wants everyone to know that in his opinion, the workflow, quality of life, environment, and people of Veterinary Cardiopulmonary Care Center are tops in the industry. Of course we agree and appreciate Ethan’s part in making that a reality.

Taylor Wilkinson knows the importance and value of cardiopulmonary care. Her own mother is a heart transplant recipient. Combine that with a love for pets – Taylor has a dog and four cats – and you have an extremely motivated veterinary nurse at a cardiology practice.

Originally from Dallas, Texas, Taylor played softball very competitively all through childhood and high school. She then earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Florida State University. But a passion to help animals won out, and she began her career in the veterinary medical field in 2007. She especially finds it rewarding to relieve the stress and discomfort of VCCC’s patients.

Non-work activities on top of Taylor’s list are fishing, spending time with family, and of course enjoying all five of her four-legged friends.

VCCC takes client care seriously, and that’s a value shared by Client Care Coordinator, Jessica Santacruz.

Jessica began her career in the veterinary field in 2016, and came on board with our hospital in 2019. She loves working in the cardiopulmonary field because each patient is unique. She also loves Asian food, being outdoors, exercising, reading—and of course her two adorable cats, Bentley and Bella.

Although Jessica has called south Florida home for over 20 years, she’s also lived in New York and Colombia. A seasoned traveler who enjoys all kinds of new experiences, Jessica’s favorite destination is Costa Rica.

Ashley joined VCCC in 2014 and continues to serve as a talented Client Care Coordinator, maintaining the high quality of customer care for our practice and managing our social media. Born and raised in South Florida, she attended Coastal Carolina College for her Associates Degree in Science.

Ashley is fortunate enough to be the mom to a wonderful little boy, as well as two cats, KeeKee and Storm Trooper, and a few amazing dogs: Cooper, Randy, Girl, Whitey, Roach, and Pistol. Outside of work, Ashley spends a lot of time with her family, snuggling with her dogs and cats, at the beach or outside.

Gabriela Ferreira loves helping others. That means interacting pleasantly with VCCC clients, showing compassionate care for their pets, and assisting VCCC staff – all reasons she excels in the role of Client Care Coordinator.

Gabriela also stays busy in her free time. She explores the nature trails at local parks, listens to classical music, is a talented artist, and is a big crystal collector.

Currently pursuing a degree at Broward College, Gabriela has lived in south Florida all her life. And with a self-confessed cat obsession and three cats of her own – Luna, Pumpkin, and Buddha – it’s a life she finds very fulfilling.

Vet CCC team member Xiomara Lou is known as “Xio” by her friends and “Z” by her co-workers. However, our clients know her as a caring Nurse Assistant who has worked with animals since 2015 and loves every moment of it.

Xio graduated with a Bachelor’s in Biology from FAU and plans on continuing her education to fulfill her dream of becoming a Veterinarian. Working in cardiology appeals to her because it extends the lives of patients, giving owners additional years with their little ones, and it provides Xio with exposure to specialty animal medicine.

Her position at our hospital allows Xio to do what she loves: learn more about animal medicine and be surrounded by cats and dogs! When Xio is not at work she enjoys going to the gym, tanning at the beach, or grubbing out. But there’s nothing Xio likes more than to just hang out with friends, family, and of course her cat, Kilo!

Natalie Byrnes grew up in the Greyhound industry. And if you’ve ever asked the age-old question, “Are Greyhounds treated well?”, she’ll answer with a resounding, “Yes.” Her love for animals wouldn’t have it any other way. When that industry came to an end, Natalie continued her career, first as a kennel assistant at an animal hospital, before moving up to tech assistant, and now as a full-fledged veterinary technician.

Working with cardiopulmonary patients appeals to Natalie because it makes such a positive impact on the lives of the pets we treat here at VCCC, and provides peace of mind to their owners.

In fact, Natalie is quite a pet owner herself, with two dogs – one of which is of course a Greyhound – and two cats. She spends most of her free time with them, as well as with her boyfriend, working out, roller skating, kayaking, and dancing with hula hoops.