Surgery Service

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Dr. Mike Grafinger graduated from Mississippi State University in 1999. He completed a one year internship at Animal Medical Center in New York City which has an annual case load of 50,000 patients and over 90 veterinarians. He practiced general medicine in New York City for one year before joining a North Carolina emergency and referral practice as an emergency clinician. He completed a surgical residency at NC State Veterinary School and is one of the few board certified surgeons affiliated  with an emergency clinic in the Durham area. He lives in Raleigh with      his wife and three sons.

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Dr. Morgan Hackett was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA before heading to the Caribbean where she attended veterinary school at Ross University. She performed her clinical year at Auburn University before graduating in January 2014. She completed a small animal rotating internship in Akron, Ohio, a surgery internship in Buffalo Grove, Il, a second surgery internship in Rochester, NY, plus a small animal surgery residency in Rochester, NY. Her professional interests include urogenital surgery, wound reconstruction, and miniature TTAs. Dr. Hackett lives in Durham with her fiancé and their three cats, Marge, Alice, and Howard.

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Dr. Marc Hirshenson grew up in Rockville, Maryland.  He received a BS in Animal Science from the University of Maryland and his DVM from Tufts University. After graduation, Dr. Hirshenson completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine, surgery, and emergency and critical care and a three-year residency in small animal surgery at Cornell University.  He then returned to Maryland where he worked as a staff surgeon at a large specialty referral practice. Away from the hospital, Dr. Hirshenson enjoys swimming, spending time outside, traveling or              catching an Orioles or Terrapins game.

INTERNAL MEDICINE SERVICE

Dr. James (Jim) Hummel is originally from the Northern Virginia area. He moved to the Triangle to attend veterinary school at NC State University (NCSU). After graduation from NCSU, he completed a small-animal rotating internship at Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and then returned to NCSU to finish a residency in internal medicine. Dr. Hummel says he chose Internal Medicine because he loves problem solving.

Away from the hospital, Dr. Hummel enjoys spending time with his three girls: Olivia, Katie, and Sophia as well as running with his labs, Finley and Fred

Emergency Service

Dr. Natalie Hughes is one of our Emergency Veterinarians and is new to the area. She is originally from Tampa, FL but moved to Columbus, OH for veterinary school where she ended up staying after graduation. She recently moved to the Triangle with her husband and German Shepherd Puppy, Leo. One of her favorite parts about veterinary medicine is initial stabilization and care for critically ill patients- which is perfect for our fast paced ER! Dr. Hughes enjoys visiting the many state parks in the area with Leo and her husband and is always looking for another way to get outdoors. One of her favorite “day off” activities is visiting new restaurants. If you end up meeting her in our Emergency Room, she is always looking for recommendations for what to see next!

Dr. Kristen Short-Haeberle has been in the veterinary field in various roles for the past 12 years. In 2022, She graduated from the University of Minnesota Veterinary School and then went into a one- year small animal rotating internship at a busy referral clinic in Boise, ID. During the internship year, she fell in love with emergency medicine. Dr. Short-Haeberle enjoys seeing the wide variety of cases that walk through the door on any given day. More importantly, she strives to be a light for the patients during what is likely one of the scariest moments in their pet’s life. 

Outside of work Dr. Short-Haeberle enjoys rock climbing, hiking, biking, and playing board games. She lives with her husband and two Golden Retrievers, Amber and Hudson. 

Dr. Joanna Wilson was born and raised on a farm in rural Kansas. Because of her love for animals, she pursued a career in veterinary medicine, graduating from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. Her initial focus was large animal medicine, but she found her calling in small animal emergency medicine. Dr. Wilson has been in emergency medicine for the last five years and is passionate about critical care, patient comfort, and helping owners understand what is happening with their loved one. She loves solving complicated problems, answering questions, and giving extra TLC to her patients. 

While not in the hospital, Dr. Wilson enjoys exploring the Triangle, reading, cooking, caring for her numerous indoor plants, and spending time with her family. She and her partner love their three beloved cats - Ili, Wednesday, and June.