Dr. Karina Ballester-Martinez
Chief of Staff
Dr. Karina Ballester is originally from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and is a native Spanish speaker. She graduated with honors from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007 and moved to our area to pursue a post doctoral fellowship at North Carolina State University, while finishing a master of public health at the University of Minnesota and working at Banfield. After finishing her studies, she decided to stay full time at Banfield and later became our Chief of Staff. Dr. Ballester is a skilled small animal surgeon and is an advocate of preventive care and nutrition. She and her fiance, Walter, have two female pit bull mixes named India and Carmen, collectively known as "the niñas", and a tabby cat named Che. When not at the hospital, Dr. Ballester enjoys traveling, exercise, and good food.
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Dr. Christina Hampton
Veterinarian
Dr. Christina Hampton is originally from upstate New York, but has also lived in Boise, ID, Salt Lake City, UT, and most recently the coastal city of Virginia Beach, VA. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Pullman, WA in 2009. Dr. Hampton, her husband, two young children and four rescue cats recently moved to the Triangle area for its beauty and family atmosphere; and also to support her husband's love of NC State athletics- Go Pack! She spends her time off at home with her family; she enjoys cooking, dangling things in front of her cats (Cadillac, Orange, Potter and Baby Buster) and watching football. Dr. Hampton has been with Banfield for 6 years and is a member of the NCVMA, AVMA and AAFP.
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Dr. Kristina Douthett
Veterinarian
Dr. Douthett graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in biology and began working for Duke Medicine in a medical laboratory. She then worked as a veterinary assistant with a Banfield in Raleigh, where she discovered her love of veterinary medicine and ultimately decided that she wanted to become a veterinarian. After completing her pre-clinical curriculum at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, she returned home to North Carolina to complete her clinical rotations at the North Carolina College of Veterinary Medicine. She also has a master's degree in animal science, and special interests in small animal surgery and internal medicine. She and her husband, Dennis, have two Shih Tzu’s, Frank and Banjo, and two cats, Winston and Abigail.
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Dr. Lindsey Neafsey
Veterinarian
Dr. Lindsey Neafsey was born and raised in Hagerstown, MD. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Bridgewater College in Virginia and proceeded to veterinary school at the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, VA. Dr. Neafsey started her career with Banfield shortly after graduating from veterinary school in 2013. She and her husband have a 2-year-old daughter, 3 dogs, 5 cats, and 3 guinea pigs. In her spare time, Dr. Neafsey likes to spend time with her family, crochet, and get lost in a good book.
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Kassi Briggs
Shift Lead
Kassi has been with Banfield since 2012. She was initially hired as a pet care assistant, and over the years has progressed into the shift lead position. She attended NC State University from 2010-2014 for animal and poultry science, and is currently enrolled in the Penn Foster Veterinary Technician program. She aspires to one day be a practice manager, and then a field director with Banfield. Kassi has two miniature dachshunds, Rocko and Zelda. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts and the movies, and good food.
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Liz Cole
Shift Lead
Liz has been a Raleigh, NC resident since she was a year old and is happy to call Raleigh home. She has always loved animals and her family always had at least 3 dogs while growing up. She decided to join the field of veterinary medicine in July 2017 by joining Banfield after spending 4 years in customer service management for a grocery store. She loves that this is an exciting new career combining her love for helping people, customer service and her love of pets. Liz has 3 cats and spoils them like crazy!
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Kerstyn Bassett
Veterinary Assistant
Kerstyn is from Enfield, CT and attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She received her bachelor's degree in animal science in 2015. After graduation, she moved to North Carolina and joined Banfield Pet Hospital. She has experience with other veterinary practices, shelter medicine and livestock. Kerstyn hopes to attend the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at North Carolina State in the future!
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Meredith Vincent
Veterinary Assistant
Meredith Vincent is originally from the small town of Emporia, Virginia, but moved to the Raleigh area in 2014 for better opportunities. She has been with Banfield Pet Hospital since April of 2016 and is currently enrolled in the Penn Foster Veterinary Technician program. She recently bought her first home with her boyfriend where they have accumulated 3 cats (Cali, McKenna, and Stella) and 3 Labrador Retrievers (Harper-black, Byerly-chocolate, and Winston-yellow). On days that she is not working or doing school work, she chooses to spend time with her pets, friends, and family. During the summer, she enjoys vacationing on a cruise ship and during the winter, she enjoys vacationing in the mountains.
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Kaitlyn Worsley
Veterinary Assistant
Kaitlyn has been working at Banfield since May of 2016. She is currently working on her bachelor's degree in animal science with a minor in agriculture business management at North Carolina State University, with plans to graduate in May 2018. She loves all animals great and small, but her focus is currently in large animals particularly horses and dairy cattle. After graduation, she plans to continue working towards her goal of becoming a farm manager and working in the agriculture sector. At home, she has Jakob the German shepherd, Wicket the grey tabby cat, Taurus the ball python, and two crested geckos, Felicks and Pawul. When she has free time, Kaitlyn enjoys being in the great outdoors, hiking with Jakob, and having Indiana Jones movie marathons.
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Shea Woodbury
Veterinary Assistant
Shea is from Charlotte, North Carolina and is attending North Carolina State University with a major in animal science and minor in creative writing. A more recent addition to the Banfield team, she hopes to gain the experience needed in her pursuit to becoming a veterinarian. Shea loves all animals but has a passion in particular for horses. She owns 18 horses, with her favorite being a 12-year-old gelding she raised from the time he was 7 months old named Cool Blue Wave. She also has 4 cats, a dog, and a fish. Beyond the veterinary field, her hobbies include fiction writing and collecting Transformers.
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Rachel Stern
Veterinary Assistant
Rachel is a New Jersey native and has been working in the veterinary field since 2010. She loves animals because they bring so much joy and enrichment to her life. In their free time, Rachel and her fiancé love to go on hikes with their dog, Trigger, as well as attend Carolina Hurricanes games!
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Abigail Puckett
Client Service Coordinator
Abigail started with Banfield in April 2015 and lives with her husband, Eric. They have a 5-year-old malanois mix named Grace, a 4-year-old shepherd mix named Yogi, a 1-year-old dachshund mix named Ellie, and a Guinea pig named Whirley. Abigail spends her free time working in the yard, playing with her dogs, and playing Call of Duty.
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