Our Caring & Compassionate Team!
Meet the Veterinarians of CVSG! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets! Please call us at 303-794-1188 to speak to one of our caring veterinary staff members!
Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists
Dr. Hess attended Colorado State University for both undergraduate and veterinary school. She then completed an internship in small animal medicine, surgery and critical care at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver. Dr. Hess completed a three year residency in theriogenology (reproduction) at Virginia Tech. Dr. Hess joined CVSG as a small animal reproduction specialist.
Dr. Hess is a member of the American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation Grants Committee and serves as a theriogenology consultant for the Veterinary Information Network (VIN).
Dr. Hess is an active competitor with her Curly-coated Retriever and Dutch Shepherds in multiple dog sports including conformation, agility, hunt tests, tracking, and obedience.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Dr Lewis grew up on a popcorn farm in southern Indiana. During her childhood she learned the value of rising early and working with her hands.
After high school she traveled to San Diego where she attended the University of California San Diego and earned a degree in Neurophysiology and a minor in psychology. She returned to Indiana after graduation to attend Purdue University for her veterinary degree. She furthered her training at the University of Illinois for a one year rotating internship and then onto Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center for a specialized surgical internship.
In 2004, Dr Lewis moved to Kansas City to participate in a surgical residency at Mission MedVet. After finishing her surgical training she moved to Colorado and joined Colorado Veterinary Specialists for 5 years before purchasing the practice with Dr Milan Hess and establishing Colorado Veterinary Specialty Group in 2012.
Over the past 12 years they have grown their practice into a 35,000 sq foot campus and expanded the size and scope of care offered in Colorado and surrounding states
Dr Lewis has an interest in all aspects of surgery but has a passion for reconstructive and oncologist procedures. She enjoys developing a team approach to medicine and helping mentor the next generation of doctors and specialists
In her down time she loves to spend time with family, travel and eat good food. She also loves her furry family that includes a black lab named Vader, a Border terrier named Bonsai and Pico the kitty.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Dr. Bush is from the Gulf Coast of Alabama. She attended Auburn University in Auburn, AL, for undergraduate courses and for veterinary school. She then moved to Knoxville, TN, to complete her rotating internship at the University of Tennessee. She returned to Auburn University for a specialty surgery internship and stayed for a small animal surgery residency and concurrent master’s degree. She enjoys seeing a combination of surgical oncology, soft tissue, and orthopedic cases, although she has a special interest in surgical oncology.
Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists
Dr. Coffman earned her DVM degree and completed an internship at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She then completed her master’s degree and residency in comparative Theriogenology at The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!). She has been board-certified in reproductive medicine since 2013 and joined the CVSG team in 2021.
In her spare time, Dr. Coffman enjoys riding her horse (Beau), spending time with her dogs (Sushi Roll and Prudence), and enjoying the beautiful state of Colorado.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
Dr. Liz Hoaglund grew up in Indiana and completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biology at Purdue University where her love for veterinary medicine was sparked. She graduated from Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016 and subsequently went on to Pioneer Equine Hospital in California for a rotating Equine Internship. She then returned to CSU to complete a fellowship with the Equine Field Service prior to beginning her residency in Diagnostic Imaging. Dr. Hoaglund became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology in 2021. She enjoys the mixed caseload of specialty/referral and general practice hospitals and is passionate about abdominal ultrasound, musculoskeletal ultrasound and cross sectional imaging, particularly CT.
Based in Summit County, Dr. Hoaglund loves spending her free time enjoying the Colorado outdoors, cooking, traveling, and relaxing with her family and cats.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology
Dr. Sarah Jones Woods grew up in San Clemente, California. She received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 2005, where she was a Pac-10 Champion, Collegiate All-American Swimmer, and team captain. After working as a clinical research coordinator for human clinical trials on post-operative management alongside her dad, an anesthesiologist,
She received her veterinary degree from UC Davis in 2012, and subsequently completed a one-year small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at VCA Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center. She was accepted into a radiology residency at UC Davis, and became boarded in radiology in September of 2016. She loves to travel with her husband, Alyn, a medical doctor practicing cardiothoracic radiology in private practice in Denver. Some of their favorite vacations have included backpacking in the Napali Coast Kauai, as well as Yosemite and the Trinity Alps, skiing in Verbier, Switzerland, and taking trips with extended family to Maui. She enjoys paddle boarding with her dog Gator, who also loves to join on the hiking and backpacking adventures.
Diplomate, American College of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dr. Wendland is originally from Chicago, but has been fortunate to call Colorado her home since 2011. After moving to Colorado, Dr. Wendland began working in a comparative orthopedics lab at Colorado State University (CSU), wherefrom she eventually attained her DVM. As a veterinary student, she had the unique opportunity to begin working with the nascent sports medicine and rehabilitation (now Orthopedic Medicine and Mobility) service at CSU. Following graduation, she was invited to stay at CSU for her rotating and sports medicine specialty internship with a focus in orthotics and prosthetics. She then remained at CSU to complete a residency in sports medicine and rehabilitation. In addition to her formal schooling and specialty training, Dr. Wendland became certified in veterinary medical acupuncture, received training in canine rehabilitation through the University of Tennessee, and completed a course in veterinary chiropractic therapy.
