Dr. Edisa Tokovic Padder, MD, FAAP

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Get to know Pediatrician Dr. Edisa Tokovic Padder, who serves patients in Columbia, Maryland.

Dr. Padder is a caring pediatrician working at Padder Health Services, LLC in Columbia, Maryland. Her interests include obesity prevention, developmental screening, and promoting early literacy.

The mission of Padder Health Services, LLC is to provide team-based medicine for patients of all ages, using evidence-based medicine, and always placing the patient’s interests first. The speciality of pediatrics offers the following services: free prenatal visits for expecting parents; breastfeeding support; timely well-visits and vaccinations; vision and hearing screening; age-appropriate developmental evaluation; oral health assessment (fluoride varnish); positive parenting tools; consultation for behavioral issues; labs (lead, hemoglobin, rapid strep test); sports physicals; common office procedures (foreign body removal, nebulizer treatments for asthma, ear piercing); pre-surgical clearance; obesity prevention; disease specific action plans; adolescent health (sexually transmitted disease prevention); life success and wellness coaching; and same-day sick visits. 

During medical school at Wayne State School of Medicine, Dr. Padder spent endless hours volunteering at a free clinic and teaching science to children living in poverty. In 2006, she was elected to The Gold Humanism Honor Society and she received The Cheryl H. Hack, MD Pediatric Award. She moved to Washington, D.C. to complete her pediatric training at Children’s National Medical Center, one of the nation’s top ranked children’s hospitals. During her residency, she developed an award-winning workshop, teaching children and their families how to read food labels in order to make healthy food choices. She also implemented multiple Quality Improvement (QI) projects at Children’s Health Center, including developing hypertension screening algorithm and initiation of nutrition surveys for families during well visits.

In 2009, she attained board certification in pediatrics through the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). The mission of the ABP is to advance child health by certifying pediatricians who meet standards of excellence and are committed to continuous learning and improvement.

Throughout her career, Dr. Padder has served on several boards such as Maryland’s Obesity Task Force, Maryland Department of Education Office of Child Care Council, Howard County Local Children’s Board, and Columbia Association Medical Advisory Board. 

A Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP), she is an active member of the Maryland Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics where she volunteers as an Early Childhood Champion. She is also an emergency room physician on the medical staff at Howard County General Hospital.

Having traveled extensively, Dr. Padder knows firsthand the importance of pre-travel preparation. She is trained in travel medicine and her advice is based on individual traveler’s risks. She hopes that all travelers abroad understand that vaccination and malaria prophylaxis based on CDC recommendations are only the first steps in travel preparation. In addition, she has the additional knowledge of geographical, climate, cultural and other conditions which pose risk to the traveler. She feels this knowledge is essential for informing a traveler on how to avoid or minimize harm. She believes that taking the proper precautions, including booster vaccines and immunizations, prior to an international trip can dramatically increase the chances of a safer, healthier travel experience.

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends people be under pediatric care up to the age of 21. Pediatricians provide medical care to people ranging in age from newborns to young adults. They are trained to examine, diagnose, and treat children with a wide variety of injuries and illnesses through all of their developmental stages, as they grow and mature. 

Happily married, Dr. Padder lives with her husband and two children in Ellicott City, Maryland. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling, having visited many countries from Europe to Asia. She is fluent in English and Croatian.

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