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.
Issue link: https://medesthetics.epubxp.com/i/643539
4 MARCH 2016 | Med Esthetics EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Mary Lee Amerian, MD Santa Monica Laser and Skin Care Center, Santa Monica, CA Saul R. Berger, MD Medical Director, New Age Aesthetics, Encino, CA Padraic Deighan, MBA, JD, PhD Vail, CO Michael H. Gold, MD Assistant Clinical Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Founder, Gold Skin Care Center, Nashville, TN Bruce Katz, MD Clinical Professor Dermatology, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine Director, Juva Skin & Laser Center, New York Lorrie Klein, MD Assistant Clinical Professor, University of California-Irvine Medical School Founder, LK Dermatology & Laser Center Euro Day Spas, Laguna Niguel, CA Allan Share President, International Medical Spa Association, Minnetonka, MN David H. McDaniel, MD Assistant Professor of Clinical Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School Director, The Institute of Anti-Aging Research, Virginia, Virginia Beach, VA Vic Narurkar, MD Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology, UC Davis Medical School Chief of Dermatology, California Pacifi c Medical Center, San Francisco Ava Shamban, MD Laser Institute for Dermatology and European Skin Care, Santa Monica, CA Hema Sundaram, MD Director, Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Rockville, MD and Fairfax, VA Wm. Philip Werschler, MD Spokane Dermatology Clinic and Aesthetic Image Medical Spa, Spokane, WA ihansen@creativeage.com • 603.354.3291 As a sign of the growing role that physician extenders play in health care, Elsevier has launched Physician Assistant Clinics, a scientifi c journal offering in-depth clinical review articles written by physician assistants (PAs). For many years, PAs and nurse practitioners (NPs) have played a vital role in medical aesthetic practices and medspas, where they provide treatments including injectables, laser resurfacing and body contouring. These physician extenders allow practices and medspas to expand their treatment menus and, in many cases, provide a variety of price points for prospective patients seeking aesthetic rejuvenation. While the value offered—both fi nancial and in terms of patient satisfaction—by extenders is signifi cant, it does require forethought to reap the full benefi ts of these mutually benefi cial arrangements. If you are working with—or delegating duties to—NPs in your practice, it may be time to schedule a get-together to make sure you are communicating clearly on patient care. A recent study on "Nurse practitioner perceptions of the impact of physician oversight on quality and safety of nurse practitioner practice" published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners revealed that the majority of NPs feel that physician oversight (PO) in their facilities creates provider-patient confusion, hinders provider-patient trust and does not improve safety. When asked to elaborate, NPs in states that require physician supervision reported that in many cases supervision was not taking place or the supervising physician did not work on-site, leaving them to seek out on-site practitioners when they had questions. Of those who felt that there was a benefi t to PO, the benefi ts included the ability to collaborate on challenging cases, mentorship and an increased level of confi dence. The fi rst step in avoiding miscommunication among providers is creating a clear employment or contactor agreement. On page 20 of this issue, attorney Allyson Avila discusses which providers can be hired as independent contractors and offers guidance on key topics to address in contractor agreements to ensure a positive and productive relationship between practice owners and physician extenders. Medical devices, particularly those geared toward treating the body, are often delegated to ancillary staff or physician extenders. In the arena of cellulite reduction—a notoriously diffi cult condition to treat—facilities have a growing range of treatment options available. If you turn to page 28 ("Smooth Operators"), you can learn more about new, long-term cellulite treatment options and how they compare to the existing range of noninvasive and minimally invasive procedures. As aesthetic providers continue to expand their teams to include more support staff and providers, it is critically important to think about how you can create a cohesive team focused on providing the best patient care and experience. In our Business Consult column on page 16, consultant Cheryl Whitman shares proven strategies to help you fi nd, train and retain the right team members for your business. Creating a Cohesive Team Inga Hansen Executive Editor/Associate Publisher EDITOR'S NOTE