Host Dr. Ash Patel discusses the topic of staff retention with Sandy Roos, Director of Practice Development at Sientra.

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Host Dr. Ash Patel talks with Dr. Dan Ness and Ashley Bolton about the importance of choosing the right staff.

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

The strongest practices aren't built by hiring more people—they're built by hiring the right people.

Every successful practice starts with a team that supports your vision, complements your strengths, and grows alongside your business. From your first hire to a fully developed staff, thoughtful hiring decisions lay the foundation for efficient operations, exceptional patient experiences, and long-term success.

Dr. Ash Patel is joined by Joanne Denison, President of the American Society of Plastic Surgery Professionals (ASPSP), to discuss how private practices can build an effective team from the ground up. Drawing on decades of experience as a practice administrator, Joanne shares practical guidance on identifying essential roles, hiring for personality and character, recognizing hidden potential, developing future leaders, and creating systems that help both employees and practices thrive. 

Topics Discussed

•  Essential staffing roles for a new private practice 
•  Hiring for personality, character, and cultural fit 
•  Leadership and the role of the practice administrator 
•  When to outsource versus manage responsibilities in-house 
•  Creating checks and balances for financial oversight 
•  Developing employee handbooks and workplace policies 
•  Managing and motivating younger employees 
•  Identifying hidden talents within your team 
•  Using staff meetings to improve communication and professional growth 
•  The value of networking and continuing education for practice staff 

Key Takeaways

• Hire for character and teach the skills. Personality, attitude, and cultural fit are often stronger predictors of long-term success than technical experience alone. 
• Every hire should support your practice's long-term goals. Building the right team starts with identifying the essential roles your practice needs today while remaining flexible as it grows. 
• Strong systems create stronger practices. Employee handbooks, financial safeguards, regular communication, and clearly defined expectations help practices operate more effectively and reduce unnecessary risk. 
• Invest in your team's professional development. Conferences, networking opportunities, and continuing education help staff stay current, solve problems more effectively, and bring new ideas back to the practice. 
• Great leaders recognize potential. Regular conversations with employees can uncover strengths that lead to new responsibilities, career growth, and meaningful contributions beyond a person's original role. 

Bonus Resources

• ASPS EdNet
  

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Creating a more inclusive profession requires more than good intentions—it takes leadership, accountability, and a commitment to meaningful action.

As Season 6 comes to a close, this conversation explores how organizations can help shape a more inclusive future by embedding diversity and inclusion into their culture, leadership, recruitment, education, and decision-making. The discussion highlights how lasting change happens when values are supported by measurable action.

Dr. Ash Patel is joined by Carrie Strom, Senior Vice President of AbbVie and President of Global Allergan Aesthetics, and Kamakshi (KZ) Zeidler, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice, to discuss how diversity and inclusion influence corporate culture and the practice of plastic surgery. Together, they explore the importance of diverse perspectives, creating inclusive workplaces, strengthening recruitment and mentorship, expanding representation in aesthetics, and building organizations that better serve both healthcare professionals and patients. 

Topics Discussed

•  Why diversity and inclusion strengthen organizations 
•  Building an inclusive corporate culture through leadership and accountability 
•  The business value of diversity and diverse perspectives 
•  Recruitment strategies and expanding the talent pipeline 
•  Education, unconscious bias, and psychological safety 
•  Representation in aesthetic medicine, research, and marketing 
•  Creating more inclusive patient experiences 
•  Partnerships between industry and professional societies 
•  Measuring progress through accountability and organizational goals 
•  Leadership's role in creating lasting cultural change 

Key Takeaways

• Leadership drives meaningful change. Building an inclusive culture requires commitment from organizational leaders, clear priorities, and accountability throughout every level of an organization. 
• Diversity strengthens innovation and decision-making. Welcoming different perspectives helps organizations solve problems more effectively, improve collaboration, and better serve the communities they support. 
• Representation matters across every aspect of healthcare. Inclusive recruitment, marketing, research, education, and leadership create opportunities that better reflect the patients and professionals served by the specialty. 
• Creating an inclusive culture is an ongoing process. Education, open dialogue, mentorship, and measurable goals help organizations move beyond good intentions toward sustained progress. 
• Partnerships accelerate progress. Collaboration among healthcare organizations, professional societies, industry, and physicians can help build a stronger and more inclusive future for plastic surgery. 

Bonus Resources

The guests recommend several books and podcasts that informed their own learning and leadership around diversity and inclusion.

• White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo 
• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi 
• Allergan Aesthetics
  

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

The future of plastic surgery depends on more than technical excellence—it depends on building a profession that reflects and understands the patients it serves.

