MedEsthetics magazines offers business education and in-depth coverage of the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures for physicians and practice managers working in the medical aesthetics industry.
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CAPITAL CARE 54 MARCH 2015 | Med Esthetics crazy?" she asked herself. "Will I have any patients?" But it turned out to be a smart move. "I see 6,000 patients a year," she says, "and I'm booked solid." DON'T REINVENT THE WHEEL When asked where she acquired her business savvy, Dr. Burgess jokes that she studied in the School of Hard Knocks. "Today residents and students have access to all kinds of business models," she says. "But back when I was fresh out of medical school, new dermatologists were on their own, fl ailing in the wind." That's why she urges residents to sit in on a successful dermatology practice. "Don't just hang with the doctor," she says. "By the time you're a third-year resident, you should know your dermatology. Instead, sit with the front offi ce manager. Learn the business; learn how to code; see how a good practice works. That way you won't have to recreate the wheel." She also cautions new dermatologists not to get caught up in the latest and greatest devices. "They are not always necessary," says Dr. Burgess. "When I fi nished residency, we didn't have a lot of technology to pick and choose from. We had surgical instruments, which in many cases achieved the same results." Case in point: Dr. Burgess learned needling to reju- venate the skin. "Today, a fractional laser costs $140,000 and basically does the same thing," she says. So rather than rushing in and blowing the budget, she urges new doctors to start with the basics, and gradually buy devices as they develop a market. "First learn your patient population—and it may take several years to determine that," she notes. GETTING THE WORD OUT Patients won't fi nd Dr. Burgess in the insurance com- pany's directory of providers, so how do they make their way to her offi ce? "It's mostly word of mouth and the Internet," she says. She admits that she's not terribly Internet savvy—"I'm in the Stone Age when it comes to that," she laughs, "but either you join it or you lose out!"—so she hired a com- pany to create her practice website. One of her employ- ees is in charge of feeding information to the web team on a daily basis, adding specials, photos, news and videos from her news segments. "Regularly updating the website pushes it higher on Google search," she says. The practice has also created several programs to improve patient retention. They offer a Botox Club, VIP Pro- gram and host open house events. To ensure the best results and support retail sales, patients are encouraged to bring in their current homecare products. If they decide to exchange them for products recommended by Dr. Burgess and her team, the patient gets a 20% discount on the new products. Many of the practice's new patients come in after seeing Dr. Burgess on television. About fi ve years ago, she was interviewed on a local TV news channel. To her own sur- prise, she was a natural on-camera: The viewers (and pro- ducers) appreciated the clear, easy-to-understand way she explained complex medical issues—a skill she developed through years of honing her patient communication skills. That one brief TV appearance turned into a weekly dermatology segment. "I get a lot of patients from that," she says. It's one more thing to add to an already busy day, but Dr. Burgess thrives on the variety. And most importantly, "at the end of the day I can say, 'I helped someone,'" she says. Maryann Hammers is a freelance writer, specializing in the medical, beauty and spa industries. Dr. Burgess with staff members (left to right) Ericka Grant, Leslie Bonilla, Yewgenesh Lara.