Throughout her time at CSU, Dr. Wendland pursued a special interest in veterinary orthotics and prosthetics through research and publication on the subject. She has also performed research in novel gait analysis and integrative therapies for osteoarthritis pain management. Her other areas of interest, outside of her research, include rehabilitation and cross-training of the canine athlete, canine nutrition, and work-up of challenging or hard to diagnose lameness.
Prior to her veterinary schooling, Dr. Wendland obtained a fine arts degree in sculpture. She still creates art in her free time whenever possible. However, most of her time outside of work is dedicated to her large “fur family” which is made up of three dogs, two cats, two horses, and a slightly less furry husband. Dr. Wendland is also a martial artist and both she and her husband are avid weightlifters and bodybuilders.
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
Dr. David Sender graduated veterinary school from the University of Illinois and went on to do an internship at Colorado State University in small animal medicine and surgery. He then spent a year in private practice as an emergency doctor before working as an assistant professor of Small Animal Emergency Medicine at Midwestern University. While teaching, Dr. Sender discovered his passion for critical care and obtained board certification in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care after completing his residency at Auburn University. His specific interests in veterinary medicine include extracorporeal therapies, and acid/base derangements, and he has a particular interest in trying to make extracorporeal therapies for animals more accessible and affordable for the general public.
When Dr. Sender is not working, he enjoys living a very active lifestyle. After having competed in gymnastics for nearly 20 years, he is perpetually driven towards physical activity including CrossFit, hiking, surfing, and water sports. He also enjoys doing projects around the house, woodworking, and cooking.
Chief Emergency Medical Officer
Dr. Polage was born in Albuquerque, NM and moved to Denver Colorado in 2000 to work as a high school Biology teacher for 5 years. She later went to Mississippi State University for veterinary school and learned to appreciate southern cuisine, Elvis Presley, and the absence of humidity in Colorado😊
Dr. Polage joined CVSG 2021 to work with our great team of veterinarians. She has a fun-filled life with three boys—her husband Adam and two sons Henry and Finn. Days off are filled with running through the sprinklers, working in the garden, and taking the kids to explore all the wonderful museums, parks, and other outdoor adventures in this beautiful state. mountains, streams
Dr. Wigley was born and raised in the Boston area. She obtained her BS in Biology and Biotechnology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) where she also played Division III field hockey. She then traveled to Indiana to complete veterinary school at Purdue University.
After completing her DVM degree in 2017, she returned home to Massachusetts to pursue a small animal rotating internship at New England Animal Medical Center (NEAMC) before relocating to Colorado. Dr. Wigley’s love of Emergency Medicine started while attending Purdue and was solidified during her internship. Her professional interests include treatment of toxicities and trauma. Dr. Wigley enjoys hiking, snowboarding, reading a good mystery novel, and spending time with her husband, dogs, and cats.
Dr. Steven McIntyre grew up in a small town in East Tennessee where he quickly developed a love for animals. Dr. McIntyre went on to complete an undergraduate degree in Animal Science and a DVM degree at the University of Tennessee. Following veterinary school, he completed a small animal rotating internship at Purdue University in Indiana.
He then relocated to Colorado to join CVSG in 2017. He enjoys all emergencies but has a particular interest in internal medicine and managing toxicities. In his spare time, he loves to be active, specifically hiking, cycling, and snowboarding. Steven currently has three cats and a chocolate Labrador.
Dr. Ramirez was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology at Providence College in Rhode Island, where she also competed in Division I tennis. She then earned her veterinary degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. Geaux tigers! Following vet school, Dr. Ramirez completed her small animal rotating internship at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, TX. After finishing her internship, she relocated to Colorado and joined the wonderful team at CVSG. Dr. Ramirez enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, going to the beach, playing tennis, and long walks with her dog, Stella.
Dr. Ineson was born and raised in central Massachusetts. She made her way to the city to complete an undergraduate degree in Biology at Boston College, then remained in MA for her veterinary degree from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Ineson was first drawn to the ER when researching anaphylaxis as a student, then quickly began picking up student ER shifts. After graduating, Dr. Ineson made her way to DC to complete a small animal rotating internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals. Following her time in DC, Dr. Ineson relocated to Colorado. Emergency medicine remains her passion, in particular emergency stabilization, toxicities and wound repair. When not at the hospital, Dr. Ineson enjoys spending time outside hiking, running and trying to tire out her energetic rescue dog, Zazu.
