Tamara Sutherland, MD, FAAP

Dr. Sutherland received her medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine in 2000. She moved to Richmond, Virginia to attend Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia where she completed her Pediatric Internship and Residency. She is designated as a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Sutherland joined Associates in Pediatrics in July 2003, three years after Keith Derco, MD founded the practice. She has been a physician owner since 2006. After Dr. Derco retired in 2017, Dr. Sutherland became the senior partner at Associates in Pediatrics.

Dr. Sutherland has received awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics for exceeding the standard requirements for Continuing Medical Education. She has also been highlighted in the Top Docs issue of Richmond Magazine in April of 2012. Her passion for pediatrics includes newborn care, asthma, ADHD, and wellness of her patients.

Health and fitness is a priority inside and outside of the office for Dr. Sutherland. She is an active member of the Shady Grove YMCA where she has served on the Board of Management for several years. At the Y, she has served on the Executive Committee and was the chair of the Healthy Living Committee. Dr. Sutherland has been working to promote exercise, health, and nutrition in our patients as well as our community. She has personally averaged two marathons per year since 2010 and has competed in the Boston Marathon every year since 2012.

Dr. Sutherland enjoys reading, traveling, teaching, and spending time outdoors. She loves the beach and visiting family. She cherishes the everyday busy life with her husband, two children, and labradoodle.

Tamara A Charity Brown, MD, FAAP

Tamara Charity-Brown, MD is a physician owner at Associates in Pediatrics. She brings almost 20 years of experience in the field of Pediatrics. In addition to her medical expertise, she is the mother of four children and brings a practical side to helping parents raise healthy, happy, children.

Dr. Charity-Brown is a proud “Double Hoo”. She graduated of the University of Virginia with an Echols Interdisciplinary degree with concentrations in biology, environmental science, and women's studies. She completed her medical degree at the University four years later. Dr. Charity-Brown then moved to Richmond, Virginia to start her Pediatric residency at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College of Virginia. In her practice, she focuses on newborn care and breastfeeding, ADHD, and asthma.

Dr. Charity-Brown has been married for over twenty years to Carlos Brown, with whom they have four children ranging in age from college to elementary school. In her free time, she enjoys travel, Pinterest browsing, and spending time with family. She serves on several boards in the community that focuses on improving the lives of young people in the Richmond community and beyond.

Charlotte Bibbee Vellenoweth, MD, FAAP

Dr. Charlotte (Bibbee) Vellenoweth joined Associates in Pediatrics in August 2017. "Dr. V," as we call her, is a native of West Virginia. She graduated from West Virginia University with a BS in Exercise Physiology and went on to earn her MD degree from WVU as well. Let's Go Mountaineers!! In 2014, she moved to Columbia, South Carolina to complete her pediatric residency at Palmetto Health (now Prisma) Children's Hospital. She now resides in Montpelier, Virginia with her husband, John Vellenoweth, and their two dogs, Archer and Alice. She enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, gardening, reading, yoga, and cheering on the Collegiate track team (where her husband coaches pole vault)! .

Dr. Sean O'Boyle

Dr. O'Boyle received his medical degree from Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in 2017. He then went on to do his residency training in pediatrics at Emory University. He is a proud alumnus of The University of Notre Dame where he completed his undergraduate degree, and he also has a Masters degree in Physiology from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. O'Boyle is particularly interested in sports medicine within the field of pediatrics.

In addition to medicine, Dr. O'Boyle's interests include running, watching his favorite sports teams (Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Atlanta Braves), enjoying live music, reading, and traveling. A native of rural Georgia, he is excited to be moving to Richmond with his wife, who is a Richmond native and fellow pediatrician.

Beth Cullen, MD, FAAP

Dr. Cullen graduated with a bachelor of arts from the University of Virginia. She received her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University where she served as the vice president of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Cullen joined Huguenot Pediatrics in 1997 and has been happily providing care to her patients since that time. She is an avid runner and enjoys spending free time with her husband and two children..

Indra Kancitis, MD, FAAP

Dr. Kancitis holds a Bachelor of Science from The College of William and Mary, a Doctor of Medicine from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, and a Master’s in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed her Residency at the University of Rochester, Strong Memorial Hospital, where she also served as Chief Resident of Ambulatory Pediatrics. Dr. Kancitis came to Huguenot Pediatrics after nearly 10 years as a faculty member at the VCU Children's Hospital of Richmond.

Dr. Kancitis enjoys the outdoors, cooking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two children.

Amanda Miller, CPNP

Mandy holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Medical College of Virginia where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, and a Master of Science in Maternal Child Nursing from the Medical College of Virginia. Before nursing school she was employed as a research assistant in the fields of Endocrinology, Cancer and Immunology, and Gastroenterology. She joined Huguenot Pediatrics in 2000. She is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Outside of work, Mandy enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and one daughter, including watching her sons play baseball and her daughter dance. She also enjoys gardening.

Michele Burget, MD, FAAP

Dr. Burget received her undergraduate degree from Penn State University, her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh and completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at The Medical College of Virginia. She joined James River Pediatrics in 2003. When she isn’t spending quality time with her patients, she enjoys being outdoors, skiing, traveling, spending time with her family and volunteering at her children’s schools.

John Zachary, MD, FAAP

Dr. Zachary founded James River Pediatrics over two decades ago. He received his bachelor’s degree from The University of Notre Dame and a medical degree from The University of Loyola, Chicago. A father of four and grandfather to nine, he helps to foster active lifestyles in all of his patients.

