Intensivets provides online training in veterinary emergency and critical care medicine. Its first online course was released in 2018, Veterinary Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Intensivets is a women-owned small business, co-founded by Dr. KimMi Whitehead and Dr. Carey Hemmelgarn.
Dr. Whitehead grew up in Seoul, Korea. She completed her undergraduate studies at Wellesley College before beginning graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, where she earned her veterinary degree in 2010. After completing a one year internship at Animal Surgical Emergency Center in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Whitehead entered a three year residency in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine at Oradell Animal Hospital, a specialty/emergency referral hospital in Paramus, New Jersey. This is where she met her resident mate, future Intensivets co-founder, Dr. Carey Hemmelgarn. Dr. Whitehead is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (DACVECC) and currently works as a criticalist at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware. Her special areas of interest include gastrointestinal dsymotility in critical care and polytrauma.
Beyond veterinary medicine, Dr. Whitehead speaks Korean, English and beginner French. She loves traveling, playing the cello, eating spicy foods and hiking with her family. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, two fluffy dogs, Penny Lane and Eleanor Rigby, and one very bossy cat, Sookie.
Dr. Hemmelgarn became a co-founder of Intensivets after meeting Dr. Whitehead during their emergency critical care residency where they bonded over their love for this profession. As an experienced criticalist, Dr. Hemmelgarn is currently working in Brooklyn, New York at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners and was previously working as a medical director in a large specialty/referral hospital in New Jersey. Dr. Hemmelgarn likes the fast pace of emergency and critical care medicine and that her day can change on a moment’s notice. Her particular clinical interests include poly-trauma and septic patients.
Dr. Hemmelgarn grew up in Utah where she completed her undergraduate degree at Utah State University. She completed her veterinary degree in Pullman, Washington at Washington State University. She went on to pursue a one year small animal rotating internship at Garden State Veterinary Specialists followed by a three year emergency critical care residency at Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, NJ. This is where Dr. Hemmelgarn and Dr. Whitehead met and started the planning for Intensivets. Dr. Hemmelgarn has published two papers on the pathophysiology and treatment of Heat Stroke in small animal patients.
When not working Dr. Hemmelgarn likes running and spending time outdoors. She has completed multiple half marathons and the NYC marathon in 2014. Married to another veterinarian, she and her husband have an active lifestyle and enjoy traveling. The Hemmelgarn household is home to a number of animals. Louie, a Rottweiler, was ring bearer in their wedding and is always up for family adventures like hiking, swimming at the beach and stand-up paddle boarding. Louie shares the house with three cats: Griffyn the old man of the house, Elli the shy quiet type and Iggy the bottle baby with an attitude.
