Meet 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

Dr. Sharon Henn
​Practice Owner - 22 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. Chelsea Grimes
Associate Veterinarian - 10 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.
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.  ​Outside of the hospital, Dr. Grimes loves spending time with her family (especially at the beach or any other outdoor adventure!), snowboarding, 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!

Dr. Jennifer Barczak
Associate Veterinarian - 10 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 6 year old daughter and 4 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. Aimee Cochell
Associate Veterinarian - 10 years in practice

Dr. Aimee Cochell is the newest associate to our hospital. Though new as an associate she has provided relief services to Westwood Hills Animal Hospital for many years and she has worked as a small animal veterinarian in the Grand Rapids area since 2004. Prior to that, she worked in a mixed animal practice in the Northeastern corner of Ohio. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2001, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan in 1994.
Her professional interests include: soft tissue surgery, small animal internal medicine and ultrasonography. Born in the eastern suburbs of Detroit, she is happy to be back in Michigan. She moved back to Michigan to be close to family and the Great Lakes. She lives with her husband, Joshua Stickney and their sons Benjamin and Alexander in Jenison. Their small fur family includes: Shiloh, a true Golden Retriever angel; Rocket, Aimee’s running and paddle sports companion is a JRT/Japanese Chin mix; Hazel, the most serious of fluffy felines and various fish and other small things not smart enough to elude Alex. Dr. Cochell enjoys HIIT and weight lifting classes online, running, hiking, camping, swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking (anything water related really), traveling and reading. She also enjoys
spending time with her kids though it’s hard to say if the feeling is mutual as they are teenagers.

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Theresa, LVT - 15 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 and one son. 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 5 year old shorkie (shih tzu/yorkie mix). He is quite spoiled and is lucky enough to come to work every day!

      Sam, B.S., LVT -  9 years in practice

Sam is a Licensed Veterinary Technician and earned her Bachelors of Science with a veterinary emphasis from GVSU in 2017. She worked at the Humane Society of West Michigan in animal care for 4 years, and has been working at Westwood for over 6 years now. Some of her main interests include animal behavior, surgery, and veterinary dentistry. 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 her education in veterinary medicine 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, video games, and of course - going out dancing! 

Sue, LVT -  9 years in practice

Sue is a Licensed Veterinary Technician and earned her degree from Sandford Brown College in 2013. Before coming into the veterinary field she worked as a Recreation Therapist for over 20 years. Sue decided she needed a change, and with her love for animals her next step was to become a veterinary technician. Sue has been in this field for close to 8 years now. A few things Sue enjoys is reading, walking, biking, being outdoors, and wildlife watching. Her favorite moments are the times she spends with her husband and German Shepherd, Ivy Rose. ​

      Amber, LVT - 4 years in practice

Amber is a Licensed Veterinary Technician and graduated from Baker College in 2019. Growing up she had a love for animals, and when her childhood dog was diagnosed with cancer, she decided she wanted to make a difference by working with animals. Amber was born and raised just outside of Grand Rapids, MI, where she grew up participating with her in 4-H with her dog and horse. She currently resides in Grand Rapids with her partner, Tom, two rescue cats: Wren & Roo, and Anatolian Shepherd mix, Reshi. She enjoys hiking, computer games, music, and taking naps with her critters. ​

          Kaytlin, LVT - 7 years in practice

Kaytlin is a Licensed Veterinary Technician, earning her Veterinary Technology degree from Baker College in 2016, and has been in the field for 7 years. She has always known she wanted to work with animals, and being a veterinary technician combines her love of animals with her love of learning. She currently has a cat named Hobbes, whose favorite hobbies are bird-watching from the window and sleeping in all of the sunny spots. During her free time, she enjoys reading, hammocking, and playing table top games with family and friends. ​​

Tori, Veterinary Assistant - 9 years in practice

​Tori is a veterinary assistant that started working in this field in 2014. Her favorite thing about working in veterinary medicine is the bond she gets to form with pets and their owners. Tori enjoys using our in-house diagnostic lab equipment and will admit to loving the pop of an abscess or cyst. She feels that while she has been with our clinic she has grown as a vet assistant and has built more knowledge on vet medicine. Her animal crew at home includes her four large breed dogs, Koda, Kubbie, Zazu and Willow, and her old man cat, Scamper. In her spare time you can find her at an indoor or outdoor park with her 2 year old son and spending her time with her family. Her biggest dream is to eventually travel to Botswana.

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                 Kaylee, Veterinary Assistant - 2 years in practice

​                  Casey, Veterinary assistant - 6 years in practice

Kaylee is a Veterinary Assistant, and she earned her Veterinary Assistant certificate from Ross in 2021. Kaylee has wanted to work with animals ever since she was 8 years old. Her first pet at that time was a bird named Jem. She currently has two pets - a cat named Ash, and a Shih Tzu/Pomeranian mix named Taz. Her interest at work include assisting in surgery, caring for hospitalized patients, diagnostic equipment, and performing cytologies.  Kaylee loves coming to work and getting the chance to form relationships with clients/pets, and she loves to learn new things everyday! Outside of work, Kylee loves hamocking, hiking, going to the beach, reading, and loving on her two furbabies, Taz and Ash.  Kaylee's future goals are to go back to school to earn a Veterinary Technician degree, and to continue doing educational seminars to in turn, better educate clients. ​

Casey is a veterinary assistant and has been in the field for 6 years. She has always had a passion for animals but it really peaked her interest when she was surprised with her first dog, Ella who is an 11 year old Australian Shepherd. She also has two long cats named Lily and Lola who love to eat and cuddle. Casey enjoys coming to work because she learns something new everyday! Casey is also a licensed cosmetologist and does hair on the side for family and friends. Outside of work, Casey enjoys spending time with her husband, going to the beach, and traveling.

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