Our Team


The Holy Cross Pain Management Center has been serving the community for over 25 years and is the premier pain practice for pain care. Our team of providers is supported by over 15 skilled registered nurses, specifically educated in pain management, anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, and radiology technologists. As a first-line treatment facility, we provide comprehensive and compassionate pain care. We have an exceptional team that is ready to provide you with high-quality interventional pain care.

To learn more about our Pain Management Center, call 301-933-8840.

Meet Our Expert Team


Ramani Peruvemba, MD

Ramani Peruvemba, MD

Medical Director, Pain Management Center

Ramani Peruvemba, MD, Holy Cross Health’s medical director of Pain Management, is a native of the New York City area. He attended Washington University in St. Louis and New York Medical College. He completed his anesthesiology residency at N.Y. Presbyterian Hospital and his interventional pain management fellowship at New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Stuart Hough, MD

Stuart Hough, MD

Stuart Hough, MD, is a native of the Washington, D.C. area. He attended Swarthmore College and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He completed his anesthesiology residency and pain management fellowship at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. After serving three years in the U.S. Air Force, he returned home in 2001.

Talal Ghazal, MD

Talal Ghazal, MD

Dr. Talal Ghazal is a certified physician by the American Board of Anesthesiology in both Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. He utilizes spine, joint, nerve, bone and muscle interventions to achieve pain relief for patients with chronic pain. He has a special interest in utilizing novel innovative technologies, such as surgically implantable spinal cord neurostimulation and targeted drug delivery therapies, percutaneous intervertebral disc procedures, radiofrequency neurotomy, vertebral compression augmentation, and regenerative medicine techniques to help patients who have been living with intractable pain.

Esther Ozor, NP

Esther Ozor, NP

Esther Ozor, NP, is a board-certified nurse practitioner. She began her career at Holy Cross Hospital in the department of Oncology and Hematology, where she helped patients manage pain associated with sickle cell disease.