Gynecology

What is your care philosophy?

Great healthcare is a joint venture between the patient and the doctor, built on a foundation of mutual respect and dialog. I meet so many patients who think that doctors will be dictatorial, but we really listen to patients and respect their wants and needs – I enjoy talking with patients and establishing that foundation with them.
What inspired you to pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology?

When I started med school, I originally thought I wanted to be a heart surgeon, but I was still open to other specialties and knew that I really enjoyed being in the operating room. I eventually decided on OBGYN because I realized that I could stay in touch with my patients across many of life’s milestones. I’ve known many of my patients for over 30 years, and they are like family to me.
What improvements to women’s care have you seen since you began practicing medicine?

There have been so many great changes: fetal monitoring and sonogram are more sophisticated, equipment and technology for minimally invasive surgeries are much better, testing for abnormal pap smears and HPV is dramatically better. The vaccine for HPV is amazing.
Are you from the DC area?

We moved around the U.S. some while I was a kid, but I mostly I grew up in Pittsburgh. When I came to the DC area for school, I just fell in love with it here. I enjoy the DC weather, and despite growing up near the Steelers, I’ve enjoyed adopting the Redskins as my football team. I like to root for the underdog!
What is your best advice for new parents?

Give your kids unconditional love even after they turn left when you wanted them to turn right. Being a parent is one of the best things in the world, and being a father may be the best thing. I’m incredibly blessed to have a wonderful wife and beautiful, talented twin daughters. I love being a doctor and a father.
What are your best tips for staying healthy?

Stay away from sugar and stay active. Our girls are grown now, and looking back, I think it was very important that we encouraged them to play sports. It reinforced our values and beliefs in staying fit and healthy.
What distinguishes your practice from others?

Having both newer and more experienced doctors in our practice is really valuable. It facilitates the combination of new ideas with decades of experience, and our patients receive better care because of it. During my residency, I rotated through Holy Cross Hospital and met the founders of this practice. I joined them because I was impressed by the intellectual integrity and also because we have all of the facilities (in our office) to test and gather information quickly. This has continued to be true across the years, and I’m proud to work with the doctors in our practice.
If I wasn’t a doctor, I’d be…?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional football player, but being a doctor is the perfect profession for me. I find it incredibly rewarding, and I go home at the end of the day feeling really good about the work I’ve done and the patients I’ve helped.

Dr. Zarina Hussain, MD is a top-rated, board-certified gynecologist with more than 17 years of experience in diagnosing and treating women of all ages. At Advantia’s new, state-of-the-art facilities, Dr. Hussain provides comprehensive, leading-edge gynecological care for women from pre-conception nutritional counseling to managing menopause symptoms and performing hysterectomies.

Praised by patients for her empathy, knowledge and willingness to listen, Dr. Hussain has extensive expertise in all aspects of women’s healthcare. The vast number of services she provides include: well-woman exams, adolescent gynecology exams, birth control consultation and services – including IUD placement and removal — postpartum care, cancer screening, treatment of endometriosis, STD testing and treatment, and osteoporosis screening and treatment. She is also skilled and immensely respected in providing several minimally-invasive procedures, which can conveniently be performed at Advantia’s onsite surgical center. These procedures include: colposcopy, laparoscopic surgery, and hysteroscopy.

Dr. Hussain earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and completed her residency at the prestigious Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University and University Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri. She served as Chief Resident during her final year.

Additionally, Dr. Hussain is a Diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Sarah Morelli (she/her) is board certified as both a Midwife and a Nurse Practitioner. She studied at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and has been in practice serving patients since 2014. Sarah’s favorite part about her job is building a relationship with each patient that is built on mutual trust and getting the opportunity to care for patients consistently through the years. She values taking the time to listen to patients’ concerns and questions and she enjoys educating patients so that they have the opportunity to fully participate in decision making about their health care. Her model of care is trauma-informed, consensual nonmonogamy competent, and intentional to uphold bodily autonomy. Sarah has a Certificate of Advanced Training in LGBTQ Healthcare and can prescribe and manage gender affirming testosterone therapy. Additionally, she can guide non-gestational parents, who are interested in chest/breastfeeding, through lactation induction. She is committed to providing patient-centered care to everyone. In her free time, Sarah enjoys baking and being outdoors with her family.

Judy Brady, RN, IBCLC, BCHN, leads the patient education programs at OBGYN Associates. Judy brings over 20 years of experience to this position, spanning a wide range of women’s health needs: preconception nutrition counseling, childbirth preparation, breast feeding/lactation instruction, and nutrition counseling for weight management, cholesterol lowering, and also symptoms associated with perimenopause, menopause, osteoporosis, and fibromyalgia, as well as many other issues affecting women of all ages.

Judy has an extensive education and is certified in Holistic Nutrition specializing in Women’s Health and Disease Prevention. She received her RN degree from The University of Maryland at Baltimore. She is also an international board-certified lactation consultant and board-certified holistic nutritionist. At OBGYN Associates, she provides patients with one-on-one nutrition and lactation consultations.

Additionally, Judy runs highly-popular childbirth classes that attract women from throughout the greater Montgomery County, Maryland area. Patients praise Judy for her personable and patient teaching style, along with her unparalleled expertise. She is passionate about caring for women.

An expert in all aspects of breastfeeding, Judy successfully teaches women whose babies are unable to latch and women with twins. She also provides advice on what foods to eat and avoid during the lactation process, how to pump and store breast milk, and how to prevent and treat sore nipples.

As an expert in women’s diet and nutrition, Judy provides advice and supervision on dietary choices throughout each trimester of pregnancy, as well as nutrition counseling for weight loss or gain, remedying menstrual disorders such as PMS, decreasing the risk of breast cancer, and boosting immune systems for women undergoing chemotherapy.