Physicians

Darden Swords Pediatrician

Dr. Darden Swords grew up in Tallahassee, FL and earned her undergraduate degree from Sewanee: The University of The South in TN. She graduated from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC and completed her residency at the University of Utah-Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT. Following residency, she practiced as a general pediatrician for three years in Pleasant Grove, Utah and then worked at Texas Children’s Urgent Care in Houston, TX. She and her husband, Doug, are delighted to raise their three young children in the mountains of Western North Carolina. She enjoys hiking, trail running, yoga, and traveling.

Sarah Anderson Pediatrician

Dr. Sarah Marie Anderson is a long-time Tennessean who, after graduating from medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, remained in her hometown for four more years to complete both her pediatric residency and palliative care fellowship. She is excited to be living and practicing in North Carolina and to be closer to the mountains. She and her husband enjoy hiking with their two dogs, trying new cuisine, and traveling whenever they can. Dr. Anderson is also an avid gardener who enjoys growing flowers and practicing floral design in her free time.

Karen Babcock Pediatrician

Dr. Karen Babcock, MD completed her pediatric residency at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. She has been an accomplished teacher, researcher and pediatrician for 16 years, is Board certified in Pediatrics and holds medical licenses in three states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. She and her husband Bill moved to the mountains of North Carolina to enjoy their many outdoor interests. Dr. Babcock has three grown children: Brian (25), Matt (24) and Annelise (21). She is an active person, enjoying tennis, golf, running and hiking with her dogs. She also enjoys cross-stitching, needlepointing and reading all types of books.

Katherine Swain Pediatrician

Dr. Katherine Swain attended her medical schooling at Tulane University and then went on to complete her residency at the University of Colorado. She lived in New Orleans where she was a general Pediatrician for 5 years and then moved to North Carolina. Dr. Swain has volunteered working in children’s hospitals in Cambodia and now heads up our Reach Out and Read Program in our Hendersonville Office. Now Dr. Swain focuses on raising her 3 kids but still finds time too long distance run on the side.

Lauretta Stombaugh Pediatrician

Dr. Lauretta Stombaugh has been with Hendersonville Pediatrics for 15 years after completing her pediatric residency, including a year as Chief Resident, at The Children’s Hospital of New Jersey. Dr. Stombaugh grew up in New York. She attended Hofstra University and earned her medical degree from The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathy is a holistic approach, which includes traditional medicine and additional training hours in osteopathic manipulation. These musculoskeletal techniques can be used alongside medications to treat common illnesses such as ear infections, headaches and muscle spasms, when appropriate.  "Dr. S" enjoys holding seminars on Positive Disipline and writing in her free time. She is the author of the book " Let Them Climb: Reflections on Parenting and Pediatrics" and is currently finishing her second book about parenting with less anxiety and more mindfulness. She is married to Dr. Jason Stombaugh, a local ER physician and they have four children. Dr. Stombaugh enjoys frequenting antique stores, charcoal sketching and encaustic art in her free time. 

Anne Smith Pediatrician

Dr. Anne Smith is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She completed her pediatrics residency training and was chief resident at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Her special interests include adolescent medicine and child development. She has learned some Spanish through her experience in D.C's Spanish speaking community. Dr. Smith has been with Hendersonville Pediatrics for 19 years. Her husband teaches world history and coaches baseball at Hendersonville High School. Dr. Smith enjoys running, hiking, cooking and traveling. The Smiths have two daughters and a son.

Veresa Myers Pediatrician

Dr. Veresa T. Myers is a North Carolina native and joined the practice in 1997. She completed her medical degree from the University of Chapel Hill and completed her Pediatric Residency at Carolina’s Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. Her special interests include infant care and infectious diseases. She has been on several mission trips to South America and the Dominican Republic where she practices her Spanish. She is married to Kevin Myers who is also an advocate for children at Compassion International. She and her husband live with their son and daughter in Brevard. Her personal interests include hiking, traveling and playing the keyboard.

Derek Moss Pediatrician

Dr. Derek Moss, M.D. is a graduate of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Dr. Moss completed his residency at West Virginia University in Morganton, and stayed for another year as chief resident. Dr. Moss and his wife Claire grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and then moved closer to Hendersonville to be closer to their family. The Moss' have three children together and enjoy going skiing every winter and traveling with their family.

Ann Farash Pediatrician

Dr. Farash is a graduate of Tulane Medical School and did her pediatric residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio. She joined Hendersonville Pediatrics in 2007 after serving a full military career in the Air Force.   She retired from Keesler Air Force Base as Flight Commander at the second largest pediatric program in the Air Force.

Dr. Farash was instrumental in bringing the Reach Out And Read program to the military in 2004.  The program now exists in hundreds of military bases throughout the world.  In 2013 she brought ROR to Hendersonville Pediatrics and Transylvania County. Dr.  Farash is committed to local schools and is the Rotarian interface at Brevard High School Interact.  She is the Medical Director of Florence Nightingale Global Health, with a special focus on serving an improvised community in Northern Samar, Philippines.  

It's no secret that Dr. Farash loves horses and living in Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Robert Duffey Pediatrician

Dr. Robert Duffey has been a practicing pediatrician in Western North Carolina since 2009. Originally from New York, he completed his undergraduate degree at Columbia University and earned his MD at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. During medical school, Dr. Duffey had the opportunity to travel abroad to Cuba and Ecuador, where he learned Spanish. After completing his residency in Pediatrics at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, Dr. Duffey worked for 2 years in a Pediatric ER there before relocating with his wife to Hendersonville. He and his wife now have two sons and enjoy trips to the beach as a family whenever they have the time.  Dr. Duffey is fluent in Spanish.

Dustin Alderson Pediatrician

Dr. Dustin Alderson is one of the newest additions to our team at Hendersonville Pediatrics. Dr. Alderson graduated from Texas A&M where he completed his undergraduate degree. He then went on to complete his medical schooling at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston and then completed his residency at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital. Dr Alderson has been a part of several medical trips around the world including Peru, Kenya and on the Texas-Mexico Border. Dr. Alderson enjoys being in the outdoors here in the mountains and taking advantage of our beautiful area. Alderson loves spending time in Pisgah National Forest with his wife Jenny where they mountain bike and hike regularly.