Our Team!
Our mission is to provide genuine care, comfort, and high quality veterinary medicine for our clients and patients. We pledge to provide the finest client services, a kind word, and a "can-do" attitude in all of our communication.
The professional, courteous staff at Westwood Hills Animal Hospital seeks to offer every pet the complete care they need, with the highest level of service possible.
We're committed to promoting responsible pet ownership, preventative health care, and health-related educational opportunities for our clients
The professional, courteous staff at Westwood Hills Animal Hospital seeks to offer every pet the complete care they need, with the highest level of service possible.
We're committed to promoting responsible pet ownership, preventative health care, and health-related educational opportunities for our clients
Dr. Henn, DVM & Practice owner - 20 years in practice
Dr. Henn lived on a hobby farm growing up and was very attached to the cats. If you were looking for her, she could often be found reading a book and cuddling some kittens. Unfortunately, her parents never took their animals to the vet, and she would feel so helpless when they were sick. Dr. Henn didn't like that helpless feeling, and when she was trying to find her path in life, she decided to become a veterinarian so she would never be unable to take care of her animals again. This is a perfect fit for her, since she also has a love of science, math, and record keeping. She still likes solving problems, helping people take the best care of their pets, and has a soft spot for cats. Dr. Henn majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry at Central Michigan University and graduated summa cum laude in 1997. She graduated first in her class at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001. She has been practicing small animal medicine and surgery exclusively since graduation. She started working at Westwood Hills Animal Hospital part time in 2007 and purchased the practice in 2018. She has three wonderful children, a houseful of rescued pets (dogs, cats, and a rabbit). She loves to paint watercolors, read, travel, and relax with Yin yoga. |
Dr. Barczak, DVM - 8 years in practice
Dr. Barczak grew up in Byron Center, Michigan surrounded by all sorts of pets. At one point her family had 5 cats, 4 dogs, 2 birds, a horse and a goat. Her family also bred Boxers which was a great learning experience for her. Her family was never surprised to see her with some sort of creature she was trying to rehabilitate, from turtles, snakes, to squirrels. She loved being surrounded by animals and knew from a young age that she wanted to be a Veterinarian. She received her Bachelors of Science Degree with a major in Veterinary Medicine in 2010 from Michigan State University and graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. Since graduation, she has worked exclusively in small animal medicine and enjoys preventative care, surgery, and establishing relationships with her clients and their pets. Dr. Barczak is married to her high school sweetheart and has 2 young children, a 3.5 year old daughter and 1.5 year old son. They have 2 cats, Izzy and Cayman, and 2 dogs, a 7 year old Doberman named Jade and 10 year old cocker spaniel mix named Mailey. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and finding new experiences to enjoy with her kids. She loves being outdoors, especially in the summer, traveling, and having movie nights with her husband. |
Dr. Grimes- 8 years in practice
Dr. Chelsea Grimes originally hails from Metro Detroit (West Bloomfield, MI). Her husband’s career brought her family to the west side of the state in 2019 and she is excited to be living and working in west Michigan so she can explore the natural beauty and enjoy the entertaining events that the greater Grand Rapids area has to offer (she always welcomes your suggestions that should be on the list of "must-do"/"must-see" west MI experiences).She graduated "With Honors" and the highest GPA of her program at Michigan State University's Lyman Briggs College with a bachelor of science degree in Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics (2008). She then went on to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University graduating in 2013 with a DVM degree along with the classmates that she led for four years as the class co-president. After graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Grimes extended her veterinary knowledge with a rigorous, one year small animal rotating internship at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Fishers, Indiana. Here, Dr. Grimes completed rotations working alongside board certified veterinarians specializing in: neurology, oncology, emergency care, radiology, ophthalmology, dermatology, surgery and internal medicine. Upon completion of her internship, Dr. Grimes returned to her home state of Michigan working at first as an associate veterinarian in Metro Detroit and then later in the greater Grand Rapids area. Dr. Grimes cherishes being a general practitioner as it allows her to dabble in many areas of veterinary medicine. In particular, she enjoys helping to improve the quality of life of pets with dermatological issues and welcomes the challenge of managing internal medicine illnesses such as Cushing’s disease, diabetes mellitus, thyroid abnormalities, and kidney insufficiency (especially when there is the complex combination of several conditions to juggle!). Outside of the hospital, Dr. Grimes loves spending time with her family (especially at the beach or any other outdoor adventure!), snowboarding in the western mountains of the United States, boating/water sports, and reading. As a former gymnast and diver she also enjoys pilates and yoga exercises. Dr. Grimes is thrilled to be an associate veterinarian at Westwood Hills Animal Hospital where she has the opportunity to practice a high quality of medicine alongside a collaborative group of colleagues. She is looking forward to developing the trust of long term clients/patients and working with you to maintain the health of your cherished four legged companion(s) so that the bond between owner and pet can continue to flourish! 
