Women-owned MedDerm Associates on Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest was established in 2006 by Dr. Michelle T. Pelle, a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology who completed a clinician-educator fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. The practice concentrates on autoimmune and medical dermatology — pemphigus, lupus, dermatomyositis, and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma — drawing referrals from adult internist panels including UC San Diego Medical Center-Internal Medicine Group Practc when rashes resist first-line therapy. An in-house phototherapy center treats psoriasis, vitiligo, severe atopic dermatitis, and early mycosis fungoides using narrowband UVB and PUVA protocols. Dr. Pelle holds Scripps Mercy Hospital privileges within the Scripps network alongside multi-specialty colleagues at Scripps Coastal Medical Center Hillcrest, and MedDerm's research arm enrolls phase-II and phase-III trials for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis biologics. Spanish and Tagalog are spoken in the office. The highest-acuity cases handle severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis routed from area emergency departments.