Dr. Phong Nguyen

Rheumatologist

MD

Meet Dr. Nguyen, one of our friendly and skilled doctors. His interest in medicine is deeply rooted in his admiration for his father, who is a physician. Dr. Nguyen graduated with honors for his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida. He completed his medical education at Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine. Career in Rheumatology Since 1990, Dr. Nguyen has been practicing Rheumatology in Northern Virginia. He has dedicated his career to caring for patients with rheumatologic and autoimmune disorders. Also, Dr. Nguyen has participated and conducted numerous research clinical trials and has been a keynote speaker in the field of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Top Physician Recognized as a top physician in his field by the Washingtonian, Northern Virginia magazine, and Consumer's CHECKBOOK™, Dr. Nguyen is also noted to be the best physician in the Northeast and America's Who's Who survey for top physician. Most notably, he has received the Patients' Choice Award, for top rheumatologist.

Dr. Claudia Saba

Rheumatologist

MD

Dr. Saba has been practicing Rheumatology at Northern Virginia Center for Arthritis since 1998. She completed her Rheumatology fellowship at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Dr. Saba graduated top in her class at Damascus University medical school, she completed her internal medicine residency and served as a chief resident at Mount Carmel medical center in Columbus Ohio. Dr. Saba was a former president of Virginia society of Rheumatology. She has received numerous awards, she is board certified and was recognized as a top physician in her field by Washingtonian, Northern Virginia Magazine and America’s Who’s Who survey for top physician. Dr Saba has dedicated her career caring for Patients with rheumatological and auto immune diseases.

Dr. Alexia Gospodinoff

Rheumatologist

MD, FACR

Dr. Gospodinoff completed her rheumatology subspecialty training in 1998 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Barnes Jewish Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. It was at Buenos Aires University where she completed her undergraduate work. Dr. Gospodinoff has been on staff as a rheumatologist with NVCA since 2003. Prior to this, she held a position at Kaiser Permanente™ in the D.C. Metro Area, she was also their director of the Bone Health Program for Osteoporosis. She has been recognized as a top physician by several entities, including Washingtonian, Northern Virginia magazine, Guide to America’s Top Physicians. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. Dr. Gospodinoff strives to provide state of the art, personalized, compassionate, diagnosis and care for a broad range of rheumatologic conditions. She is an active member of numerous organizations such as the Arthritis Foundation, American College of Physicians and American College of Rheumatology. Dr. Gospodinoff is fully bilingual and can see Spanish and English speakers.

Moira Scaperotti

Rheumatologist

MD

Dr. Scaperotti completed her undergraduate studies in biology at Cornell University, followed by medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She then completed her internal medicine residency and rheumatology fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital. Prior to joining Northern Virginia Center for Arthritis, she practiced Rheumatology in Prince George County and also saw patients as a Red Cross physician volunteer at a military hospital in Germany for two years. She is a general rheumatologist with interest in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, gout, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Sjogren's syndrome, osteoporosis and systemic sclerosis, among others. She is trained and certified in the use of musculoskeletal ultrasonography. Dr. Scaperotti cares deeply about her patients and about establishing a patient-physician relationship that allows for shared decisions and trust. She sees patients in the Leesburg office.

Kelly Mitchell

PA-C

Kelly joined our practice from Boulder, Colorado. She has a bachelor degree in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado. She joined the Colorado School of Medicine Colorectal Cancer Research Team and investigated new chemotherapy agents. Kelly then transitioned to the University of Colorado Cancer Center and worked as a Clinical Trials Coordinator for Breast Cancer Clinical Trials. After working with cancer patients, she pursued her Masters of Medical Science in Physicians Assistant Studies at NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. She graduated with highest honors at the top of her class. Kelly moved to Northern Virginia in 2015 and joined our practice shortly after. Kelly has a passion for autoimmune diseases and working with her patients to find the best individualized treatment plans. She takes real interest in osteoporosis and bone health as well as osteoarthritis.

Lindsay Tom

PA

Lindsay is originally from Congers, NY and moved to the DC metro area for her undergraduate degree. She received both academic and athletic scholarships to The George Washington University, where she earned a B.S. in Biophysics with a minor in Biology. While there, she also competed as a member of GW’s Division I Gymnastics team. During her undergraduate studies, she grew further interest in the medical field and completed research evaluating the physics of joints and total hip replacements. She completed her Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies in Knoxville, TN. Lindsay joins our office with prior experience as a PA in gastroenterology. She has a passion for health and wellness. She treats a variety of rheumatology diseases, with a strong interest in autoimmune conditions, osteoporosis, and arthritis.

Caitlin Fortune

PA

Caitlin is a northern Virginia native who received her bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from James Madison University. She then spent time working as a medical assistant before going on to complete her Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies in 2017 at South College in Knoxville, TN. Caitlin’s journey in medicine has been in the field of Gastroenterology, Pediatrics and now a dedicated focus on Rheumatology and Autoimmune Diseases. Caitlin’s clinical interests include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and fibromyalgia. Caitlin’s approach focuses on patient education with a well rounded treatment plan that includes both medications and lifestyle modifications to improve quality of life.

Monica Gonzalez

PA

Monica is from northern Virginia and received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Virginia. She worked as a Medical Assistant for several years before attending the Wake Forest PA Program in Winston Salem, NC. She became highly interested in Rheumatology during her PA studies and completed a rheumatology elective rotation during her clinical year. She graduated in May 2023 with honors and joined our practice shortly after. Monica is highly interested in treating osteoporosis and autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. She is passionate about developing a treatment plan that is individualized to each patient. She believes it is very important to establish a solid patient-provider relationship built on trust and respect. Monica is fully bilingual and can see both Spanish and English speaking patients.