Welcome to the Practice of Drs. Feroli, Mella, Pedreira, Roseman & DeSouza
It is our goal to provide high quality medical care as well as the availability and services most patients’ desire. Dr. Feroli, Dr. Mella, and Dr. Pedreira started this practice in 1968. While an independent practice has been maintained, we were selected for affiliation with Children’s National Medical Center in 1998.
Meet the Doctors
- Edward J. Feroli, MD, FAAP - (more)
- Gordon W. Mella, MD, FAAP - (more)
- Frank A. Pedreira, MD, FAAP - (more)
- Laura B. Roseman, MD, FAAP - (more)
- Dinea DeSouza, MD, FAAP - (more)
- Carol Ann B. McHugh, MD, FAAP - (more)
- Monika Woods, MD, FAAP - (more)
- Candace Tesch, MD - (more)
About Our Practice
Office Hours/Location
We have two offices – one located in Gaithersburg and one in Germantown. There are nine pediatricians in our practice, all board certified in pediatrics, and a master’s prepared nurse practitioner with over 20 years of experience. Our group has been repeatedly cited in the Washingtonian Magazine’s listing of best pediatricians in the Washington metropolitan area. We have educated Pediatric Residents, taught at Children’s National Medical Center where we received an award for academic excellence, published medical articles, authored clinical textbooks, and hold leadership positions at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and Children’s National Medical Center. Two of our doctors also specialize in infectious disease. Three of our doctors have been named Pediatrician of the Year by the Montgomery County, P.G. County Pediatric Society and all three have also been named as a TOP DOCTOR by the Washingtonian magazine.
19251 Montgomery Village Avenue, #F10
Montgomery Village, MD 20886
Phone: 301-926-3633
Office Hours:
Monday: 8:30 am-12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Tuesday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Wednesday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Thursday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Friday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Important Phone Numbers
Appointments: 301-926-3633
Medical Questions: 301-926-3633
Billing Questions: 301-926-3633
Emergency/Poison Control: 800-492-2414
19501 Doctors Drive
Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: 301-540-0555
Office Hours:
Monday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Tuesday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Wednesday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Thursday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Friday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Important Phone Numbers
Appointments: 301-540-0555
Medical Questions: 301-540-0555
Billing Questions: 301-926-3633
Emergency/Poison Control: 800-492-2414
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Our Philosophy and Culture
Drs. Feroli, Mella, Pedreira, Roseman & DeSouza, provide high quality medical care, as well as the availability and services parents desire. With 7 board-certified pediatricians (one also certified in pediatric infectious diseases) and two certified pediatric nurse practitioners, our practice offers a wide range of expertise. We deliver optimal care to the children entrusted to us, by treating patients/patient families with respect, kindness, gentleness and humor. Our care is designed to help infants, children and adolescents successfully function within their environments at home, school or play.
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Our Services
We provide expert care from two convenient locations. Our main office, containing our billing and insurance departments, is located in Montgomery Village in the Gaithersburg area. Our second office located in Germantown, MD is a smaller satellite facility. Our practice offers the following services:
- allergy shot clinic
- Saturday morning office hours (sick children only)
- state and federal licensed laboratory
- eye testing
- ear testing
- nebulizations for asthmatics
- full-service emergency room
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Our History
Our group has been located in Montgomery Village for 35 years. We have been cited in the Washingtonian Magazine's listing of best pediatricians in the Washington area, to include the April 1999 issue. One of our members was named Pediatrician of the Year in 1998 by the Montgomery County Pediatric Society. Though an independent practice, we have been selected for affiliation with Children's National Medical Center.
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Accepted Health Plans
At Drs. Feroli, Mella, Pedreira, Roseman & DeSouza, we participate in many managed care plans and see patients with traditional insurance. Many plans require that you make a copayment at the time of your visit. To make it as easy as possible for you, we accept cash, checks, and most major credit cards at our offices.
Some insurance plans may require that you get authorization from them before you visit us. Since this differs by plan, please check with your insurance company so you can receive complete benefits from your coverage. We also have trained in-house specialists who can answer many of your insurance questions.
Our practice participates with the following plans. To find out if a particular physician or clinician participates with your plan, please contact our office or your insurance company.