Christine Jones, MD, FAAP

Jill Ryland, MD, FAAP

Dr. Ryland has been practicing pediatrics for over 20 years. Since acquiring her medical degree from VCU’s Medical College of Virginia, she has been included in America’s Top Pediatricians and is a member of both Phi Beta Kappa (a national honorary society) and Alpha Omega Alpha (a medical honorary society). She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her passion for pediatrics includes newborn and well child care, asthma, ADHD, depression/ anxiety and autism. A mother of three, she enjoys biking, hiking and other outdoor activities.

Vidhya Kumar, MD FAAP

Dr. Kumar attended Cornell University for her undergraduate studies and completed medical school right here in Richmond at VCU. She returns to Richmond after completing her pediatric residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was active in community and resident education and won a resident teaching award from Harvard Medical School. Her passions include newborn care and lactation support, as well as adolescent and LGBTQIA+ healthcare. Outside of work, Dr. Kumar enjoys baking and making homemade pasta, as well as staying active through yoga and spinning!

Olivia Jessee, NP

Olivia Jessee grew up in Mechanicsville, VA and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from James Madison University. She received her Master’s of Science in Nursing as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from Old Dominion University. Olivia has ten years of RN experience, seven of which were spent at VCU on the Acute Care Pediatric unit. Her passions include newborn care, lactation support, and mental health advocacy. Outside of work, Olivia enjoys cooking, exercising, and spending time with her husband, two young daughters, and their dog, Leo.

Phillip Dawson, MD, FAAP

I think I wanted to be a doctor from about the age of ten. I liked science, and as I grew and matured became more and more interested in personal interactions, relationships, and what makes people healthy in all aspects. When I finally got to medical school, I was fascinated by how the human body works and knew I was in the right place.

Why a Pediatrician?

There was that pivotal moment in medical school when I got a hug from Juliette, a sweet three-year-old French Canadian girl recovering from pneumonia, but it is more than that. Pediatricians are fun.

Kids are fun. You get to smile every day. And it's really true, kids do say the "darndest" things and it's usually hilarious.

Doing what fascinates you, doing what you're good at, laughing while you do it....doesn't get much better than that!

Tiffany Powers, CPNP

Tiffany Powers is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who grew up in Harrisonburg, VA and has lived in Richmond, VA for more than 20 years. She received her Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Randolph-Macon College and worked in human resources and recruiting before deciding on a career in nursing. She received her Diploma in Nursing from the Bon Secours School of Nursing and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Bon Secours College of Nursing.

In May, 2017, Tiffany received her Masters of Nursing from the University of Virginia and became certified in Lactation Counseling in February, 2018. She has over seven years of experience as a Registered Nurse in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and most recently spent the last one and a half years as a Nurse Practitioner and Certified Lactation Counselor with Bon Secours Pediatrics of Mechanicsville and Hanover Pediatrics.

Tiffany loves to educate her young patients and their families while showing compassion, empathy and a sincere dedication to helping others.

Tiffany has been married for 20 years and has 3 sons. She has twin boys who were born at 27 weeks and NICU graduates. In her spare time, Tiffany enjoys exercising, reading, going to concerts, volunteering for local community organizations and long walks with her golden retriever.

Lucy Karn, PA-C

Lucy Karn is a Pediatric Physician Assistant and a native Richmondr. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, Lucy worked in Healthcare Public Relations in New York City before returning to Virginia to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant. She received her Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), then completed a Pediatric Urgent Care Fellowship through EVMS and the Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughters. She returned to Richmond in January of 2018 and has been working in Pediatric Urgent Care and Pediatric Emergency Medicine.

She is driven by her desire to educate and empower young people regarding their overall health and to be a helpful, comforting resource for families and children. She is excited to join the West End Pediatrics team and is looking forward to building lifelong patient relationships.

In her spare time, Lucy enjoys running, discovering new music and, most of all, spending time with her friends and family. Lucy joins West End Pediatrics in January 2019.

Jessica Szlec, MD, FAAP

Dr. Jessica Szelc joined West End Pediatrics in January 2021. She earned her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Virginia. Dr. Szelc returned to Charlottesville to complete her pediatric residency at the University of Virginia where she was involved in the Home Visiting Program and Pediatric Curriculum Committee. There she was awarded the Resident Teaching Award by her colleagues for excellence in mentoring junior residents. Dr. Szelc’s interests include developmental and behavioral pediatrics such as ADHD and autism as well as preventive care and promoting healthy habits for life.

After growing up in Northern Virginia and living in Hampton Roads and Charlottesville, Dr. Szelc and her fiancé are excited to explore Richmond. They enjoy cooking and exploring local restaurants as well as spending time outdoors gardening, hiking and kayaking.

Why a Doctor

I was inspired to pursue medicine from watching the example of my aunt and uncle who are both physicians. I admired their dedication to their patients and it was easy to see the satisfaction that came from helping others. Over time I appreciated how being a doctor is the perfect blend of humanities and science - acquiring knowledge and then applying it to benefit others while forming lasting relationships within a community. The fact that I loved watching emergency medicine shows on television and, to the horror of my family, could stomach the more squeamish aspects of medicine didn’t hurt either!

Why a Pediatrician

I knew I wanted to be a pediatrician before entering medical school so making the choice was a no-brainer! I always enjoyed being around children, from babysitting to working as a camp counselor to organizing shows and games with my younger cousins. Kids are bright and funny and just plain entertaining to be around. I am continually amazed by the natural process of child development and privileged to be able to step in to help all children achieve skills to the best of their abilities. Finally, I love the variety in pediatrics that comes from working with kids of all ages and getting to know families over years and even generations.