Desert Ridge Animal Hospital

Meet Our Team

We pride ourselves on building long-lasting relationships with our patients and clients.

Appointment

Desert Ridge Team

The doctors at Desert Ridge Animal Hospital were recently voted the best veterinarians in the Valley by Arizona Foothills Magazine! They are supported by a devoted and experienced staff of veterinary professionals and customer care specialists. They are very honored by this award and will work for you to maintain that standard.

Furthermore, all of the doctors at our hospital are “Fear Free” certified – this means they have additional training to make each visit as stress-free as possible for your pet.

Desert Ridge doctors
veterinarians
technicians
customer service
michael

Michael Berman, DVM

Veterinarian / Owner

Before purchasing Desert Ridge Animal Hospital, Dr. Berman spent five years working in other practices in Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ. A born and raised Minnesotan, he graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Dr. Berman enjoys all aspects of veterinary care but has a particular interest in nutrition, dental care, behavior, and feline internal medicine. In 2016, Dr. Berman became the first Fear Free certified veterinarian in the state of Arizona – a philosophy he brings to all aspects of patient care for your pets here in North Scottsdale! In 2017, Dr. Berman joined the Veterinary Dentistry Academy, a select group of doctors who have completed advanced training in all aspects of oral care for dogs and cats.

When Dr. Berman isn’t at the hospital, he can often be found at home with his wife, Dr. Kitchen, and their twin boys. He hopes to add a cat or three to their family again soon.

katie

Katie Kitchen, DVM

Veterinarian / Owner

Before purchasing Desert Ridge Animal Hospital, Dr. Kitchen worked at Faust Animal Hospital in Phoenix for nearly four years. Born and raised in Arizona, she graduated from Deer Valley High School and Arizona State University West before heading up to Minnesota for vet school. This is where she met her future husband, Dr. Berman. It wasn’t hard to convince him that sunshine was better than snow, and they moved back to Arizona shortly after she graduated. Dr. Kitchen has a particular interest in behavior, nutrition, and canine internal medicine.

When not at the clinic, Dr. Kitchen enjoys spending time with her husband and the furry members of their family: Mason, an Australian Shepherd, Tworty, the tortoise, along with the pets Dr. Berman brought into the family. She also enjoys competing in agility with Mason, reading, and spending time with her twin boys.

Carrie

Carrie

Technician
Carrie was born in California but moved to Arizona when she was five and has lived here ever since. She graduated from Horizon High School before attending Yavapai College and Arizona State University. In her early twenties, Carrie started working as a receptionist at a veterinary hospital. Soon she realized she wanted to learn the skills of a technician and has been doing that ever since. Her favorite part of being a tech is building a close relationship with the clients and their pets and getting to work hands-on with dogs and cats daily.

Carrie’s human family includes her two daughters, Sarah and Julia. Their household is run by a Bullmastiff named Paisley as well as her cat called Bingo. In her free time, Carrie enjoys hiking, playing softball, and hanging out with her friends and family.

Devyn

Devyn

Technician
Devyn was born in Riverside, California but has since lived in many places, including Utah, Idaho, and now Arizona. She has always had a passion for the care and well-being of animals of all kinds and decided to leave her career in human medicine to go back to school to become a Certified Veterinary Technician. Devyn graduated with her degree in December 2015 and, after passing the state and national exams, has earned her credentials as a CVT!

When not at the animal hospital caring for your furry friends, she is usually at home being bossed around by her seven-year-old son, Cylus. They also live with their sassy cats named Malfoy and Anakin, and their three dogs, Lola, Willow, and Opie. Devyn looks forward to coming to work every day and enjoys not only getting to know the dogs and cats we care for but the owners who share her love for their animals.

Amy

Amy

Technician
Amy might be a familiar face to some; she spent her first several months with us, completing her Pima Medical Institute Veterinary Assistant externship. We’ve since hired her on as a full-time technician! She decided to stay with Desert Ridge Animal Hospital after her externship because it felt like a family. When she’s not with us, Amy likes to spend time reading and watching the Harry Potter series with her two rats, Scabbers and Dobby, and chihuahuas named Bruder and Sara.
Kortney

Kortney

Technician
Kortney started in veterinary medicine in 2018. After completing nine months in the technician assistant program and Pima Medical Institute, she came to Desert Ridge Animal Hospital as an intern. After three months here, she was hired as a permanent staff member.

Kortney shares her life at home with three dogs – a Shih Tzu named Ella, a chihuahua named Samsona, and a Belgian shepherd named Duke. In her infrequent spare moments, she enjoys eating out and traveling.

Kortney

Alexis

Technician

Alexis was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. She started her career in Veterinary Medicine originally since she thought she might want to eventually become a veterinarian. She began her career at a boarding facility and then worked for several years at Dr. Phillips Animal Hospital in Orlando. Alexis moved to Arizona to continue her education – she is currently studying forensic psychology at ASU!

Outside of work, Alexis enjoys hiking and is a total foodie! She also appreciates a good Netflix binge when possible. She has a young Heeler/Rottweiler mix named Colby.

Karly

Karly

Technician Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Karly

Alison

Technician Assistant
Bio coming soon!
Mariah

Mariah

Customer Service
Mariah was born and raised in Altadena, California. She always had a huge passion to work with animals. After being encouraged to apply to work at an Animal Hospital she fell even more in love with pets and has been working in the veterinary field ever since.

After 6 years of working in California, she packed up and moved to Arizona. She lives with her fiancé and fur baby Yeti, a blue heeler. They enjoy exploring Arizona, meeting new people, and going back home to visit family.

Monika

Monika

Customer Service
Prior to moving to Arizona near the end of 2021, Monika lived in Dallas for many years and originally grew up in the Chicagoland area. She worked at a busy veterinary hospital in Dallas for 5 years before joining our team!

Monika has an 8 year old terrier mix and a 3 year old calico tabby cat. In her free time, she enjoys rollerskating, gardening, and hiking. Her passion is to make sure animals get the treatment and care they need.