- Adventist Health Net
- Aetna US Healthcare
- Alliance
- America's Health Plan
- Care First BlueCross BlueShield of MD
- Care First BlueCross BlueShield of NCA
- Beech Street PPO
- Capital Care
- CCN-Community Care Network
- Champus (Tricare)
- Children's Hospital Employee Health; FCE Benefit Admin
- Children's National Health Network: CAPP Care; USA Health Network
- Cigna: HMO; PPO
- Community Care Ntwk PPO
- EHP
- GEHA (Alliance)
- George Washington University Health Plan
- Johns Hopkins Employer Health Plan
- MD-IPA / Optimum Choice
- Multiplan
- NCPPO
- PHCS
- Preferred Health Network HMO
- Premier Health Network
- Principal PPO (Healthcare Preferred Coventry)
- Prudential Health Care: HMO; PPO; POS
- United Health Care : HMO; PPO
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Appointments and Calls
For routine well check-ups, you may select any physician or nurse practitioner which you prefer. For illness, we will try to grant you your preference if that particular provider is available. In our practice we have parents that stay with one or two doctors or see any provider in our practice. The choice is up to you. Most of the doctors rotate to both offices but some physicians are in one office more than the other. We encourage patients to use primarily one office but on occasion it may be necessary to use the other office. Pertinent information will then be faxed between offices.
If you deliver at Shady Grove or Holy Cross Hospital, the hospital automatically notifies our group when your baby is born. If it is an uncomplicated delivery one of us will examine your baby the following morning and talk with you about infant care. If any problem occurs or is anticipated, a neonatologist (specialist in newborns) will examine the infant shortly after birth and render treatment as needed. Serious problems with a newborn are relatively rare but it is reassuring to have neonatologists available at both Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital. Unless your infant has a short stay, we would examine your baby a second time before discharge. The doctor will instruct you on when to bring your baby in for their first office visit – usually in the first week of life.
Our office hours are 8:30-5:00 in both offices Monday through Friday. In Gaithersburg, we have Saturday morning hours for sick children only. Please call in the morning if you feel your child needs to be seen. When we are closed (evenings, part of the weekend, and holidays) a physician from our practice takes calls until 11:00 p.m. on weekdays and 6:00 p.m. on weekends. After those times office calls are answered by a medical answering service staffed by pediatric nurses. If you are told a doctor will call and do not hear back from a doctor within an hour, please call again. The most common reason we don’t respond to calls is that we received a wrong phone number.
If your child has a true emergency, i.e. convulsions, unconsciousness, inability to breathe – call 911. We have medical privileges at two hospitals – Shady Grove and Holy Cross. Both are fine hospitals; which provide pediatric house staff at all times. Because of its proximity, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital is our preferred location.
When you call the office during the daytime to make an appointment, you will speak with one of our experienced phone nurses. They will determine with you the best time for your child to be seen. They are able to discern which patients need immediate attention. They can also provide basic instructions on your child’s care. If you have questions for the pediatrician or nurse practitioner, the nurse will inform them and a return call will occur as soon as possible. (This is usually between patient appointments and before/after lunch).
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Referrals
If your child needs a referral to a specialist, we can provide you with a list of specialists in the area who we recommend. Because of our affiliation with Children’s Hospital, we can often facilitate a timely referral to their specialist if needed. Please note that when scheduling an appointment with a specialist, you need to verify that that provider participates with your insurance. If you have an HMO or POS plan you will also need to call our office and select the correct extension to request a referral at least 48 hours before the specialist appointment. Should you have any questions regarding referrals please contact your insurance carrier.
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Our Fees
Our fees are average for the area. It is important for you to review your medical plans. Some plans pay for well baby exams and physicals and others provide only for illness. Some plans have co-pays and deductibles, and other plans have a maximum of benefits allowed. As the insured party, it is your responsibility to inquire and explore your benefits with your insurance carrier. Our business office is available to assist you with insurance and billing questions.
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Recommended Reading
- Baby 411”, by Dr. Ari Brown
- Baby and Child Care”, by Dr. Spock
- How to Parent”, by Fitzhugh Dodson
- Infants and Mothers”, by T. Berry Brazelton
- Nursing Mothers, Working Mothers”, by Gale Pryor
- Sleeping Through the Night”, by Jodi Mindell
- The Mothercare Guide to Good Health”, by Dr. Penny Standway
- Your Baby and Child”, by Penelope Leach
- Your Baby’s First Year”, by Dr. Steven Shelov
- Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child”, by Dr. Marc Weissbluth
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More About the Doctors
- Dr. Edward J. Feroli is a native of Massachusetts. He graduated from George Washington University Medical School and completed his pediatric residency at the William Beaumont Army Hospital in Texas. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and has served on many hospital committees and received honors for his dedicated service to the Treatment Centers (formerly the Eastern Seal Center). He has been named a Top Doctor in 2007 by the Washingtonian and was also recognized by the Montgomery County-Prince George’s County Pediatric Society as Pediatrician of the Year in 2007. Dr. Feroli has traveled to numerous underserved populations in Central and South America and Haiti on short-term medical mission trips. Pictures of his travels can be found in the halls and patient rooms. Hs is married with five children and five grandchildren. He enjoys golf, swimming, and theatre.
