Staff

The staff at Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital understands that you are entrusting us with a very important family member, and it is our goal to make your experience at the Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital exceptional at every juncture.

Hospital Administrator

The Hospital Administrator is responsible for controlling the operations of the hospital. Implementing visionary objectives, financial planning, and acting as a catalyst for change, the Hospital Administrator insures that the goals of the Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital are met. He is responsible for assuring that your pet receives excellent care and that you receive excellent service.

Mr. Harris received a Master of Business Administration degree in 1997 from the Stern School of Business at New York University with a concentration in finance. He was the recipient of a full academic scholarship as a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Fellow. He brings a diverse background to the veterinary industry ranging from Navy Musician to proprietary and foreign exchange trading to restaurant management and private equity hedge fund management. His unique mix of financial and customer service expertise has helped to form an enthusiastic, winning, and caring team at Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital.

Keith C. Harris, MBA

Hospital Manager

The Hospital Manager insures that the visions and goals of the hospital are consistently delivered on a daily basis. The Hospital Manager puts vision into action, always searching for new ways to improve our service and care. Human resources, scheduling, computer technology, and compliance with regulatory agencies are some of the areas that are part of the daily operations of the Hospital Manager, which helps ensure that your pets receive the highest standard of care available.

Marilyn Farrar-Wagner

Integrative Medicine Coordinator

The Integrative Medicine Coordinator is responsible for finding ways to blend the use of conventional veterinary medicine with alternative medicine. This position includes responsibility for working with the veterinarians to develop protocols and procedures for rehabilitation, chiropractic, acupuncture, therapeutic laser, herbal medicine, traditional Eastern medicine, and other new therapies. The Integrative Medicine Coordinator keeps the Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital on the cutting edge of all modalities of therapy available to benefit your pet's

individual needs.

Dr. Tara Johnson grew up working at the Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital with her father, Dr. Dean Cerf. When she became a chiropractor in 2001, she saw that her profession could help pets as well as people. She uses her background in chiropractic to work with the veterinarians to develop protocols to use all modalities available from both conventional and integrative medicine to treat pets. Dr. Johnson graduated with honors from New York Chiropractic College in 2001. She is a member of the American Chiropractic Association, American Animal Hospital Association, and American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. Dr. Johnson's family includes her husband Brian, son Hunter, daughter Hailey, Labradoodle Oscar, Standard Poodle Daisy, and Senegal Parrot Maya. Tara Johnson D.C.

Compliance Manager

The Compliance Supervisor is responsible for the authentication of policies and procedures implemented by the management team for excellent service in all areas of the hospital. This essential role encompasses assurance of accuracy and reliability in all facets of the hospital from client service to medical support staff, created to provide you and your pet with consistently excellent service.

Laurie Alessi

Bookkeeper

The Bookkeeper is responsible for accounts payable, payroll and daily accounting. The accuracy and responsibility required for this position helps the Hospital Administrator maintain the necessary accounting to facilitate the excellent care and service provided.

Margo Hollands

Client Care Representatives

The number one goal of our Client Care Representatives is to care for you and your pets like family members. You will see them at one of three stations; 1.) the front desk, where they will welcome you and ascertain that your needs and your pet's needs are met, 2.) the telephone station, where they answer all your telephone calls, understanding the vital information necessary for our veterinarians and act as their liaison, and 3.) the pharmacy, where our challenging training program demands that they learn the names and uses of over 500 medications, along with our computer software designed for the veterinary hospital. Our Client Care Representatives work both in front and behind the scenes to assure you that you will get excellent service.

Javier Bolanos Maria Hatefi

John Pepe Bernice Ware Wynter Watts

Alex Benson Patrizia Zurzolo Nicole Finn

Veterinary Technicians

Veterinary Technicians directly assist the doctors with patient care. Expert knowledge of physiological and disease processes as well as the professional demands of assisting and scrubbing in to assist the doctor in surgery is expected. They monitor surgical patients, provide medications and nursing care to hospitalized patients, and attend continued education conferences to ascertain that your pet gets the highest standard of exceptional care currently available.

Ann O'Sullivan Kerry Krauss Christine Jazikoff

Heather Kannegiesser

Veterinary Assistants

Veterinary Assistants perform laboratory analysis of blood and fecal samples, take x-rays, and assist doctors and technicians with patient care. They assist with EKGs and ultrasounds, and must have an in-depth knowledge of anatomy, anesthesia monitoring, and pharmaceutical calculations. Veterinary Assistants care for your pets on a daily basis, and will always ensure that your pet is comfortable and happy while in the hospital.

William Wagner Jameson Serrano

Milton Torres

Exam Room Assistants

Exam Room Assistants help doctors with their daily appointments by taking a thorough history of your pet's health, weighing your pet, and assisting with venipuncture and minor procedures. Exam Room Assistants are given guidance on everything from preparing for the doctor to understanding common diseases and their treatments. They will always strive to make you and your pet feel happy and comfortable during your appointment.

Amy Scordato Matt Sternik

Bona Yu

Animal Ward Assistants

Animal Ward Assistants are responsible for the day to day loving care of hospitalized patients including everything from the essentials of proper walking and feeding to the intricacies of performing in-house lab analysis. They administer medications, bathe pets and make them feel at home during their stay at the Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital.

Kim Coker Angelica Otiepka Sulay Cay

Kelly Meneses Nancy Bucko

Pet Stylists/Groomers

Our Pet Stylists provide professional grooming with love at our Whole Dog Grooming Salon which is veterinarian supervised. Trained to properly groom, bathe, clean ears, clip nails, and give a brief examination, our grooming salon is held to the same high standards as our hospital. Our Pet Stylists aim to keep your pets happy and will always listen carefully to provide your pet with the haircut of your choice.

Paul Millian Blythe Beecher Nicole Pepper

Clerical Assistant

The Clerical Assistant is responsible for preparing charts, confirming appointments, doing mailings and assisting Client Care Representatives throughout the day so that they are able to devote more time and attention to you and your pets.

Kathleen Verschraegen

Hospitality Attendant

The hospitality attendant is here to ensure that your visit with us is as pleasant as possible. They are here to welcome you, hold your dog's leash for you if necessary, and even carry food out to your car. They will be happy to fix you a cup of coffee for you to enjoy with a freshly baked cookie!

Joan D' Angelo Cindy Aquino

Transportation Supervisor

The Transportation Supervisor is responsible for carefully transporting animals between our hospitals and The Whole Dog Grooming Salon. He also provides local pick up and delivery service of animals, medications and food to your home. His loving care for all animals ensures your pet a happy and safe ride, and excellent service for all your transportation needs.

George Kennedy

About Us

Contact Us

Ridgewood Office

320 E. Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
phone: (201) 447-6000

Midland Park Office

70 Goffle Rd.
Midland Park, NJ 07432
phone: (201) 445-0030

Whole Dog Grooming Salon

60 Goffle Rd.
Midland Park, NJ 07432
phone: (201) 447-6222