Who We Are

Nicholas Pagano, DPM, FACFAS

Dr. Pagano is a board certified surgeon and the co-owner of Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle Care. He grew up in Bucks County, PA, knowing a career in the medical field was always for him. His mom is a nurse so he saw first hand the ability to help people heal and the powers of medicine. Young Dr. Pagano was an avid runner and an All American in Track at LaSalle University in Philadelphia. It was his running that focused his study of medicine toward podiatry.

After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Biology at LaSalle, he went on to earn his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. He then received three years of intensive surgical training at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He was schooled in all aspects of podiatric medicine with a focus on forefoot surgery, rearfoot/ankle reconstruction, diabetic limb salvage, and sports medicine. In his third year, Dr. Pagano was the chief resident.

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Upon completion of his residency, Dr. Pagano and his wife, Alayna, founded Barking Dogs Foot & Ankle Care. In addition to providing the highest quality care and services to the city of Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs, Dr. Pagano is an adjunct professor in Pediatrics at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. He has great enthusiasm for his profession, and is passionate about the future podiatrists he teaches.

Dr. Pagano believes communication is the key to excellent patient care. He enjoys getting to know his patients and wants them to be comfortable with him as a person before a doctor. “By gaining my patients trust and respect, they are more open with me and I am better able to serve them.”

A few fun things to know about Dr. Pagano.....

  • He still runs, just not nearly as far and fast as he used to; with a knee injury, he now found a love of Yoga
  • He is a HUGE Philadelphia Sports fan and gets to as many Phillies and Eagles games as he can
  • He is an avid snowboarder and plays the banjo, poorly at both
  • He loves to travel, but wishes he could skip the plane rides getting there
  • He has been published in Podiatry Today, The Compendium of Podiatric Medicine and other publications
  • He met his wife when he was 13 years old
  • He spends his free time with his daughter, Maci and his son, Dominick
  • His mother-in-law was the inspiration for the name of his practice since she always says, “my dogs are barking!”

Associations

  • American Board of Podiatric Surgeons, Diplomate
  • American Podiatric Medical Association
  • American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine
  • American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons; Fellow
  • American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management; Fellow
  • American College of Foot and Ankle Pediatricians, VICE PRESIDENT
  • Pennsylvania Podiatric Medical Association; State Delegate
  • Grandview Hospital, Staff Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
  • Chestnut Hill Hospital, Staff Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
  • Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, Staff Podiatric Medicine and Surgery

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Dr. Panah, podiatrist, happy person

Suna Panah, DPM

Dr. Panah is an associate at Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle Care, and loves being able to see and treat patients in her own hometown! She attended PWHS before completing her undergraduate education locally as well, at Rosemont College in Bryn Mawr, PA. She then completed her podiatric medical school training at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Panah completed her residency at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ, where she received extensive training in all aspects of Podiatric Medicine, including reconstructive foot and ankle surgery, wound care, sports medicine, limb salvage, and diabetic foot conditions. She specializes in both conservative and surgical management of foot and ankle deformities and injuries, including bunion and hammer toe correction, tendon and ligament injuries, and management of arthritic joints.

During her time off, she enjoys spending time and making memories with her family. She and her husband reside in Conshohocken with their two daughters, who are the light and joy of their lives! They like to stay active together with hiking, dancing, and traveling, but also like relaxing with some good food and movies as well.

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Dr. Panah understands how important it is to keep people on their feet and being able to do the things they love. Whether it's playing sports, running after our kids, or simply carrying out our day to day tasks at home or at work, we shouldn't have to be limited by pain and or discomfort in our feet. She is happy to be able to use her medical training and tools to help heal her patients, but also very much believes in the healing powers of listening to her patients and getting to know them to be able to help them best.

A famous neuroscientist once said, "Your warmth has more healing power upon the patient than all the medical tools in the world." Dr. Panah is an avid follower of this philosophy of medicine, believing wholeheartedly that it is not only important for doctors to have the right tools in medicine, but that they are held by kind and caring hands.

