Doctor Bios
Dr. Gus Rousonelos
Dr. Pamela Persak
Dr. Erin Shanks
Dr. Karolyn Law
Dr. Ushma Patel



Gus Rousonelos, M.D., F.A.A.P. was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois until his family moved to a farm in Plainfield when he was in fourth grade. He spent his summers working in the family business, Rousonelos Farms, growing, harvesting, and packing vegetables. He attended the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana and received a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences. He continued to work summers on the family farm until he completed his undergraduate studies.

Dr. Rousonelos attended medical school at the University of Illinois. He then traveled to Virginia for his pediatric residency at The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk.

Dr. Gus, as he is known by his patients and their parents, returned to Illinois after completing his pediatric training in 1987 to begin pediatric practice in Naperville. He served as Vice-Chairman of Pediatrics at Good Samaritan Hospital from January, 1994 to December, 1995 and as Chairman of Pediatrics from January, 1995 to December, 1996 He is board certified in Pediatrics, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the DuPage County Medical Society, and a member of The American Medical Association.

Dr. Gus and his wife, Georgia, live in Naperville. Georgia practiced dentistry for 14 years before deciding to stay home full time to tend to her three busy children, Katherine, Maria and Andrew.

Dr. Gus enjoys the challenge of parenting. His children are always teaching him things he hasn’t learned yet. When he’s not spending time with his family or practicing pediatrics, he likes to read, exercise, cook, travel, and listen to all types of music. He also enjoys gardening, and cheering for the Cubs, Bears and Bulls.

Dr. Gus values his personal relationship with his patients and their parents. He strives to achieve the common goal of a healthy lifestyle for his patients and helping their parents with the difficult, but fulfilling, task of parenting. He also has a special interest in skin conditions and sleep issues in children.



Pamela Persak, MD., FAAP grew up in California. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of California, Irvine. She moved to Illinois to attend Chicago Medical School and graduated with her medical degree in 1994. During medical school, Dr. Persak was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She completed her pediatric residency, including a year as Chief Resident, at Loyola University Medical Center. After residency, she continued on staff at Loyola as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics from 1998 to 2001.

Dr. Persak moved to Minnesota in 2001 to be with her fiancé (now husband) where she worked at a large pediatric office until May, 2008.

Her husband’s job transferred him back to this area and she joined ABC Pediatrics, Ltd. in 2008. She is Pediatric Board Certified and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Pam and her husband Bob reside in Lemont. Bob is a chemical engineer at Flint Hills Resources, a chemical plant in Joliet. They are very busy with their three young children, Max, Kate and Nicholas.

When not working, Pam enjoys spending time with her family and the challenges and rewards of being a Mom. Prior to having kids, she enjoyed running, mountain biking and competing in sprint triathlons. Now she just sprints after her three kids. If she has any free time or energy after that, she does enjoy all outdoor activities as well as some quiet time with a good book.

Dr. Persak loves her work as a pediatrician and values her relationships with her patients and families. Her goal is to partner with her patients and their parents to provide comprehensive quality care. Dr. Persak sees children from birth through adolescence and is accepting new patients into her practice.

Dr. Persak has a special interest in breastfeeding and newborns as well as asthma and allergies, including seasonal, environmental and food allergies. If you are interested in meeting Dr. Persak, please call to set up an interview.



Erin Shanks, M.D., F.A.A.P. grew up in North Aurora, IL. She attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City and received her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering. She received her medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in 1997. Dr. Shanks was elected to the medical honor society, Alpha Omega Alpha, while at Loyola. She completed her pediatric residency at Loyola University Medical Center.

Dr. Shanks joined A.B.C. Pediatrics, Ltd. in 2000 after she completed her pediatric residency. She is Pediatric Board Certified and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Erin and her husband Tony reside in Naperville. Tony is a project manager at Hewitt Associates, a benefits consulting firm. They are very busy with their two young children, Sophie and Luke.

When not working, Erin enjoys spending time with her family and being a Mom. She has been a swimmer since childhood and still spends hours in the pool as a member of The Naperville Waves, a Masters Swim team. She enjoys sports, fitness and outdoor activities – especially waterskiing, snow skiing, and scuba diving.

Dr. Shanks enjoys providing quality care to children of all ages. She feels so privileged to be involved with ABC Pediatrics working in a career that she loves.



Karolyn Law, M.D., F.A.A.P. grew up in the near west Chicago suburb of Riverside, IL. She attended Iowa State University on a full athletic scholarship to play volleyball. She graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Zoology. During her senior year, she became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and was named Iowa State University’s Female Athlete of the Year.

In 1999, Dr. Law received her medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago. She then completed her pediatric residency at Loyola University Medical Center in 2002 and subsequently became Board Certified in Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She joined ABC Pediatrics, Ltd. in December, 2003.

Dr. Law is married to John Honcharuk, an Athletic Trainer for AthletiCo, Ltd. and they reside in Aurora. She is now enjoying both the rewards and challenges of being a mom with the birth of her son, Stephen and daughter, Anna. Prior to becoming a parent, some of her favorite pastimes included hiking in Colorado, reading Harry Potter novels on a beach, gardening and cooking. Now you are more likely to find her on a family stroll through her neighborhood, reading “Guess How Much I Love You” on the couch, occasionally remembering to water the house plants, or watching the Food Networ

It is an amazing thing to be a part of children’s lives and watch them grow. As your pediatrician, Dr. Law is dedicated to helping you raise happy and healthy children.


Ushma Patel, M.D., F.A.A.P. was born and raised in the northern suburbs of Chicago.  She attended the University of Illinois, in Champaign/Urbana. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in science education.  She was awarded several prestigious honors while at the U of I, including Phi Beta Kappa and Bronze Tablet. Bronze Tablet honor students, who are the top 3 percent from each graduating class, are selected for their outstanding academic performance during their undergraduate study.

After her undergraduate degree, Dr. Patel returned to Chicago where she attended medical school at Northwestern University.  Along with a busy schedule of classes and labs, she held leadership positions in several organizations. These included the American Medical Student Association where she coordinated a nationwide primary care initiative. 

Dr. Patel graduated from Northwestern with her Doctor of Medicine, and then began her residency at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.  She spent her three years in Milwaukee working long hours, and participating in many community and academic projects.  She coordinated recruitment activities for prospective residents and was awarded an emergency medicine achievement award for her work and mentoring in the ER.  She also found time to write a chapter in a pediatric "on call" manual published in 2005.

In her free time, Dr. Patel enjoys reading, traveling, yoga, and playing with her nephew. 

Dr. Patel joined ABC Pediatrics in 2005 and truly enjoys coming to work everyday.  She is board certified with the American Board of Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Dr. Patel focuses on spending time with her patients and educating as part of each visit.  She is currently accepting new patients of all ages and looks forward to meeting prospective families at "get to know the doctor" visits. If you are interested in meeting Dr. Patel, please call to set up a prenatal or family interview.