Our Veterinarian Team

Medical Director

Dr. Claudia Sims received her DVM degree from The Ohio State University in 1988, graduating a member of the veterinary honor society Phi Zeta. Originally from Ohio, she came to North Carolina for her undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She moved to Greensboro in 1988 to begin her veterinary career.

Dr. Sims and Dr. Mitchell began working together in 1989 and together opened North Elm Animal Hospital in 2000. She loves the diversity of veterinary medicine and following her patients through their entire lives. She is married to John Vine, and has a rescue dog named Schkippy and an entertaining Jack Russel named Rosie . In her free time she loves cycling, yoga, running and travel.

Dr. Matthew Borgmann’s relationship with North Elm Animal Hospital began in 2005 when he was in high school and started working as an assistant after school and on weekends. He feels very fortunate to have started in such a great practice.

Dr. Borgmann attended North Carolina State University earning a bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Animal Science. He graduated from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015 as a member of the Veterinary Honor Society Phi Zeta. After graduation, Dr. Borgmann returned to North Elm Animal Hospital as a veterinarian and has been thrilled to realize that he remembers many of the patients and families from his time working as an assistant.

Dr. Borgmann is married and has three dogs, a senior citizen black lab, Buck, and two puppies, a beagle named Poppy and a Boykin spaniel named Bo. In his spare time, he also enjoys bicycling, fishing, and reading.

Bastian Parsons hails from Salt Lake City, Utah, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Modern Dance. She came to Greensboro via New York City and Chicago, and attended veterinary school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She graduated in 2014 as a member of Phi Zeta.

Dr. Parsons comes with companion animal general practice and emergency experience. Some of her medical interests include soft tissue surgery, ultrasound, and pain management, and while no owner wants to have an extremely ill pet, she enjoys the opportunity to help stabilize critical emergencies. Dr. Parsons is excited to join the North Elm team.

The Parsons family consists of Bastian, her wife (another Dr. Parsons), who is a professor of history at UNCG, a raucous preschooler, an equally raucous toddler, and two very patient, affectionate cats. Her hobbies these days largely include uproarious laughter at 4-year-old logic, mindfulness meditation, hiking, and wrangling little kid bodies in one direction or another. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dr. Mariana Reyes grew up in the small suburb of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania with her parents, sister and two brothers and family beagles, Chester and Rusty. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Spanish in 2013 from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. Afterwards, she moved to Chicago to begin her journey towards veterinary school, where she obtained a post-baccalaureate degree in Medical Sciences from Dominican University in 2015 while working as a veterinary technician. She then had a brief but amazing experience as a vet tech in Bozeman, Montana before starting veterinary school.

Dr. Reyes had the pleasure to attend St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of Grenada, West Indies. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in June 2021 and was a member of the Veterinary Honor Society Phi Zeta. While in veterinary school, Dr. Reyes had a passion for the One Health One Medicine initiative and organized free health clinics for the island communities of Grenada and their pets.

Dr. Reyes was excited to move to Raleigh in 2020 and complete her clinical year of veterinary school at North Carolina State University. She grew fond of North Carolina and is happy to be able to set some roots here. She looks forward to starting her career at North Elm Animal Hospital and becoming a part of the community in Greensboro!

In her spare time, Dr. Reyes enjoys trying new restaurants and breweries, reading autobiographies, binging true crime documentaries, rooting for the Indianapolis Colts and Notre Dame football teams and hiking with her goofy and loyal dog, Mr. Feeny.

Practice Manager

Bess began her journey in the veterinary field at the age of 18, when she joined her first vet hospital, working as a vet assistant for several years. She then joined North Elm Animal Hospital in the summer of 2008 and spent 13 years at the front desk as a CSR. This is where she learned of her passion for excellent patient care, as well as her desire to be a support person for our clients as well as the people she worked with. Bess took over as associate practice manager in October 2020, and in July 2021, became North Elm’s practice manager. Her values as a leader include compassion, flexibility, and connection. She truly believes that having a staff that feels included and supported in the work they do every day, will lead to the best client and patient service possible. When she is not working alongside the great team at North Elm, Bess enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, as well as spending time with her twin sister Alice. Her long-term goal is to continue contributing to the improvement of an already fantastic vet clinic.