A new Dermatology practice is slated to open next month, located on 38 East Ave.
Founded and led by board-certified Dermatologist and Dermatopathologist Dr. Elle H. de Moll, Elite Dermatology Physicians will begin seeing patients of all ages following their grand opening on Oct. 19.
Dr. Elle H. de Moll at the front desk of her practice. Credit: Connor Markey
Originally from Wilton, de Moll earned her medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Post college, De Moll completed an internship with the Yale program of Internal Medicine at Norwalk Hospital, where she was recognized as Intern of the Year.
De Moll would go on to complete her dermatology residency at Icahn School of Medicine, where she served as Chief Resident. She then pursued two fellowships; one in melanoma, and the other in dermatopathology.
Dr. Elle H. de Moll standing outside Elite Dermatology Physicians. Credit: Connor Markey
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be,” De Moll told the New Canaanite. “I wanted to be a doctor but I wasn’t sure what kind. And I actually wound up being in my emergency medicine interest group all throughout med school and then thought I was going to be an OBGYN. I love medicine so every time I learned a new speciality, I was like this is the coolest and I want to do it forever. I wound up taking a research fellowship year to try and figure out exactly what I wanted to do, and I worked in an oncology lab studying melanoma models at night.”
De Moll explained her decision to specialize in dermatology, citing the life-changing impact proper dermatological care can have on patients as a primary reason.
The waiting room of Elite Dermatology Physicians. Credit: Connor Markey
“I really enjoyed my research, and I decided to pursue dermatology as opposed to oncology because there’s so many patients with skin cancer and a lot of them in particular that we can catch and treat in the early stages, and the outcomes are fabulous,” De Moll said. “I feel that I can change a lot of my patients’ lives either by detecting their skin cancer early, or by using some of the medicines we have now to treat some pretty horrible conditions: patients who all their hair falls out, patients with draining wounds in their skin folds that cant sit and have to change their clothes three times a day because their skin is soaking through. I mean there’s the kind of normal things that I do also love to treat. I love to make your wart go away and make you happy and that’s great, but there are a lot of people who are suffering from their skin disease and I think there’s less people interested in treating those patients.”
A New Canaan resident of four years now, De Moll also emphasized the importance of having a local doctor.
Elite Dermatology Physicians’ pediatric examination room. Credit: Connor Markey
“I think it’s really important for physician-owned practices and for physicians to be a member of the community that they are serving,” she said. “I live walkable to this office, and so I really can’t be any closer. I feel like the Darien-New Canaan kind of market in terms of dermatology is a little bit underserved. There’s a lot of dermatologists in surrounding towns but less access here in town and in Darien and Pound Ridge, our surrounding towns.”
Despite not yet having opened, Elite Dermatology Physicians has received a warm welcome from the community.
“The early community reception has been amazing,” De Moll said. “I’ve joined the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, and the director, Laura Budd, has been by. I’ve met her personally—she emails me, she’s so helpful. You know, some of the other business owners in town across the street, the cheese shop, Jenn Stewart over at Look, these women business owners have reached out and been welcoming and you know, just kind of said hi and given me tips. It’s really amazing and I’m not even open yet.”
Another examination room at Elite Dermatology Physicians. Credit: Connor Markey
The New Canaan Chamber of Commerce is excited to welcome Elite Dermatology Physicians into the town’s business community, Budd said.
“We are very excited that local resident Elle chose New Canaan to open her practice in,” Budd said. “Her office on the corner of East and Cherry offers residents and patients from out of town a state of the art facility for dermatology care. Elle has joined the Chamber and will be a real asset to our community, we look forward to working with her.”
Elite Dermatology Physicians will be hosting a grand opening party on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m., for locals to learn more about the business and meet Dr. Elle De Moll.