CELEBRATING OUR 60th YEAR OF SERVICE!
Our Mission
We thrive by enhancing the lives of children through quality pediatric and young adult care
Our Core Values
Competency: Adopting a "best practice" model by providing Excellent, Effective Care for our Patients through Accountability, Accuracy, and Determination
Leadership: Being a Leader in our Community by providing a primary care medical home to our "NOVA Family"
Authenticity: Treating our patients and staff with Honesty, Openness, Appreciation, Fairness, and Transparency
Best Service: To earn our patients Trust by listening with Compassion and Serving with Integrity
Our Promise
Nova Pediatrics will responsibly provide expert care with integrity and compassion
Our Story
We are honored you have chosen NOVA Pediatrics. Founded in 1961 in Springfield, VA. by Dr. Ira Seiler, M.D., our staff includes pediatricians and family and pediatric nurse practitioners certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. A skilled, seasoned and compassionate team of nurses and a highly qualified office staff complete our team. Dr. Seiler founding principle was to treat our patients as if they were our own children.
Our staff enjoys getting to know each NOVA Pediatrics family, and watching each child learn, grow and succeed. We understand all children are unique and face their own individual challenges in life. Every milestone and achievement from getting their first tooth, to taking their first steps, driving, graduating and getting a first job is a success story worth celebrating. We are honored to be there with our patients and their families through the years.
Providers at NOVA Pediatrics see patients by appointment only Monday through Friday and on Saturdays. For your convenience, one of our offices is open every Saturday. We can typically accommodate same day sick child appointments for those unexpected moments. Please schedule your yearly physicals, sports physicals, chronic condition, regular follow-up and other well-child appointments in advance.
We want to be your first, best, and most reliable resource! We have served the Northern Virginia community for 60 years and are a proud member of the Trusted Doctors network!
OUR AWESOME PROVIDERS
Laurence Seidman, MD - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: State University of New York at Buffalo(Magna Cum Laude)
Medical School: New York Medical College
Residency: Georgetown University Hospital
Dr. Larry Seidman was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and survived the blizzard of 1977! He received his BS in Biology and Psychology from the University of Buffalo. He graduated from New York Medical College with an MD In 1986 and completed his internship and residency at Georgetown University Hospital in 1989.
He is married and has two children that are graduates of UVA and Virginia Tech. He enjoys traveling and collecting early children's books, especially pop-ups. His collection can be seen at www.drlar7.tumblr.com
Tiffany Meyer, MD - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: Dartmouth College
Medical School: George Washington University
Residency: Children's National Medical Center
Dr. Meyer joined NOVA Pediatrics in 2006. She grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and completed her undergraduate studies with honors at Dartmouth College with a major in biology. She came to Washington, DC and earned her medical degree at George Washington University. She went on to complete her residency and fellowship at Children's National Medical Center. Furthermore, she earned a master in public health degree from George Washington University.
Dr. Meyer is board certified in both Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Although she completed a fellowship in Adolescent Medicine, she enjoys caring for children of all ages, especially newborns, school-aged children, and teenagers.
She is married and has two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys being a Girl Scout leader and coaching Odyssey of the Mind.
Gina Schwartz, MD - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: Wesleyan University
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
Residency: Monmouth Medical Center
Dr. Gina Schwartz earned her BA in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. She attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She then completed her pediatric residency at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey, which, coincidentally, is the same hospital in which she was born. She has been a practicing pediatrician for 16 years.
Dr. Schwartz is a mother of three and most enjoys traveling with her family. She also loves to cook, read and crochet.
Alifiya Tyabji, MD - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: University of Virginia
Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Residency: VCU Medical Center
Dr. Tyabji grew up in Stephens City, Virginia. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from University of Virginia in 1999 followed by a Doctor of Medicine from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in 2004 where she also completed her internship and residency in pediatrics.
Dr. Tyabji is licensed in Virginia. She is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Tyabji speaks medical Spanish.
After practicing in Colorado Springs and Las Vegas, she and her family relocated to Northern Virginia to follow her husband’s Air Force career.
Dr. Tyabji enjoys spending time with her husband, son and daughter. She stays very involved with her children’s activities. Traveling is a passion of hers. She also enjoys photography, watching sports and eating multicultural cuisine.
Rachel Cohen, DO - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
https://www.drrachelcohen.com/
Undergraduate: Tulane University
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine –New York
Residency: Harlem Hospital Center - Columbia University Medical Center Affiliate
Dr. Cohen grew up in Southwest Florida. She completed her undergraduate and graduate work at Tulane University in New Orleans, obtaining a Master’s Degree in Neuroscience. After meeting her husband at Tulane University, they moved to New York City where she attended medical school at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Cohen completed pediatric residency at Harlem Hospital Center in NYC, an affiliate of Columbia University Medical Center. Her time there was focused on delivering medical care to underserved populations.
Upon completion of residency, her family moved to the DMV area where her husband works as a surgery resident. She has spent the last 3 years as a general pediatrician in Washington, D.C.
