Jean Meade, DVM, MD, PhD, Owner

Dr. Jean Meade, DVM, MD, PhD and a koalaJean grew up on a dairy farm in rural Virginia where her love for animals and fascination with veterinary medicine began. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from the College of William and Mary and then went on to obtain her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia and her Ph.D. in Zoology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She conducted the field studies associated with her dissertation research in the Amboseli National Park, Kenya working on a primate parasitology project involving Masai tribesmen and two species of non-human primates, baboons and vervet monkeys. She spent the last year of her Ph.D. program working in the neurobiology and behavior lab at Cornell University.

Those years working with animal behaviorists and ecologists gave her an appreciation for conservation biology and sparked her interest in wildlife biology. After graduation, she worked as an associate in a small animal practice in Richmond, Va.

In 1985, Jean bought her first practice in a small town in North Carolina, two years later she bought a second practice in Asheboro, NC.  She became very involved in the communities where she served on the Board of Directors for the Montgomery County Health Department, the Randolph County Humane Society and the American Raptor Propagation Project. She was awarded the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, Conservation Award of Merit for her volunteer work in wildlife rehabilitation. She also worked with church and scout groups educating children in the proper care and appreciation of animals.

Dr. Jean Meade, DVM, MD, PhD at workIn 1992, due to her parents’ failing health, Jean returned to Richmond, VA with the intention of starting a new practice there. As an interim position, she accepted a research faculty position at the Medical College of Virginia in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Much to her surprise, she fell in love with research and teaching and continued there while doing some relief veterinary work to maintain her clinical skills.

In 1997, she was offered a position here in Morgantown in the new Health Effects Laboratory Division of NIOSH where she became the team leader of the Immunotoxicology research group. The group’s research focuses on the effects of chemical exposure on the immune system in the areas of allergy, autoimmunity and immune suppression. She holds an adjunct faculty position at West Virginia University in the Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Cell Biology where she continues to mentor graduate students.

Once settled in Morgantown, she began looking for a mechanism to get back into clinical practice and to become involved with the Humane Society here. When the Cheat Lake Animal Hospital became available in 2000 it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. She re-opened the hospital with an associate, Dr. Julie Gibson and six months later Dr. Tom Shriver moved back to West Virginia and joined the practice! (Note: Dr. Shriver then retired in 2009.)

Jean graduated from WVU med school, retired from NIOSH in 2015, and is now very active in the management and training at CLAH. She continues to be extremely active in the community with several ongoing projects.

Jesse Fallon, DVM, MS, Owner

Jesse Fallon, DVM, MSDr. Jesse Fallon grew up on a small farm in rural central Pennsylvania. He attended Penn State University for his undergraduate education where he met his wife, Katie. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in Animal and Veterinary Science from West Virginia University in 2004, and in 2008 he graduated from veterinary school at Virginia Tech with top honors. Dr. Fallon joined Cheat Lake Animal Hospital in 2009. He and Katie live in Cheat Lake with their daughters Laurel and Cora, two dogs, two horses, conure, and frog.

Although he enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, Dr. Fallon is particularly interested in orthopedic and soft-tissue surgery. He has extensive experience in avian medicine, and has provided medical and surgical care for hundreds of species of birds, including falconry birds and birds from zoos and wildlife centers. His patients also include companion birds of all kinds, from parrots and cockatoos to chickens, ducks, and other fowl.

Dr. Fallon is Conservation Chair and West Virginia State Liaison for the Association of Avian Veterinarians and he serves as the Director of Veterinary Medicine for the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia, a non-profit organization that rehabilitates injured wild birds. In addition to clinical medicine Dr. Fallon also works in the field on several avian conservation projects and is completing a PhD in Fish and Wildlife Conservation from Virginia Tech.

Associate Veterinarians:

Marjorie Rosmarin, VMD

Dr. Marjorie Rosmarin joined the staff of the Cheat Lake Animal Hospital as a part-time veterinarian in 2009. A 2001 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, she also holds a Master’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Illinois. She brings with her years of experience treating small animals in practices in New Jersey, Delaware, and California, before moving to Morgantown.

Dr. Rosmarin sees patients on most Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. When she is not working, she spends time with her family.

