Medical Spa MD: Physician community of skin clinics, laser centers, plastic surgeons, dermatologists and aesthetic doctors practicing nonsurgical cosmetic medicine.
That's interesting: Dr. Nease is a Fellowship Director of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and trains surgeons from around the country the latest techniques in cosmetic surgery. The fellowship is a one-year training program open to current ABMS-certified general surgeons, plastic surgeons and head and neck surgeons. He is also a board-examiner and trustee of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and trains other surgeons around the United States in SmartLipo and Affirm fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing.
From a start in internal medicine, Dr. Alex Denes has moved to an entirely cosmetic medical spa and practice.
Dr. Denes worked as an assistant surgeon for 30 years before entering the cosmetic field in 2000. We sat down with Dr. Denes to find out what he's learned, and what lessons he has to pass on.
Name: Dr. Alex Denes Location: Hemet, CA Website:HiGorgeous.net
That's interesting: Dr. Denes is qualified as an expert witness for the US Department of Justice and the California Medical Board. He's appeared as an expert witness for the defense in hundreds of medical malpractice cases.
He is Medical Director and VP of Medical Affairs of Hemet Community Medical Group, a multispecialty group consisting of 155 physicians, and Corporate Medical Director for KM Strategic Management Group.
How did you transition from Internal Medicine to Cosmetic Medicine?
Plastic surgeon and hair transplant physician Samir Ibrahim Abu Goush who practices in both Poland and the Middle East.
Physician: Dr. Samir Ibrahim Abu Ghoush Plastic Surgery Clinic: Mandala Beauty Clinic Location: Poznań, Poland Website: www.mandalaclinic.pl
That’s interesting: Dr. Ghoush is a trainer for Cool Lipo in the Middle East and Central Europe and a pioneer of LVR (Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation) in the Middle East and Poland.
Profile: Dr. Ibrahim was awarded twice by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery for presenting the best clinical case and poster. Aside from that he is recognized worldwide for planting facial hair, moustaches and beards. He is a distinguished Faculty member and Chairperson of many live workshops in HAIRCON and OLSW (Orlando Live Surgery Workshop). Dr. Samir has performed thousands of Aesthetic, Plastic Surgery, Reconstructive and Hair Restoration Procedures in a career spanning for more than 15 years. His patients are women and men from different countries, from all facets of society, many celebrities. Dr. Samir trained and worked with world renowned specialists in their fields.
We hadn't really thought of Poland as a hotbed for cosmetic medicine, until we met plastic surgeon and hair transplant specialist Dr. Samir Ibrahim Abu Goush.
Can you tell us more about your clinic? What are the services available?
Mandala Beauty Clinic is located in the heart of Poznan, Poland. It is very modern, with an integrated operating room with inpatient services. We offer a wide spectrum of innovative methods of treatment, and lasers that include: Vaser Hi def. Liposculpture, Laser Assisted Liposuction, Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation and Aesthetic Gynecology, CTEV Endovenous Laser, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Facial Surgery, Breast Surgery, Body Procedures, Hair Transplants, and Dermatology & Aesthetic Medicine
How is your clinic organized? How do you manage your staff’s salary?
Physicians are working with us as partners on the (win/win) basis. We have at least 25 medical spa staff. The permanent staff is paid a monthly salary while the rest are paid on a per case/per hour basis.
What IPL or laser technologies are you using? What are your thoughts about the technologies you’re using now?
I use a German made IPL (smart plus). I have the Vaser machine from Sound Surgical Technologies, the Cool Lipo Laser and the CTEV Endovenous Laser from Cool Touch, a Laser for LVR (laser vaginal rejuvenation) from Innogyn.
I am very happy and much satisfied with these technologies. I use the Vaser all the time.
How do you market your clinic?
First of all, we have our website that has great medical spa SEO and generates a lot of traffic. We also get featured in both print magazine and TV shows and we always look for ways to make our practice more visible through interviews or PR. However, I still believe that the most important way of spreading word about our clinic is word of mouth. Patients are the most valuable asset you will ever have. If they are happy with your services, there’s a higher probability that they will recommend you to their friends and family and we take every effort to provide both the best medical services, and the best patient care..
What treatments attract the majority of your patients?