- Dr. Gordon W. Mella was born in California and raised in Washington D.C. Following graduation from Pennsylvania’s Ursinus College, Dr. Mella received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Jefferson Medical School of Philadelphia. He continued his medical training in the United States Navy by completing a pediatric residency in Boston, Massachusetts. He remained on active duty for 13 years advancing to the position of Assistant Chief of Pediatrics at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Mella retained his affiliation with the Navy in his role as Commanding Officer of a Reserve Fleet hospital for many years. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Mella has been continuously recognized as a Top Doctor by the Washingtonian and was also recognized by the Montgomery County-Prince George’s County Pediatric Society as Pediatrician of the Year in 1998. Dr. Mella is married and the father of seven children and 21 grandchildren. His interests include jogging and sports medicine. He is a member of the High Council of the Washington, D.C. Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Letter-day Saints.
- Dr. Frank A. Pedreira was born and raised in New Jersey. He received his M.D. from the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, New York. In addition to pediatrics, he has extensive experience in infectious disease. He trained as a Research Associate in Virology at the National Institutes of health in Bethesda as well as lecturing nationwide on infectious disease topics. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and is Board Qualified in Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He has been in private practice for over 30 years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors at Children’s Hospital. Dr. Pedreira has been included in the Who’s Who of America in the Eastern United States. He is a recognized author in medical journals as well as having published a book entitled, A Doctor’s Prescription for Life. Dr. Pedreira has been named a Top Doctor in 2007 by the Washingtonian and was also recognized by the Montgomery County-Prince George’s County Pediatric Society as Pediatrician of the Year in 2007. He is married with four children and four grandchildren. He speaks fluent Spanish and is a pastoral leader at his community church.
- Dr. Laura B. Roseman was born in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating from the Medical College of Wisconsin she completed her internship and pediatric residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and has been practicing pediatrics since 1992. She is married with one son and lives in Montgomery County. Dr. Roseman is active in synagogue and her hobbies include music, theatre and dance.
- Dr. Dinea DeSouza is a native Washingtonian. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and her medical degree and pediatric residency from the Medical College of Virginia. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and has been practicing pediatrics since 1995. She was recognized as one of the BEST Doctors in America in 2003-2004. She is married to a pediatrician and they have 2 daughters. Her interests include scuba diving, sailing and traveling.
- Dr. Carol Ann McHugh was born and raised in New Jersey. She received her undergraduate degree in chemistry from John Hopkins University and her medical degree from the University of Maryland Medical School. She completed her pediatric residency and a Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellowship at New Jersey Medical School. She is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Disease. She is married to a physician who is native to Maryland. They have two children. She enjoys family time, reading, swimming and studying Chinese.
- Dr. Monika M. Woods was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and moved to Boston at age three where she resided for 33 years. She completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard College and medical degree at Harvard Medical School. She also completed her pediatric residency training at Children’s Hospital in Boston and stayed on an extra year as Chief Resident. Dr Woods is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and was in pediatric practice in Boston for five years before moving to the Washington area. She is married to a pediatric infectious disease specialist at NIH. They have two daughters. She enjoys gardening, reading, music and family activities.
- Dr. Candace A. Tesch grew up in Michigan. She received her undergraduate degree in physiology at Michigan State University and her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Her pediatric residency training was at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. Dr. Tesch is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and she has been in private practice since 2002. Dr. Tesch has received recognition from four different honor societies and has performed volunteer work for the Special Olympics and for the Youth Emergency Shelter of Philadelphia. She is married to a pediatric cardiologist and they have two sons. Her hobbies include sailing with her family.
- Zoe O'Brien, CPNP, MS was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She received her undergraduate degree from York College of Pennsylvania and she completed her graduate degree at the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1986. She and her husband have a daughter and a son. Zoe enjoys reading, Orioles baseball and Pittsburgh Steelers football.
Meet Some of Our Office Staff
- Kimberly Adams is our Patient Service Coordinator/Office Manager. She was born and raised in Maryland. She attended Central Pennsylvania College and holds a degree in Child Care Management. Kim has been with our practice since 2002. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, cooking and playing with her dog, Brisco.
- Patricia Marchetti is our head clinical nurse. She was born in Bolivia and traveled extensively while growing up because her father’s job was with the State Department. Patricia has been with this practice since 1992. She received her nursing degree from Cornell University in New York. She was also an instructor in nursing in West Virginia. She has four children and four grandchildren. She enjoys sewing and cross stitch.
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