She hopes to give back to her hometown and community by providing trustworthy, empathetic, and effective care for her patients of all ages.

A few fun things to know about Dr. Panah

  • Grew up as the only sister to four brothers
  • She loves going to games with her husband to root for the Phillies, Sixers, and Eagles!
  • Blessed to live in a household with four generations of women, including herself, her mother, her grandmother, and her daughters. Her husband is a bit outnumbered!
  • She played golf for her college golf team, and was the only female participating in the varsity tournaments (don't ask her how good she was, the important thing is she played!)
  • Has a cat named Pishu, which may sound creative, but is just the Farsi/Persian word for "cat". She is also fluent in Farsi, and trying to teach her baby girls and husband.
  • Loves to travel to visit relatives all over the world. She has a huge extended family and they are all very close.
  • She and her husband are HUGE Disney fans, honeymooned in Disney World, and can't wait to take their daughters when they are a bit older

Associations

  • American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons; Associate
  • American Podiatric Medical Association
  • Pennsylvania Podiatric Medical Association
  • Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, Staff Podiatric Medicine and Surgery

Quinn Tran, DPM

Dr. Tran is an associate at Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle care. He grew up in the suburbs of Philly, attending Council Rock North High School in Newtown, PA with his four older brothers. Though he and his brothers had their fair share of disagreements, one thing that three of them could agree on is the field of Podiatry. His older brother, Matthew, trailblazed the path to podiatry and the career choice seemed obvious from there. Being able to bounce ideas between him and his siblings has been a great asset to his maturation into a physician.

Dr. Tran has spent a good quarter of his life at Temple with four years dedicated to a bachelor's degree in science and another four at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. Following school, he completed a 36-month surgical training program at Crozer-Chester Medical Center University Hospital in Chester, PA leading to satisfaction of all requirements for PMSR/RRA (Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency/Rearfoot and Ankle Reconstruction) designation. This includes both conservative and surgical management of foot and ankle deformities and injuries, including bunion and hammer toe correction, tendon and ligament injuries, and management of arthritic joints.

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When he is not helping people, he can be found with his brothers on the tennis courts. He also enjoys playing music (guitar and piano), video games, and watching Philadelphia sports teams. He recently started rock climbing, though is limited by a fear of heights.

A few fun things to know about Dr. Tran

  • He has four older brothers, and two of his brothers are also podiatrists
  • He loved the Chronicles of Narnia books while growing up and lives by a quote by the Author, C.S. Lewis: "When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up". That being said, he loves, and always will love, video games and cartoons
  • He lives with his Bengal cat, Mugi, in Philadelphia
  • He loves music and learning how to play a little bit of every instrument
  • He likes to be spontaneous and try new things like solving Rubik's cubes, pen spinning, making latte art
  • He is a huge Philadelphia sports, and though he knows it can be controversial: Eagles > Flyers > 76ers > Phillies
  • His most played sport as a kid was roller hockey. As an adolescent, it was soccer/volleyball. And now, it is tennis. He thinks the future will have pickleball in store
  • He was not named after the medicine woman or the Eskimo, but wishes he were

Associations

  • American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons; Associate
  • American Podiatric Medical Association
  • Pennsylvania Podiatric Medical Association
  • Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, Staff Podiatric Medicine and Surgery

Jenifer Schildt

Jen is the office manager at Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle Care. She really enjoys meeting patients and the many others who are in and out of the office each day.

Jen brings with her extensive experience in health care management and wellness services. She has experience with the senior population. It is with this knowledge and experience that she is looking forward to help build Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle Care.

Jen has been a resident of historic Plymouth Meeting for much of her life. You may even see her walking or biking to the office or out and about with her dog. She loves living close to her parents and brother's family for relaxing (but loud) Sunday dinners and holiday get-togethers. .

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When Jen isn't cooking, she spends a good deal of time on the sidelines of soccer games and regattas cheering on her three children.

