Dr. Melissa Nelson joined Summit in May of 2023. Originally from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, she received her Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech and her Doctor of Medicine from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University (MCV/VCU). She completed her residency training at the Weill Cornell University Medical Center at the New York Presbyterian Hospital. She has additional fellowship training in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics from the Rose F. Kennedy Center at Albert Einstein University. In 2004, Dr. Nelson moved to Richmond with her family, where she joined Pediatric Associates of Richmond until February 2023.
Recognizing the increasing need to support children and young adults with mental and behavioral health challenges in our community, Dr. Nelson returned to her original fellowship training skills and began formally retooling with the support of the University of Virginia in 2019. In addition to her coursework, she became a Blue Ridge LEND Fellow (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities).
As a board certified pediatrician with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Melissa Nelson is dedicated to providing a comprehensive approach to children, teens and young adults facing behavioral and mental health challenges. Her expertise includes treating anxiety, depression, and attention deficit disorders, managing behavioral problems, providing parenting skills, and evaluating and diagnosing autism spectrum disorders.
Dr. Nelson has served as the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics of Bon Secours – St. Mary’s Hospital and the Medical College of Virginia’s Alumni Board of Directors. She currently serves on the ChildSavers board, Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors, and the Governor’s PANDAS/PANS Advisory Council.
Dr. Nelson has been recognized by her peers in Richmond Magazine’s annual Top Docs issue (2010, 2013, 2016 – 2023) and received one of the YWCA’s 2015 Outstanding Women Awards for her dedication and efforts to establish an independent children’s hospital in Richmond.
In her free time, Dr. Nelson and her husband, Dr. Kinloch Nelson, have three children and enjoy spending time with family and friends.