The Vaser body sculpturing remains to be the most profitable treatment in my clinic, which delivers amazing results and achieves a high patient satisfaction. Hair transplants are in demand as well. I am always looking into adding new services and innovations to my practice. I am planning to purchase a Fraxel Laser soon.
Can you share your thoughts on what you have learned in the cosmetic industry?
I believe that practicing this profession requires continuous learning. I never stop learning new things, new technologies and how others do the same procedures. If you are in doubt, ask your physician colleagues in the industry and share what you know! Attend workshops, seminars and webinars to keep your self updated.
This interview is part of a series of interviews of physicians running medical spas, laser clinics and cosmetic surgery centers. If you'd like to be considered for an interview, just contact us.
Medical Spa MD
Physicians, plastic surgeons, and dermatologists practicing nonsurgical cosmetic medicine in medical spas, laser clinics and aesthetic practices.
This Embezzlement & Employee Theft Scams training course gives you a practical roadmap to protect your clinic, your patients, your reputation, and your bank account.
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... This new course on beating embezzlement and employee theft schemes uncovers the hidden tactics behind how these scams work, and how to discover them before they kill your clinic.
The insiders guide to buying used cosmetic lasers.
Take advantage of these insider secrets about buying (and selling) used cosmetic lases to make more informed buying decisions. Enter your name and best email below to make sure you don’t get burned.
Use this guide to narrow your search for the system that best suits your needs, allowing you to eliminate platforms and winnow the number of systems you’re looking at. Includes; Palomar, Syneron, Alma, Cutera, and Sciton.
Have you ever paid a commission for Botox and laser treatments? Although it’s very common ... it’s also very illegal.
During the past several years, a very troubling trend has developed in the medical spa industry. Nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and laser technicians are being paid by commission in order to incentivize them to bring new business into the spa. This is very lucrative for both the spa and the individual, but unfortunately, in most states, it is illegal.
However, by accepting commissions for Botox treatments, she was engaging in illegal fee-splitting. Not only could she face significant monetary sanctions if she continued to do so, but both she and her supervising physician risked immediate suspension or revocation of their licenses if the state learned she was taking commissions.Fee-splitting refers to dividing or sharing fees from medical services between a physician and a nonphysician. In most states, all fees generated for medical treatments must be paid directly to a physician or physician-owned corporation. No one other than the physician—including nurses, physician assistants or any nonphysician medical practitioners—may receive any share of a medical fee.
Although the prohibition against fee-splitting has been on the books in most states for years, the practice of paying commissions has become quite prevalent in the medical spa community. This is probably because, in medical spas, most medical directors do not want to spend time firing lasers or injecting since other services can be more lucrative. As a result, injections and laser treatments are delegated to other medical professionals, who, in turn, develop a large client base. An easy way to compensate those professionals is to pay commission.But the consequences for fee-splitting are severe. In most states, the state licensing board has the power to revoke, suspend or refuse to renew licenses in response to fee-splitting allegations. Accordingly, regardless of the monetary incentives, it is always advised to avoid paying or receiving commissions. A safe alternative to fee-splitting is to use a pre-set bonus structure—the nonphysician can still be rewarded for performance, but the bonus is not related to the number of treatments performed.
Recently, a client called me with an urgent concern. This client, a registered nurse in Chicago, worked in a medical spa as an injector and laser technician. She was well-compensated: In addition to an hourly salary, she was also given a commission—a percentage of net revenue—for every Botox and laser treatment she performed. And boy did this nurse perform—during the past 12 months, she personally had generated more than $350,000 in revenue for the spa.
Her concern arose from a conference she had recently attended where she learned that most states have laws prohibiting fee-splitting. She was informed that taking commissions on Botox and laser treatments might land her in hot water with the state nursing board. She explained that this didn’t make sense, given that she had been receiving commissions for years, and that the physicians who paid her surely wouldn’t risk their licenses by doing something illegal.
It is imperative for any medical spa professional to seek legal counsel immediately if being paid a commission for medical treatments. The laws of each state vary and are often difficult to find, but as is often the case, ignorance of the law is never an excuse.
Thoughs on the Ideal silicone / saline breast implant.
The 2 main types of breast implants available for decades have been the saline filled an silicone gel filled breast implants. Each has its pros and cons.