Mica Partridge, DVM

Mica was born and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia, attending Wheeling Central Catholic High School prior to completing her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from West Virginia University in 2005. She then attended Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama and graduated with her DVM degree in 2009. Following graduation from veterinary school, Mica moved to Tampa, Florida where she completed a rotating internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Florida Veterinary Specialists. She then returned to West Virginia, joining the staff at the North Central West Virginia Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Fairmont, to practice emergency medicine. Mica also spent a year as an associate veterinarian at Harrison Central Veterinary Hospital in Bridgeport, WV.

Mica joined our team at Cheat Lake Animal Hospital in October of 2012. Initially she saw emergencies and performed general wellness exams; however, Mica now primarily sees emergency and urgent care cases here at the hospital. Mica is especially interested in pain management, internal medicine, and critical care. She currently lives in Morgantown with her husband Chris, sons Ryder and Brice, their boxers Jada and Arizona and their cat Loca.

Becca Stansbury, DVM

Becca is originally from Charleston, West Virginia. She attended West Virginia University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences in 2003. She graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007.

In the years following veterinary school, she moved several times, working as a veterinarian in Lexington, KY; Fairmont, WV; and, most recently, Pittsburgh, PA. Her interests in veterinary medicine include emergency medicine, geriatric care, and preventative medicine. Additionally, she recently became certified in veterinary acupuncture. She is especially interested in using acupuncture to complement Western medicine.

Outside of work, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and her two children, Isaac and Avery. The family likes to hike in the woods with their four-legged children, Maya and Bo. Additionally, Becca loves following Mountaineer football and basketball. Becca joined the staff at Cheat Lake Animal Hospital in November 2014 and is thrilled to be settled in West Virginia.

Becky Harvey, DVM (formerly Dr. Leap)

Dr. Becky Leap was born and raised in Johnstown, PA. She attended the University of Findlay in Ohio, where she received her undergraduate degree in biology in 2006. She then moved to Knoxville, TN to attend the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, where she earned parallel veterinary and public health degrees in 2010. Dr. Leap met her husband, Reid Harvey, during veterinary school.

Following veterinary school, Dr. Leap moved to Gaithersburg, MD with her husband, their four dogs and one cat, where she practiced veterinary medicine for five years. Her husband’s work brought them to Morgantown, and they took full advantage of Wild and Wonderful West Virginia by moving into a log cabin in the mountains. She is excited to be practicing at Cheat Lake and her interests include preventive medicine, internal medicine and dentistry. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, biking, and fishing with her husband.

Charles Wolfe III, DVM

Dr. Wolfe (Chuck) quickly found his love and appreciation for animals while growing up on a farm in Grindstone, PA. Throughout his life, he was active in the 4-H livestock clubs, exhibiting cattle, lambs, and pigs at both the local and state fairs.

Dr. Wolfe attended Penn State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Bioscience. After graduation, he studied at West Virginia University obtaining a Master of Science degree in Animal Science. Dr. Wolfe then completed his studies at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. Dr. Wolfe had practiced at clinics in southwestern Pennsylvania before joining the staff at Cheat Lake Animal Hospital. Even through he appreciates all areas of veterinary medicine, Dr. Wolfe enjoys performing surgery and focusing on wellness and dermatology patients.

Dr. Wolfe resides with his wife Christy, son Eli, and his 2 four legged Beagle girls, Maggie and Belle. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, cheering on Penn State football, and being in the great outdoors.

Erin Hadox, BVetMed

Dr. Erin Hadox was born and raised in Fairmont, WV. She attended Fairmont State University on a softball scholarship for 3 years then transferred to WVU for her final year while applying to vet school. She then made a big move across the pond to London, England where she earned her veterinary degree at the Royal Veterinary College and graduated in 2014.

You may remember her from when she worked at Cheat Lake for several months after graduation before working as an associate vet at Middletown Animal Clinic for 2 years. She then completed a rotating internship at Avets in PA to obtain more emergency and critical care experience before joining Cheat Lake again in November 2018. She splits her time between primary care and emergency medicine with us. Her interests include soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, oncology, pain management, and nutrition.

Dr. Hadox still lives in Fairmont with her husband, Jeremy, their 2 dogs: Arya and Jerico, and 2 cats: Hatti and Tyrion. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, playing sports, camping, spending time with friends and family, keeping up with her favorite tv shows, country music concerts, and exploring the good eats/drinks in whatever city she is in.

Kristen Hughes, DVM

Dr. Hughes, originally from New Jersey, fell in love with West Virginia during her undergraduate and masters programs at WVU. She studied Animal Physiology and Nutrition with research benefiting both human and veterinary medicine.

