Medical Spa Embezzlement & Employee Theft Scams Report

Download the new, free report for Members: Medical Spa Embezzlement & Employee Theft Scams... Reading it could save your clinic.

It's the guide to beating embezzlement and employee theft schemes in your cosmetic practice or medical spa.

Taking cash payments in the treatment room, stealing Botox and fillers to inject their own patients, ordering fraud, trading extra services for large tips, or stealing your client database to sell or use... In a recent study, more than 82% of medical clinics reported experience with employee theft or embezzlement... that they were aware of. This new 40 page guide to beating embezzlement and employee theft schemes uncovers the hidden tactics behind how these scams work, and how you can find them before they capsize your business.

Embezzlement and employee theft are an unfortunate fact in almost every business, and especially in cosmetic medical practices. If you haven’t ever had to deal with this you’re extremely lucky since it has taken place in every clinic I’ve been personally involved with and the stories that are told by physicians and business owners are legion. If you think it can’t happen in your clinic you’re just whistling past the graveyard. It can. Don’t prepare yourself and it will.

Download this free members-only report >

Medical Spa Embezzlement & Employee Theft Scams

This report is designed to give you a fighting chance to identify how your business is at risk, to understand how these schemes work, and what you can do to minimize your risk and take action when you find a problem.

Here's some of what those who have already read this report are saying:

Great report! It should be required reading for all doctors — even for those of us who've been around!

Marguerite Barnett MD FACS PA, Mandala Medspa

A very eye-opening and sobering report. This is a must read for everyone!

Windie Hayano, The Skin Inc. Dermatology and Laser Center

Opened my eyes! The information in this report is invaluable! I hadn't even thought of some of the scams mentioned in these testimonials!

Lori Robertson FNP, Skin Perfect Medical Rancho

Great! ...after reading others experiences I realize that you just cannot be too careful when it comes to the financial security of your business.

Anne Talbot, Owner, Victorias Cosmetic Medical Clinic

This report will help other centers avoid going through what we had to endure and overcome.

Brian Sidella, Founder, Forever Young Medspa

You’re about to read the many stories that have been collected from clinics and physicians; from how a physician-employee put an extra account on a credit card terminal to deposit payments into his own checking account to how a NP would inject patients with straight saline and steal the Botox to use in her own side business... and a host of others... ordering fraud, trading extra services for large tips, or stealing your client database to sell or use, setting up false bank accounts, switching acocunts on the credit card reader... all of these scams are covered through real life accounts from the physicians and clinic owners who experienced them.

Some of the stories are almost beyond belief in their brazenness and the damage that was caused. In almost every case, the employee was a trusted team member. Do yourself, your family, and your business a favor and read this report. No matter what your experience has been, you're going to learn something important.

Have your own story? Submit it here for the next edition

Radiofrequency Assisted Liposuction (RFAL) - A new technique for adipose tissue treatment & 3D-skin tightening

The new technique using radiofrequency assisted liposucion (RFAL) from Invasix is based on bipolar radiofrequency energy which is applied to the subcutaneous adipose tissue and subdermal skin surface.

Preliminary clinical trials, histologic biopsies of the treated tissue and thermal monitoring demonstrate a rapid liquefaction of the adipose cells, coagulation of surcutaneous blood vessels and uniform sustained heating of tissue.

The dramatic rise in liposuction procedures, the aging “baby boomer” population, with decreasing skin tone and advanced laxity are seeking new body contour procedures.

The traditional tumescent, suction-assisted liposuction (SAL) is a mechanical disruption of adipose tissue through the openings in the cannula with induced negative pressure and can be quite traumatic to the patient.

 In seeking to improve the postoperative patient recovery of swelling, bruising, pain and to enhance skin contraction as well as to diminish physician effort, newer generations of energy-assisted liposuction technologies have been developed.

Preliminary studies with the RFAL technique reported faster treatment, improved safety, reduced tissue trauma, liquefaction of adipose tissue, blood vessel coagulation and uniform heating of the skin and subcutaneous tissue as well potential 3D-skin tightening. Due to histologic observation of connective tissue in the treatment area there is a significant change in its structure with coagulation of the deep, dermal collagen. After treating the subcutaneous fibrous and dermal matrix with RFAL the results are impressive in 3D-soft tissue contraction and contours.

Dr. Bratani has no disclosures and interests with Invasix Ltd.

Add Allergan's Brilliant Distinctions Program To Your Website's Social Media Buttons

What is the Allergan Brilliant Distinctions Program?

Brilliant Distinctions (BD) is a frequent user program by Allergan for their products of Botox, Juvederm, Latisse and their skin care line. This program gives the patients coupons and rebates. Many practices in the US who inject Botox have the opportunity to join this program. Your Botox/Allergan representative would have more information. In my location, Brilliant Distinctions is well utilized.

New Patients look for Brilliant Distinctions

I have also found that when experienced Botox and Juvederm patients move to my area, they sometimes come armed with Brilliant Distinction discounts which they would like to use. They have called my office asking whether we take Brilliant Distinctions  These patients usually come from different states, and the transition process is painless. We just need their name, zip code, and birthdate. With that information, the patients can use their points and earn new ones at our practice. With any patients who have somehow created multiple accounts, a quick call to the toll free hotline provided by Brilliant Distinctions usually solves the problem.