Silicone gel implants have a more natural feel and look. Unlike silicone gel, implants containing only saline do not blend well with surrounding tissues at the edges of the implants. This is due to the chemical properties of salt water which is chemically charged as positive and negative charges that attract each other as opposed to silicone gel which does not carry a charge. Thus saline is more cohesive than silicone. What this means in clinical terms is that saline implant margins are more visible than silicone gel implant margins, especially when the soft tissue (breast gland and fat) between the outside world and the implant is thinner. Thus, in those patients with smaller breasts (less glandular tissue and/or fat) it is preferable to place saline implants under the chest muscle.
Saline implants may look very good when lying flat on a table. However, when upright the upper portion of the implant collapses (wrinkles or ripples) as the cohesive saline falls
There is an element of a gamble inherent in the medical tourism industry as it currently exists.
An interesting thing happened to me at work the other day. It was Friday afternoon, and I received a call from a primary care doctor. The phone call began with, “I’m really sorry about this, but I have a surgeon’s nightmare in my office.”
This is not a good way to begin a conversation.
He began to tell me about the patient. This particular woman had a Lap Band placed several years ago. For one reason or another, she decided that she would like this converted to a different procedure. She drove by my hospital to get to the airport, hopped on a plane and flew over hundreds of other well-qualified bariatric surgeons in order to reach a surgeon in Mexico where she had her Lap Band removed. She then returned 6 months later and had a sleeve gastrectomy. This is where things go bad.
While hesitant to try yet another Social Media platform, I have left thousands of Facebook fans behind for Google + (and so should you...)!
Guest post by Craig Koniver MD
I know, I know, another social media platform is about all you need to read about these days. From Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest to Instagram to Foursquare, it always seems as if there is another "latest" and "greatest" social media platform to pay attention to. But, trust me when I say this, I think Google + is THE one to pay attention to. And here are some reasons why...
In this post, I'd like to spend a little time introducing you to the idea of "lifestyle design," something that has become a bit of a buzz-phrase in the business world but as far as I can tell hasn't penetrated the world of medicine just yet (for a lot of reasons).
I'll begin with a personal story...
When I jumped off the academic track in 2006, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do as a career but I knew I wanted something unique. My idea was to design a career that was flexible, fun, adventurous, and meaningful, all the while paying my bills and being a responsible spouse and parent. Simple, huh?
I spent months thinking about how to do this as a physician. I searched websites and blogs. I spoke with mentors and colleagues. I read the literature, all to no avail. There seemed to be no conversation about a career like this in medicine. I mean, there were a few articles about volunteer opportunities or non-traditional careers, but nothing really like what I was trying to create.
With the spreading of social media into nearly every aspects of our lives, it is worth pausing and reflecting upon their value.
Are you tweeting yet? Posting to your Facebook wall? How about connecting through LinkedIn? How big is your cirlce in Google+? With the onslaught of social media, there is mounting pressure to join each network, manage conections and monetize these various social media outlets. It seems as if social media has become the dominant measuring stick for how well you are doing as a business and how well you are connecting with others.
And while I think social media is something to be embraced, I do not think every outlet is for every person. Nor do I believe that social media serves as any type of barometer in your life (professional and personal). In fact, I think the more you are selective about where you garnish your social media energy and attention, the better you can use social media to your advantage.
Before I get to the specifics of the most popular social media outlets, I want you to come away from this article with one main point: social media presence does NOT equate to success. There is a lot of advice coming at us telling us to join all of the social media networks, trying to convince us that the only way to grow our business and connect with people is by creating these various outposts/hubs to connect with others.
The truth remains, however, that most of the time you can spend a lot of time and energy creating and maintaining these various social media outlets without actually realizing much results. And so while we embrace social media in medicine and beyond, we need to be cognizant as to the actual role of each social media outlet is providing for us. I think a better perspective is "what can I do for social media" not "what can social media do for me".
Let's review the major social media outlets. For each I will give you my personal experience and opinion:
Dr. Carey Nease's goal is to impact the lives of his patients in a way that they are transformed, but not different. 
Protect your clinic and profits in 24 hours.
This Embezzlement & Employee Theft Scams training course gives you a practical roadmap to protect your clinic, your patients, your reputation, and your bank account.
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... This new course on beating embezzlement and employee theft schemes uncovers the hidden tactics behind how these scams work, and how to discover them before they kill your clinic.
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