|
Theresa, LVT - 13 years in practice
Theresa is a Licensed Veterinary Technician and earned her degree from Baker College in 2008. She has been working here for 10 years and has a passion for dentistry. She looks forward to coming to work every day because each day is never the same, there are so many great parts of being a licensed vet tech, and the clients and pets are amazing. Theresa’s free time involves being a mom and a wife, she has two daughters, a three year old and a one and a half year old. Her goals are to raise a happy, healthy family and enjoy life to its fullest. She also enjoys getting outside to play sports, hanging out with family and friends and spending time at the cottage. Bandit is her only pet, he is a 4 year old shorkie (shih tzu/yorkie mix). He is quite spoiled and is lucky enough to come to work every day! 
Sam, B.S. - 6 years in practice
Sam is a veterinary assistant and earned her Bachelors of Science with a veterinary emphasis in 2017. She worked at the Humane Society of West Michigan in animal care for 4 years, and has been working here for over 4 years now. She is very passionate about working with shelter animals and helping them find their forever home. Some of her main interests include animal behavior, safe, fear free animal handling/interaction, and working with our in-house diagnostic equipment. She loves coming to work and getting to form a relationship with the many different types of clients and pets we see everyday. For Sam, her goals are to continue pursuing an education in veterinary medicine and animal behavior, and to go on more traveling adventures! In her free time she enjoys relaxing at home with her dog - Java, reading whatever she can get her hands on, going to the movies, and of course - going out dancing! |
Jen, Veterinary Receptionist - 17 years in practice
Jen's passion for animals started when she was a little girl. Jen was always bringing stray animals home and helping any animal in need. She has currently been working with animals for 17 years now, from grooming to working at veterinary clinics. She finds the greatest joy being able to help pets and their owners, and she enjoys creating relationships with the pets and their owners. Jen is newly married with 2 wonderful step daughters. They have 2 dogs - a senior Boxer and Boxer puppy, and 1 cat who is also a senior. She strives to continue her education in veterinary care, and would one day love to go back to school to become a Veterinary Technician. She enjoys educating clients on the importance of spaying and neutering. In her spare time she enjoys camping, going to her cottage, softball, and most importantly spending time with her family. |
Tori, Veterinary Assistant, 5 years in practice
Tori is a veterinary assistant that has been working with animals for a little over 5 years. Tori's favorite thing about working in veterinary medicine is the bond that she gets to form with pets and their owners. Tori enjoys using our in-house diagnostic lab equipment, and she is looking forward to expanding her skills and knowledge while she is here with us. Her animal crew at home includes - four large breed dogs, two cats, Scamper and Drumstick and finally an African Spurred Tortoise named Buddy. In her spare time, she likes to take trips to the beach to walk on the pier, and she loves spending as much time with family as possible. She loves the idea of traveling and plans to do more in her future. |
Nikole, LVT - 7 years in practice
Nikole is a Licensed Veterinary Technician, earning her Veterinary Technology degree from Baker College in 2009. She eventually returned to school and graduated with a psychology degree in 2014 from Grand Valley State University. She worked with at-risk youth for the next five years before deciding to return to veterinary medicine. She joined Westwood Hills after making use of both her veterinary and social work skills at the Kent County Animal Shelter. Her happy little family includes two cats: Albert, who despises paparazzi and refuses to be photographed, and Agador, who is an expert cuddler (unlike his brother), and is a total attention hog. Nikole has a passion for wildlife and increasing diversity in the veterinary field. In her spare time, she teaches women’s self-defense and often visits family in Chicago. |
Cathy, Veterinary Receptionist, 2 years in practice
Cathy has been in the veterinary field as a receptionist for 2 years now, with hopes to learn more of the technical side of things in the near future. After raising her family while working from home, she was more than excited to make her transition into the veterinary world. This was the perfect way to combine her love for animals, and desire to connect with pets and their owners. Cathy was born and raised in Omaha, NE, but has lived in Michigan now for 10 years. She loves to spend time with her family and friends whenever she can. She loves movies and can’t wait to actually go to theaters again. Music has been a huge part of her life since she can remember. She loves almost every kind of music, so long as the song has good lyrics! Cathy and her family adopted their dog, Gable, from a rescue shelter when he was nine months old after being a sole survivor of a tornado that destroyed his shelter in the south. He is now 3-year-old and getting braver and braver with every day. They have been told he is multiple different breeds in the time they have had him, but whatever he actually is, he is perfect for their family. |
