Scott Helms, DVM, DABVP - Internal Medicine
Dr. Helms graduated from North Carolina State with a BS in Zoology. In 1987, he graduated from North Carolina State’s College of Veterinary Medicine where he is a member of the Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Society. He is board-certified in Canine and Feline practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. He was a member of the executive board of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association for seven years and president of the association from 2007 to 2008. He is the author of several publications, and his research interests include feline hyperthyroidism, feline hypertension, and transdermal therapy. He resides in Morganton with his wife, two children, and a collection of pets.
Laura Haysom, DVM, DACVIM- Internal Medicine
Dr. Laura Haysom received her veterinary degree from Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. She then moved to Queensland for a year-long, rotating internship at Queensland Veterinary Specialists.
Dr. Haysom practiced as an associate doctor at a general practice before travelling to Auburn University in Alabama for a specialty internship, followed by a 3-year residency and a Master’s program. She achieved an ACVIM certification in July 2018 and has since been working in beautiful, sunny California in a private specialty practice.
Her clinical interests include endocrinology and diagnosis, and treatment of immune mediated diseases. She believes in the importance of developing strong client-patient relationships and maintaining the quality of life of her patients.
When she's not working, Dr. Haysom loves spending time with her daughter, husband, 3 dogs, and cat. The family loves traveling and are excited to explore North Carolina and the beautiful surrounds.
Gregory D. Herndon, DVM, DAVCS-SA - Surgery
Dr. Herndon was originally born in New York but grew up mainly in Virginia until he went to North Carolina State University. Upon graduating from NCSU, he spent a year at the University College Dublin, School of Veterinary Medicine in Ireland before entering the DVM program at the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine. It was during his second year in veterinary school that he decided to pursue a career in small animal surgery.
After graduation he successfully completed a small animal rotating internship at the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. Upon completion of his internship he was accepted into the small animal surgical residency program at Colorado State University, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and completed his last two years of his residency at the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine.
After completion of his residency he successfully passed his board certifying exam in small animal surgery in 2003. He has spent his career performing surgery in a private practice setting as well as some time in academia as a professor of Small Animal Surgery at the University University of Montreal, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He returned to the US in 2018 to be closer to his family.
Joseph Sawdy, DVM, MS - Emergency
Dr. Joseph Sawdy completed his training at The Ohio State University. He holds a BS in Animal Sciences, an MS in Agriculture (Muscle Biology and Protein Chemistry), and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Sawdy has a diverse veterinary background, including private practice, public health, and education. He has previously been employed in small animal practice, served as a Public Health Veterinarian with the US Department of Agriculture, and taught in a registered veterinary technician program at a local community college. Dr. Sawdy lives in Morganton with his wife, two children, dogs, cat, and several chickens. His personal hobbies include hiking, biking, camping, gardening, and home improvement.
Kamberlyn Hooper, DVM - Emergency
Dr. Kamberlyn Hooper completed her DVM at Lincoln Memorial University. She is originally from Murphy, NC which is the western most part of the state. Dr. Hooper lives in Taylorsville with her dog Rory and her cat Lane. Rory came from LMU’s shelter medicine program during Dr. Hoopers’ second year of veterinary school. Lane was found in Hickory after being hit by a car and was brought in by Good Samaritans. Dr. Hooper was on a hunt for a grey kitten for Rory and Lane fits the bill. In her free time Dr. Hooper loves to travel (mostly to the beach), binge Netflix shows and spend time with family back in Murphy. Becoming a veterinarian was Dr. Hoopers’ dream career since the age of 6. She enjoys the ever changing, fast pace feel of emergency medicine and is settling into her second year with CASE.
Elise Brower, DVM - Emergency
Dr. Elise Brower is a recent graduate from Oregon State University. Looking for adventure, she started veterinary school on the Caribbean island of Grenada at St. George's University before transferring to Oregon State in her 3rd year. It was at SGU that she was the president of the Student Chapter of the American College of Internal Medicine and enjoyed being active in several clubs.
Growing up in Nebraska, Dr. Brower volunteered at the local animal shelter where her love of caring for animals blossomed. She also participated in 4-H with her family dogs and her horse. Dr. Brower has been working throughout the many roles in veterinary medicine since she started college. Leading up to and during veterinary school, she worked in a small animal emergency clinic as a doctor's assistant that made her realize emergency medicine is her calling!
In her free time she enjoys fostering animals, going to the beach or hiking with her dog, relaxing at home with her cat, and riding her horse. She is brand new to North Carolina and can't wait to explore all it has to offer!
Steven Gregory, DVM - Emergency
Dr. Steven Gregory was born and raised in North Carolina. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences at NC State University and graduated from the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. After veterinary school, Dr. Gregory received training as a Small Animal Rotating Intern at Iowa State University. Dr. Gregory has a strong interest in emergency medicine and internal medicine. He enjoys being able help sick animals and see a variety of exciting and interesting cases.
Dr. Gregory currently has one cat that he adopted from the animal shelter during vet school, and is looking for a dog to bring into the family. His favorite hobbies include snowboarding, hiking, fishing, and traveling.
Keith Frickey, DVM - Emergency
Dr. Frickey is a native of south Louisiana’s Cajun country and a 1985 graduate of LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. He has practiced the majority of his career in Emergency/ Critical Care veterinary medicine, with a 4 year hiatus when he established, owned and operated his own primary care hospital. But he quickly realized his passion was in emergency medicine and left and eventually sold his practice. He has practiced in Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, and now North Carolina.
He and his German Shepherd, Guinness, love hiking in the mountains around western North Carolina and all the outdoor opportunities this beautiful area of the country has to offer. He also enjoys road and trail biking, camping , and fishing. He plans to continue to grow and learn as an Emergency/Critical care veterinarian for the foreseeable future and sees working with Carolina Animal Specialty and Emergency as the perfect opportunity to achieve that goal.
Heather Willis-Goulet, DVM, DACVD - Dermatology
Heather Willis-Goulet, DVM, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology is board-certified in veterinary dermatology. Since 2001, she has extensive experience in treating difficult to diagnose skin, ear, and nail conditions of the dog and cat. She received her DVM degree from the University of Florida in 2000. After graduation, she completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Louisiana State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She then returned to the University of Florida to complete a two-year dermatology residency. Dr. Willis-Goulet has a special interest in improving quality of life for allergic patients, treatment of resistant ear and skin infections, treatment of hair loss, autoimmune diseases, and in the use of sublingual immunotherapy for management of atopic patients. She has spoken nationally at the North American and Western Veterinary Conferences and has authored several articles on veterinary dermatology.
The following are the types of services Dr. Willis-Goulet can provide in the Hickory location:
- Intradermal allergy testing and management of allergic dermatitis in the dog and cat
- Medical management of otitis externa and media, including video-otoscopy
- Management of resistant infections of the skin and ears
- Diagnosis and management of autoimmune skin diseases
- Diagnosis and medical management of some skin cancers.
To refer a dermatology patient or schedule an appointment after your regular veterinarian has referred your pet, please contact the Southeast Veterinary Dermatology and Ear Clinic at (704) 588-7004. All referrals and appointments for Dr. Willis-Goulet are made through their office