As a Colorado native, Dr. Fox grew-up spending most of her days outdoors. She had an obvious love for animals that was most notable when she was 3 and colored herself with orange and black smelly markers and walked around the house stating she was a tiger. Although she couldn’t become a tiger when she grew-up, she did become the next best thing: a veterinarian.
She received her Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Colorado State University, where she triple-majored in Biological Sciences, Zoology and Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture with a minor in Biomedical Sciences. Within a few months of graduation, she was off to Scotland to begin her veterinary medicine program at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.
After graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Fox completed a one-year, small animal general rotating internship at a busy specialty medicine and emergency practice in Fort Collins, Colorado. She was immersed in emergency medicine, soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery, and complex internal medicine cases. After internship, she did a couple of years in general practice to continue to hone her skills; however, emergency medicine is where her true interest remained. She has enjoyed being part of the CVSG team and feels privileged to help support the health and strong bond between her animal patients and their human companions through advanced veterinary care.
Outside of work, Dr. Fox is an avid hiker and camper with her dog, Mel, and enjoys taking the time to relax and travel when she can.
Dr. Claire Stuhlmann received her undergraduate degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. Following graduation, she spent two years researching marine mammal behavior and conservation at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod before moving to Breckenridge. After three years in Colorado, she moved to California and attended the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. While in vet school, she ran the Student Veterinary Emergency Response Team and deployed to emergency shelters and with animal search and rescue teams in response to six wildfires, including the Camp Fire in 2018 and the North Complex Fire in 2020.
Her professional interests include emergency and critical care medicine, disaster response, and working dog medicine. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, rafting, scuba diving, and adventuring with friends and her dog, Hopper.
Dr. Orellana was born and raised in Caracas-Venezuela where she first obtained her BS in Economics. In 2002 she moved to her family’s hometown in Barcelona-Spain to attend veterinary school. After graduation in 2008, she started working in the emergency field before completing a one-year Small Animal Rotating Internship in the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
While obtaining her license to practice veterinary medicine in the US, she worked as a veterinary technician at the Denver Dumb Friends League shelter where she fell in love with cats and the orthopedic kittens foster program. By December 2014 she completed the ECFVG program and obtained her DVM degree. Her first job as a Doctor in the US was at Denver Pet Urgent Care where she gained confidence in her role as a foreign doctor again. After a few months she joined CVSG in November 2015 to continue working as an emergency clinician and later on became part of the on call surgery team after training with our DACVS Dr. Lewis. ER surgery has come to take a huge portion of her heart.
When she is not working, she may be running, biking or swimming to continue collecting medals from her triathlon races. She recharges by spending quality time with her family and pets at home. Her chihuahua Bella and her feline crew, have turned her into a chi and kitty lover. She is also known for frequently planning small trips to the ocean, as well as National Parks or big cities since she loves getting to explore new places.
Dr. Jeremy Stutchman grew up in the California, Bay Area region. He studied Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, then went to the University of California Davis, where he obtained his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2023. He then completed a rotating internship program at VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Stutchman’s professional interests are in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Soft Tissue Surgery. In his free time, Dr. Stutchman travels around the country to eat and try local cuisine. Otherwise, he spends most of his time with his cats, Suki and Nala.
Dr. Stutchman is incredibly excited to join the CVSG family and establish himself in the Denver area.
Dr. Rupnik was born in central Pennsylvania (Go Steelers, not Eagles) where she grew up with a strong love for sports and her two dogs, Buster and Midnight. She obtained her BS in Biology and played Division I field hockey at Bucknell University, spending summers on campus doing various research projects with newts and capuchins.
Following undergrad, she moved across the country to attend veterinary school at University of California, Davis. This is where her passion for emergency medicine developed. After graduating, she pursued an internship at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital which solidified her desire to become an emergency veterinarian.
Her professional interests include surgical emergencies/lacerations and radiology, and her personal interests include snowboarding, skiing, backpacking, and eating good food. She and her Pitbull mix Cali are excited to join the team at CVSG!
Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist
Kelly became a Licensed Massage Therapist after attending Miller-Motte College in Wilmington, NC in 2001. In 2005, she moved to Long Island, NY, where she attended Touro University, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. In 2021, Kelly became a Certified Canine Rehab therapist through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute and began working at CVSG shortly after.
Kelly enjoys hiking and camping with her family and three huskies on the weekends and traveling as often as she can.
Practice Manager
Lea Ann has been working in veterinary medicine as an administrator and operations manager for twelve years. Her entry into the profession was through her previous position as the Associate Director of the Buddy Center with the Dumb Friends League.
Lea Ann is a graduate of Missouri University-Columbia with a degree in Personnel Services. She is originally from small town, rural Southern Missouri. Her prior accomplishments include being selected as a nationwide trainer for Coldwater Creek and for Marriott Hotels. She is currently working toward the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager professional designation.
In her spare time, Lea Ann enjoys obedience training with her dog, Ben, listening to live music, playing Irish and Folk-Style Fiddle, and working on her 100 yr. old home.