A few fun things to know about Jen

  • She loves relax on the beach and has to be dragged off on occasions.
  • She is a proud mother of three teenagers-two boys and a girl!
  • She loves to cook and her chicken chili is illegal in 48 states
  • Be careful siting at a table when she is playing ShangHai, you are probably going to lose
  • She sneaks off to the gym when possible-always looking for the next good book to read and is known to binge on Netflix
  • She loves to bike to work and even biked to her job interview which sealed the deal!

Alayna Pagano

Alayna Pagano

Alayna Pagano is the co-owner of Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle Care. She is the business manager for the practice. She grew up in Bucks County, PA, never imaging a career in the medical field. Her passion was a combination of art and business which led her down the path of fashion buying. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Design and Merchandising at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. After college, she went on to what she considered a dream job as a buyer at QVC in the shoe and handbag buying office.

Moving to New York City for her husband’s residency, she worked with Victoria’s Secret Catalog and Aeropostale sharpening her merchandising skills. It was during their time in New York when Alayna and Nick realized they wanted to open their own practice. Not wanting to be too traditional, the two settled on the name of “Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle Care.” “We felt like it suited us well, slightly quirky and fun, yet focused on the patient care.” Knowing they always wanted to be back in the Philadelphia area, Alayna and Nick began looking for an office location, close to their home.

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Alayna worked extensively in the footwear industry for Clarks Footwear. Her main account was QVC. “Some people get a big laugh when they find out what my job is. It seems just perfect that a podiatrist’s wife would sell comfort shoes.”

A few fun things to know about Alayna.....

  • She is constantly trying to stop Maci and Dominick from growing up so fast
  • When she's not running the business, you can find her on the sidelines or the poolside, rooting on her children (and working over the refs!)
  • You won’t see her assisting Dr. Pagano in the office; needles and blood make her squeamish
  • She’s not in the office as much as she used to be as the growing Pagano family is keeping her busy
  • She loves Pilates and Yoga but is no fan of her husband’s cardio workouts
  • She is a HUGE Philadelphia Sports fan and gets to as many Phillies and Eagles games as she can (alongside her husband)
  • She snowboards; partly for the thrill and partly for the beauty of the scenery
  • Traveling is her passion and she hopes to visit every continent in her lifetime
  • She met Dr. Pagano when they were in the 8th grade
  • According to her husband, she’s a great cook!

Clinical Coordinator, Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle Care, Happy

Melissa Fell

Melissa lives in Skippack and is happily married to her husband Mark. She is the proud mom of one daughter, Emily Gale. Emily is Melissa’s whole heart and soul and the reason she gets up every day. Emily is currently attending West Chester University for her Master's Degree in Speech Language Pathology. The Fell family also has a dog named Skye Louise (breed: Rescued)
A licensed Massage therapist by trade specializing in oncology massage, Melissa provides Massage Therapy to those dealing with breast cancer, during their treatments and beyond through the non-profit organization, Unite for HER. Melissa is also very involved within her local community and serves as a board member for the non-profit ~ ATeam 111 of Skippack. The ATeam is an organization that hosts several yearly fund raising events helping the families of children with cancer and also Veterans.

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When she’s not working, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family and friends ~ feeding and cooking for everyone ~ she is known for her “MF burgers” and her meatballs and her various appetizers, baked goods and frozen desserts. Melissa joined the Barking Dogs Family in October 2018. You will find her assisting with patient care in our Plymouth Meeting office Monday thru Friday. She is happy to help you schedule all your foot care appointments in any of our offices, including Elm Terrace Gardens and Lansdale. Melissa is the Clinical Coordinator for Barking Dogs.

