Improving communication between specialists and primary care clinicians

Dr. Bergman is the Director of Clinical Studies for VCA. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the principal veterinary investigator for the canine melanoma vaccine (Oncept®), which was fully licensed in 2009. Prior to Dr. Bergman joining VCA, he served as the Chief Medical Officer for BrightHeart Veterinary Centers from 2007 to 2011. From 1999 – 2007 he was the head of the Donaldson-Atwood Cancer Center of The Animal Medical Center in New York. After finishing veterinary school from Colorado State University (CSU) in 1990, he was an intern at Kansas State University (‘90-‘91) and returned to CSU for his medical oncology residency (‘91-‘94). Dr. Bergman then completed a PhD Fellowship in human cancer biology from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas (‘94-‘99). He was previously Chair of the ACVIM Board of Regents and President of the Veterinary Cancer Society.

Craig A. Clifford, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), is a medical oncologist and director of BluePearl Pet Hospital in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Dr. Clifford earned his DVM from Mississippi State University and his MS in animal science/virology from University of Delaware. He also completed an internship and a medical oncology residency at University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Clifford serves as an advisory board member with both industry and nonprofit foundations. He has authored and coauthored numerous articles and book chapters.

Fred Wininger, VMD, MS, DACVIM (Neurology), originally from New Jersey, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine. After completing a small animal rotating internship at the University of Georgia, he finished his neurology/neurosurgery residency at Washington State University. There he developed a love for neuroimaging and the development of a novel neuronavigation device. After joining the faculty at the University of Missouri, he applied these interests to develop therapies for both animals and children with the rare neurodegenerative disorder known as Batten disease (neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis) and was awarded the young investigator award by the Batten Disease Support & Research Association for his work. He then moved to St Louis, Missouri, where he practiced for several years and developed the first hybrid private practice/academic neurology residency program, which continues today.

He currently practices at Charlotte Animal Referral & Emergency in North Carolina. In addition to his clinical and teaching responsibilities, Wininger owns and operates 3D Veterinary Printing, LLC, which creates anatomic models and customized surgical tools to aid veterinary surgeons and neurosurgeons around the world. He also is the founding treasurer of the Veterinary Neurosurgical Society, an active member of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and adjunct professor for the University of Missouri. In his spare time, Wininger enjoys scuba diving, endurance sports, and exploring new places through their food.