Dr. Hughes attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of St. Kitts and Nevis. She then pursed her clinical year at The Ohio State University. During her time in veterinary school, she gained interest in mixed animal medicine, emergency medicine, oncology, surgery, and palliative care. Dr. Hughes also thoroughly enjoys education of both clients and veterinary students. After spending time in general practice, Dr. Hughes decided that emergency medicine and it’s fast pace would be more of her passion.

During her days off, you can find her cruising on a motorcycle, kayaking, snowboarding, cheering on WVU, or hanging out with her 2 dogs Duke and Graycie.

Matt Kessler, DVM, DACLAM

Dr. Kessler earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University in 1972 and is board-certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM). From 1972-1977 he served as a Captain in the USAF Veterinary Corps first as Base Veterinarian for Kincheloe AFB, MI and then as a clinical/research veterinarian with monkeys and other animals at the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory in Pensacola, FL. It was here that he got to realize a childhood dream of “flying” at zero gravity on NASA’s “vomit comet” airplane.

In 1977, he left the military and joined the staff of the Caribbean Primate Research Center (CPRC), University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Medical Sciences Campus as its clinical veterinarian later serving as Director from 1986-1999. During 1990-1991 he also served as the Acting Director of the UPR Animal Resources Center supervising the operation of its NIAID-contracted ABSL-3 SIV AIDS research facility. During his tenure at the CPRC from 1977-2001, Dr. Kessler collaborated on numerous clinical and research studies, authored or co-authored over 135 scientific publications, edited two volumes on rhesus monkeys, and was the Principal Investigator on several NIH grants and contracts. His main research interests were naturally-occurring animal models of human diseases, epizootiology and zoonoses.

In 1979, he co-founded the Ocean Park Veterinary Clinic in San Juan at which he practiced small animal medicine and surgery part-time through 1996. Shortly after establishing this clinic, he built a computer and wrote one of the first low-cost software programs marketed for veterinary clinics.

In 1992, he co-founded Environmental Plastics of Puerto Rico, a company that until 2001 produced plastic lumber products made from 100% waste plastic, and the Caribbean Recycling Fdn.

From 2001-2002, he served as a consulting veterinarian for NIH/FDA-contractee Priority One Services, Inc. and Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia. During this period, he also practiced small animal medicine and surgery part-time at a clinic in Charlottesville.

In 2003, he was appointed Associate Director at the Center for Comparative Medicine, University of Virginia (UVA) where he worked for eight years with a large variety of laboratory animal species housed in nine state-of-the-art facilities including ABSL-3 rodent areas.

In 2011, Dr. Kessler left UVA to become the Chair of the Division of Veterinary Resources, New England Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School.

From 2013-2020, he served as the Associate Director/Clinical Veterinarian in the Office for Laboratory Animal Resources, West Virginia University (WVU).

In 2021, Dr. Kessler joined the veterinary staff of the Cheat Lake Animal Hospital in Morgantown.

In addition to clinical, research, administrative and management experience, Dr. Kessler has served on the animal care committees of almost every institution at which he has worked and is familiar with AAALAC-accredited programs/accreditation standards involving the care and use of laboratory animals. He served as an ad hoc specialist for AAALAC from 2015-2018. He has also helped and supported various humane societies in Puerto Rico and VA. Dr. Kessler has taught laboratory animal science classes at the UPR Veterinary Technician Program (AVMA-accredited, 4-year program), UVA and WVU, and mentored numerous veterinarians and technicians during his career. He served as a guest co-editor for the American Journal of Primatology’s January 2016 special issue on the 75th anniversary of the Cayo Santiago rhesus monkey colony in which he authored or co- authored five scientific articles. His hobbies include wildlife photography, model trains and computers.

Dr. Kessler is married to Ava Gaa Ojeda, a former herpetologist, human reproductive biologist, science and Spanish teacher, and watercolor artist. They have two sons who graduated from WVU in 2018 and 2019, and adopted cats.