Creation of the Brilliant Distinctions Button 

I thought it would be useful to create a button that goes along with some of our social media buttons. I presented the idea to Allergan, and they actually helped me create some of their logos that matched the size of frequently used social media "buttons." By buttons, I mean those icon or logos that represent Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. I have had links from my website before to Brilliant Distinctions, but they were big clunky pictures, and I've never matched it up on the page with the Facebook or Twitter logos. I asked Allergan about the idea and they sent me basic BD logos to work with. I spent some time trying to make these logos match, and I've shown them to Allergan.  Allergan has a section on their website for physicians which has logos to use on their websites, but when I contacted them, they didn't have ones of this design. I thought I'd share these logos with you so you can put them on your websites yourself or have your trusty webmaster do it if you like the idea.

Please feel free to copy the Brilliant Distinctions Buttons (ie. Right click/save-as). 

I've seen many beautiful websites out there with beautiful social media buttons. Now you can also add a matching BD logo to the collection.

I made a website displaying the logos that Allergan and I tweaked to match most common social media buttons which are already used on many plastic surgery, dermatology, and aesthetic websites.

Increased Botox Longevity With A Zinc Supplement

Botox & Zinc? Does Zinc make Botox last longer?

An American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery news brief has reported that a Houston oculoplastic surgeon, Dr. Charles Soparkar, has come up with a way to make Botox (and presumably all botulinum toxin neuromodulators) more effective and last longer. In a modified double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study and a subsequently completed formal study, the duration of effect was increased by 30% in over 90% of the patients studied. The study included both cosmetic and medical indications (blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm).

The theory goes like this: Botulinim toxin is very dependent upon zinc for effectiveness. Unfortunately, 50% of the US population is zinc deficient. Apparently, dietary zinc can be poorly absorbed due to binding elements found in many foods called phytates. Dr. Soparkar’s group posited that adding zinc to the diet of patients having a weak response or short duration of effect to botulinum toxin may be beneficial. Additionally, a phytate munching phytase enzyme was added to increase zinc bioavailability.

The result is a prescription medication called Zytaze. Each capsule contains 25mg of highly bioavailable zinc citrate and 1500 mg of Phytase. Patients take 2 caps daily for four days prior to AND on the day of injection. The drug is supplied in a 10 cap pack and cost $60 - $80. The result has been less frequent and decreased amounts of toxin needed and potential patient savings. (However, does the cost of the drug nullify these advantages?) This is great news for patients and a potential niche offering in the commoditized botulinum marketplace. Maybe not so great for practices depending on a high turnover of renewable products and services. 

Who else has experience with Zytaze?  

I Want To Be A Fibroblast!

What criteria is most important when choosing a treatment or technology to stimulate fibroblasts for skin rejuvenation?

Being a dermatologist focused on aesthetic treatment options for improving skin's condition  it's quality and overall appearance – I clinically and scientifically overlook tons of different approaches.

Basically, and I think we can agree on this, many treatments try to target the fibroblast. Its about the stimulation of this branched tissue cell who's function is to maintain the structural integrity of connective tissues by continously secreting precursors of the extracellular matrix such as ground substance, a variety of fibers notably the reticular and elastic ones and cytokines.

The goal in many skin rejuvenation treatments is to activate and stimulate the fibroblasts... and there are countless strategies to do this: You might choose chemical peels, energy based devices such as non-fractionated or fractionated resurfacing lasers, intense pulsed light (IPL), infrared light or radiofrequency. One might think of dermal filler substances such as hyaluronic acid or – better – calciumhydroxylapatite (there are even publications on a stimulating effect botulinum toxin type a...). Further one might consider microneedling, dermabrasion, etc..

Or think about "newer" technologies such as platelet rich plasma, carboxytherapy, nitrogen plasma energy, kinetic HA (kinetic Hyaluronic Acid). And last but not least cosmeceuticals (this list is not exhaustive!!).

Which strategy to choose? It's actually very difficult to find way through this jungle!

I would like to encourage and activate the discussion here and ask for your opinion: What are the most important criteria for you when you do your choice? Is it about mangeability, about downtime, about scientific proof, about safety, about treatment protocols (such as e.g. multiple treatments), about clinical experience of other physicians, about availability, about the learning curve, about the deligability, about the costs?

What's your decision maker here?

Submit Embezzlement & Employee Theft Stories From Your Medical Practice Or Clinic

Unfortunately, employee embezzlement and theft in cosmetic medical clinics is commonplace. We're going to help you with that.

We've posted about theft and embezzlement before. Read: Embezzlement & Employee Theft: It can, and probably will, happen to you.

We're building a new loss prevention report that will cover this area and provide you with just about every trick in the book including:

• How common embezzlement schemes are set up and how these criminals cover their tracks.
• How thieves steal Botox and injectables to supply their side business.
• Credit card and payment scams at the front desk.
• Treatment room cash payments.
• Inventory and product theft in the back room.
• Everything else...

To do this we're reaching out to you, our Members and readers, and asking for your help. If you have inside knowledge of a situation that involved embezzlement or theft, that you let us know by submitting your story and giving us all the gory details. (No identifiable information is required so you can tell the story anonymously if you wish.)

Click Here To Submit Your Story

http://MedicalSpaMD.com/Embezzle

We're compiling these submissions as well as drawing on our own experiences and contacting embezzlement and loss prevention experts to produce a comprehensive blueprint for protecting your clinic and your business that will give you insight into how these scams work, and how you can prevent them.

If you have any thoughts on this topic or what we should include, please leave them in the comments below.