Both she and her daughter share the same birthday and its Christmas Eve, both were also originally due on January 2 ~Melissa ate raw, peeled potatoes everyday of her entire pregnancy, with a lot of Salt ~ Because of Melissa’s birth date, her parents ALMOST named her Holly Noel which would have resulted in her married name being Holly Noel Fell

A few fun things to know about Melissa

  • Her favorite color is Cheetah, yes Cheetah is a color
  • Melissa despises Germs hence her obsession w/ hand sanitizer, she has it with her at all times, came in handy for COVID
  • She LOVES dogs ~ her husband refuses to fence in the yard for fear of too many rescues “just showing up”
  • Melissa prefers listening to music over watching TV ~ Melissa sings in the car every morning, the song(s) depends on the day and destination
  • Melissa smiles at EVERYONE she meets effortlessly and on purpose ~ Melissa believes that laughter is good for the soul; she laughs EVERYDAY (sometimes all day long):Favorite foods ~ Sushi and Pizza and she considers both actual food groups ~ Melissa’s dream job = party planner/personal chef ~ Her favorite movies are Grease and Mary Poppins

Rachel Glass

Rachel currently lives in East Norriton but was born and raised in Conshohocken. She grew up in Conshy where she attended Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, played volleyball and graduated in 2005. After high school Rachel went on to earn her Bachelors in History from Arcadia where she also played volleyball. She then earned her Masters of Public Administration in Sport Management and Athletics from West Chester. Rachel also is a Certified Personal Trainer (ACE, NASM), a certified nutrition coach and a volleyball coach.

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Her biggest passions in life are working with kids, fitness, athletics, volleyball and taking care of others. The most important things in her life are her family, friends, and her dogs that she loves to the moon and back and would do anything for.

A few fun things to know about Rachel

  • When Rachel is not working or spending time with her loved ones you can find her working out and teaching classes at Vision Plus Fitness studio.
  • She also loves to bake and is known for her Nana’s breakfast cake recipe
  • She enjoys watching hallmark movies in her spare time.
  • Rachel lives by the quote “ She believed she could, so she did”, taking things one day at a time, staying positive and never giving up.
  • Rachel has an incredible ability to work with our patients with the smallest feet

Anna Maria DiFilippo

Anna Maria joined our Barking Dogs family in June of 2015. She escorts patients, cleans equipment, maintains supplies and loves taking x-rays of our patients. Many of our patients recognize her from the 20 years she worked for Soffer Eye Care.

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Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now has 2 granddaughters who live in Havertown. She always has great stories from watching her grandkids.

A few facts about Anna Maria

  • She enjoys movies and is always up to date on the latest releases.
  • She loves the theatre.
  • She enjoys long weekends at the shore with her longtime girlfriends.
  • She loves to travel.

Diane Nugent

Diane joined Barking Dogs Podiatry in February of 2019. She provides patient support and medical assistance to the physicians and the team. Diane was recruited to work at Barking Dogs after meeting Dr. Pagano when he tried to fill in behind the front desk. It was serendipitous and Diane has been an integral part of the team since!

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Born and raised in Conshohocken, she has 2 children both in music, art and theatre. ("God knows where they came from, I play the radio." per Diane). She earned her BSN at Villanova and specializes in cardiology, hospice, school nursing and Labor and Delivery. Her favorite was cardiology so she could take care of the "boo-boos on the inside."

A few facts about Anna Maria

  • Her life mission (not impossible) is to travel and she chooses to accept it
  • Family is everything!
  • She has never met a cat or dog that she didn't like
  • She loves working at Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle Care

June

June Artman

June Artman has been working with Dr. Pagano since the doors opened back in April of 2011. She is a jack of all trades; scheduling appointments, updating the electronic medical records, fielding phone calls, cleaning equipment, handling insurance companies, escorting patients, and maintaining supplies are just a few of her responsibilities. As a former hairdresser, June has spent her entire life working with people. She is a natural at the front desk and you will always be greeted with her smiling face.

June can be credited with the name Barking Dogs Foot and Ankle Care. After her long days at the salon, she would come home and proclaim, “my dogs are barking!” She knows first hand how it feels to have foot pain so she has a true sense of compassion for our patients.

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A few fun things to know about June.....

  • She recently retired from her 40+ year career as a hair stylist
  • She loves spending her free time with her 3 granddaughters
  • If she’s not with her family, you might find her playing 3 card poker at Parx or Atlantic City.
  • She enjoys spending her weekends in Ocean City, NJ
  • She makes the best meatballs, EVER!