She is board certified in Pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Cohen’s focus of practice includes child development, ranging from the newborn period to adolescence. She is most interested in studying functional medicine to help identify and treat the root cause of disease processes.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Cohen enjoys time with her husband and 3 children. She enjoys cooking, gardening, Pilates, and hiking.
Lena Garcia, CPNP - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: Georgetown University
Graduate/Pediatric Nurse Practitioner: The Catholic University of America
Léna Garcia, Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP), joined our practice in the spring of 2004. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgetown University and her Masters of Science in Nursing and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Léna brings diverse pediatric experience of 11 years from Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., working in Pulmonary, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Burn unit and conducting clinical trials. She also volunteered, as a general pediatric provider, at a free clinic in Washington, D.C. Her clinical interests are in primary care/wellness of newborns to school age children, early intervention and asthma management. She is a clinical preceptor/affiliate faculty at George Mason University and The Catholic University of America. She is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Sigma Tau International Honor Society.
Léna is married and has two daughters and a dog. She is fluent in Arabic and proficient in Spanish. Her hobbies include Barre, hiking, outdoor activities and traveling.
Virginia Krause, CFNP - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: LaSalle University
Graduate/Family Nurse Practitioner: La Salle University, Philadelphia PA
Virginia (Ginny) Krause, Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (CFNP) joined Nova Pediatrics in the Summer of 2014. She is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). She has been practicing as an FNP since 2009.
She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, PA and Master of Science in Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner from LaSalle University Philadelphia, PA. Virginia is originally from Pennsylvania.
Her clinical interests are in primary care with emphasis on health promotion and wellness, growth and development of children as well as adolescent teaching. As a Registered Nurse, she worked over 12 years in the CCU working with children with congenital heart defects at St. Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. She is a member of the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society.
She relocated to Virginia in September 2010 with her husband and daughter. She has two additional children a son and daughter in Pennsylvania. Her interest is enjoying time with family and friends, painting, traveling and being part of her daughter's busy softball schedule.
Betsy Novotny, CPNP - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: University of Portland, Portland, OR
Graduate: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Betsy joined our practice in July 2017. She has over 19 years of pediatric experience ranging in areas from Newborn to Emergency. She is a board certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner since 2010.
Her areas of clinical interest include newborn to school-age care focusing on healthy family choices and preventative medicine.
She was born and raised in Oregon, and has lived in 7 states and even overseas. Her husband is active in the Air Force and she has two children. She loves traveling, running and eating!
Beth Bostwick, CFNP - Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: University of Kansas
Graduate/Family Nurse Practitioner: Binghamton University
Beth Bostwick graduated from the University of Kansas in 2004 earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Biology. After graduation, Beth moved east to continue her education at Binghamton University in New York State. She completed an accelerated degree program with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2006 and in 2011 obtained her Master's degree as a Nurse Practitioner. She is certified by the Board of American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Beth worked as a nurse in a Level Two ER for six years before moving to a family practice in 2012. That same year, she and her husband welcomed twin boys. She enjoys music, cooking, camping, rowing and running when she gets the time. Beth and the boys followed her husband's U.S. Army career and moved to the D.C. area in June 2015. This is where she is happy to call home.
Laura Belair, CPNP - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: University of South Carolina
Graduate/Pediatric Nurse Practitioner: University of Virginia
Laura Belair is a board certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner originally from South Carolina. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of South Carolina. Upon completion, she moved to Norfolk, VA to start her career at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. She worked on a medical surgical unit as a nurse caring for a diverse population of pediatric patients. In the years that followed, she attended University of Virginia where she completed her master’s degree as a Pediatric NP and taught undergraduate nursing students in their pediatric clinical rotation.
After her time at UVA, she was selected for a nurse practitioner fellowship program at Carolinas Healthcare system. During that time, she worked with her mentor developing a quality improvement project utilizing telehealth nurse educators to improve the quality of life for pediatric asthma patients. This quality improvement project won first place in the fellowship innovation showcase.
Laura has worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner at two pediatric clinics in the DMV area where she has developed an interest in environmental and nutritional factors that influence health.
In her spare time, Laura enjoys hiking and exploring new places with her husband Ben and her energetic dog Willow.
Grace Huggins, PA-C - Springfield/Woodbridge Office
Undergraduate: North Carolina State University
Graduate: Elon University
Grace (Gracie) Huggins completed her B.S. in Human Biology and B.A. in Music at North Carolina State University, followed by her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Elon University. She is a member of Pi Alpha, the national honor society for physician assistants which recognizes significant academic achievement as well as leadership, research, and community/professional service. She has practiced pediatrics in the Northern Virginia area since 2019.
Gracie's clinical interests include newborn and infant care, pediatric diet, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle promotion along with improving universal access to quality healthcare so that all children can be happy, healthy, and ready to take on the world.
Gracie and her husband are originally from North Carolina but recently settled in Alexandria, Virginia. They love going on adventures in the area with their boundlessly energetic chocolate lab, Nellie. Gracie enjoys running, cycling, yoga, and cooking for family and friends. Her primary enthusiasms are good food and good music, which she loves to experience both at home and while traveling abroad.