Lindsey Elswick, DVM


  • Dr. Lindsey Elswick grew up in Princeton, West Virginia. She attended West Virginia University and earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal and Nutritional Sciences in 2015. She worked as a veterinary assistant for 2 years prior to pursuing her DVM degree. From there, she attended veterinary school at Mississippi State University and graduated in 2021. During veterinary school, Dr. Elswick had the opportunity to travel to South Africa and work with native wildlife. She focused her studies on exotic animal medicine and externed with many great specialists in the field. Her passion in veterinary medicine is for all things exotic, but reptiles are her favorite! She hopes to one day specialize in exotic companion mammal and reptile/amphibian medicine. Her special interests include reptile care and husbandry, soft tissue surgery in exotic species, preventive care, and enrichment for all species. She looks forward to meeting your scaley, furred, and feathered companions!

    Dr. Elswick shares her home with a myriad of pets, including an Argentine tegu, a Burmese python, dart frogs, 4 cats and 2 ferrets! In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, exploring the beauty of West Virginia, reading, catching up on her favorite TV shows, and tending to all her pets.

Abigail Bassett, DVM

  • Dr. Abby Bassett is originally from Pine Grove, West Virginia. She attended West Virginia University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Animal and Nutritional Sciences in 2018. She worked as a receptionist and kennel attendant at Cheat Lake Animal Hospital for 2 years during undergrad.

    Dr. Bassett graduated from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2022. During her time in veterinary school, she gained interest in small animal medicine, exotic medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine, and surgery. Her passion in veterinary medicine is emergency and feline medicine. She hopes to one day specialize in feline medicine.

    Her interests include sports, reading, traveling, and catching up on favorite TV shows. During her days off, you can find her cheering on WVU or relaxing and traveling with her family. She has two cats, Kahlua and Corona, and one dog, Nova. However, she is always looking to add four more paws to the family.

MIsty Walsh, DVM

Dr. Misty Walsh was born and raised here in Morgantown, WV. She attended West Virginia university for her undergraduate where she obtained a degree in animal and nutritional sciences and a minor in business. During this time, she worked as a veterinary assistant at CLAH to help gain knowledge in the field and find her passion for emergency medicine. She went on to graduate from Mississippi State University in May of 2021 as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Walsh has 3 cats; Tang Bang, Kiara, and Danny Devito. When she’s not working on overnights, she enjoys being outdoors, napping, doing yoga, going to concerts, spending time with friends and family, and watching movies curled up with her kitties. 

Hannah Abbott, DVM

Dr. Hannah Abbott moved all the way out from the Rocky Mountain West to West Virginia to join the CLAH team. Originally from South eastern Idaho, she received her bachelors of science in biology from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2018.  She then moved to Pullman, WA to attend Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she earned her DVM in 2023.

During her work experience before and during veterinary school, she really gained a love for small ruminant medicine and preventative/wellness, palliative, and integrative medicine. Veterinary school furthered these passions but also peaked her interest in soft tissue surgery, cardiology, and emergency medicine. She hoped to find a clinic that could provide a mixture of all of her passions, and CLAH was a great fit for her. She is looking forward to getting to know the greater Morgantown area and people, and provide care for their pets.

Dr. Abbott made the move out to WV to join her partner, Sam, as he completes his MD residency at Ruby Memorial Hospital. They share their new home with their dog, David Rose, and cat, Josh. In her free time, Hannah enjoys being mostly outside doing a slew of outdoor activities like trail running, rock climbing, biking, skiing, and camping. She also enjoys great food and indie folk/country music. She is eager to explore WV and more parts of the eastern US.

Amanda McWreath, DVM, MS

Dr. Amanda McWreath was born and raised in Washington, Pennsylvania, and she fell in love with the state of West Virginia during her time as an undergraduate student. She received dual-degrees in Exercise Physiology and Animal and Nutritional Science from West Virginia University in 2016 and also played for the WVU Women’s Soccer Team (Let’s Go Mountaineers!). As an undergraduate, she worked as a veterinary assistant at Cheat Lake Animal Hospital and volunteered with the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia (ACCA) as well as the Hearts of Gold Service Dog Program. She then went on to receive her master’s degree in Animal Physiology from WVU in 2018 before moving across the country to attend the University of California – Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where she earned her DVM in 2023. Dr. McWreath enjoys exploring all aspects of veterinary medicine, though she is especially interested in soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, wildlife rehabilitation, and One Health.

 

Dr. McWreath returns to Cheat Lake with her husband, Evan, who works in wildlife conservation and environmental consulting, as well as their 2 dogs, Daisy and Otter, and their cat, Lou. Outside of the hospital, Dr. McWreath enjoys exploring the outdoors, traveling, playing soccer and pickleball, listening to live music, and spending time with family and friends.