Rehabilitation
Beth Ellen McNamara, DVM
Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist
Dr. McNamara is a certified canine rehabilitation therapist who joined the PawsitivEnergy Rehabilitation Center team in 2015. Dr. McNamara received a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts and English, graduating cum laude in 1989 from Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2000 Dr. McNamara became the co-manager of the Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois, Urbana and graduated with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois in 2003. During her time in veterinary school, Dr. McNamara also completed externships at the Minnesota Raptor Center, the Bernice Barbour Wildlife Medical Center, and the Brookfield Zoo.
After returning to the Chicagoland area, Dr. McNamara worked in private practice for 8 years while maintaining her roots as a consulting wildlife veterinarian for Illinois corporations. It was her own experience with rehabilitative medicine for her dog that lead Dr. McNamara to transition to physiotherapy and she completed her certification as a canine rehabilitation therapist at the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in Wellington, Florida in 2015. Dr. McNamara especially enjoys working with geriatric patients and believes the focus of rehabilitation should be to return patients to their normal function, while managing pain and maintaining their quality of life.
Dr. McNamara resides in Oak Park with her husband, Rosie their Bernese Mountain Dog/Great Pyrenees mix, and two cats, Etta and Eleanor. An avid Chicago White Sox fan, Dr. McNamara enjoys attending sporting events, knitting and running in her free time. Dr. McNamara also remains as a board member of the Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois.
Molly Shepard, DVM, DACVAA, CCRP, cVMA
Dr. Shepard is a board-certified anesthesiologist who joined the Chicago Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center team in 2015. She is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, where she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2007. Following veterinary school, Dr. Shepard went on to complete a yearlong Rotating Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery and a three-year Residency in Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, before completing her board-certification in 2012.
In addition to her board-certification in small animal anesthesia and analgesia, Dr. Shepard is certified in both canine rehabilitation (CCRP) and veterinary medical acupuncture (cVMA). Due to her multiple certifications, Dr. Shepard will be spending time working with patients undergoing anesthesia at Chicago Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center and providing physical rehabilitation and acupuncture services at our partner facility, PawsitivEnergy Rehabilitation Center.
When not working with patients, Dr. Shepard enjoys spending time with her family and two dogs!
PawsitivEnergy Rehabilitation Center
3130 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: 773-697-7677
Fax: 773-697-7944