As part of the Diversity and Inclusion series, this conversation explores how diversity, equity, and inclusion strengthen patient care, expand opportunities, and foster innovation across every level of plastic surgery. By investing in mentorship, leadership, and equitable access, the specialty can better serve both its patients and its future workforce.

Dr. Ash Patel is joined by Steven Williams, MD, Paris Butler, MD, MPH, and Kia Washington, MD, for an engaging discussion about why diversity is essential to the future of plastic surgery. Drawing from experiences in private practice, academic medicine, organized leadership, and diversity initiatives, they examine how representation improves patient care, addresses healthcare disparities, strengthens mentorship, and creates a more inclusive profession where every surgeon has the opportunity to succeed. 

Topics Discussed

•  Why diversity strengthens patient care and physician relationships 
•  Addressing healthcare disparities through a diverse workforce 
•  Implicit bias and its impact on clinical decision-making 
•  Diversity within academic medicine and organizational leadership 
•  Barriers to entering and advancing within plastic surgery 
•  The importance of mentorship and early exposure to the specialty 
•  Leadership's role in creating lasting institutional change 
•  Building a more inclusive pipeline for future plastic surgeons 
•  The value of representation across medicine and organized plastic surgery 
•  Reasons for optimism and continued progress within the specialty 

Key Takeaways

• Diversity strengthens patient care. A workforce with diverse backgrounds and perspectives is better equipped to understand patients, build trust, and address the unique needs of the communities it serves. 
• Representation creates opportunity. Visible role models and inclusive leadership encourage future generations of plastic surgeons to pursue careers, leadership positions, and academic advancement. 
• Mentorship is one of the most powerful tools for change. Early exposure, meaningful guidance, and committed mentors help expand opportunities for students and trainees from all backgrounds. 
• Institutional change begins with leadership. Organizations, departments, and professional societies play a critical role in creating environments where diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded into long-term strategy rather than treated as isolated initiatives. 
• Progress requires collective commitment. Continued dialogue, self-reflection, collaboration, and intentional action will help ensure the specialty continues moving toward a more inclusive and equitable future.

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Creating an inclusive profession begins with the courage to recognize bias—even when it's difficult to see.

As part of the Diversity and Inclusion series, this conversation explores how surgeons, allies, and leaders can foster environments where everyone feels heard, supported, and empowered to succeed. By encouraging open dialogue, practicing allyship, and creating psychological safety, each of us has the opportunity to strengthen the future of plastic surgery.

Dr. Ash Patel welcomes Kavitha Ranganathan, MD, and Erica Sears, MD, for an honest and thoughtful conversation about recognizing, navigating, and responding to discrimination throughout a career in plastic surgery. Drawing from their experiences in residency, academic medicine, and leadership, they discuss the impact of implicit bias, the importance of mentorship and allyship, and practical ways individuals and organizations can create more inclusive professional environments where every surgeon has the opportunity to thrive. 

Topics Discussed

•  Personal experiences with discrimination in training and practice 
•  Implicit bias, microaggressions, and unconscious assumptions 
•  The emotional and professional impact of discrimination 
•  Recognizing bias in ourselves and others 
•  The importance of mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship 
•  Building psychologically safe learning and work environments 
•  Leadership's role in creating inclusive workplace cultures 
•  Navigating difficult conversations with empathy and respect 
•  Practical strategies for supporting colleagues experiencing discrimination 
•  Strengthening the specialty through inclusion and mutual respect 

Key Takeaways

• Recognizing bias is the first step toward meaningful change. Developing self-awareness and acknowledging unconscious assumptions creates opportunities for personal and professional growth. 
• Allyship requires action. Supporting colleagues, advocating for equitable opportunities, and speaking up when appropriate help foster a culture where everyone feels valued. 
• Inclusive leadership strengthens teams. Leaders who create psychologically safe environments encourage open communication, trust, collaboration, and professional development. 
• There is no single "right" way to respond to discrimination. Each situation is unique, and thoughtful reflection, support from trusted colleagues, and continued dialogue can be just as important as responding in the moment. 
• Creating a more inclusive profession is a shared responsibility. Small, intentional actions taken by individuals, mentors, institutions, and professional organizations collectively shape the future of plastic surgery. 

Bonus Resources

The discussion highlights several organizations and initiatives that support mentorship, leadership development, and inclusion within plastic surgery.

• Women Plastic Surgeons (WPS)
• Project Implicit 
   

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

"If you don't recognize anybody that looks like you on that board or committee, you're less likely to get involved." — Katerina Gallus, MD 

Every plastic surgeon deserves to see a future they can imagine for themselves. As part of the Diversity and Inclusion series, this conversation explores how mentorship, representation, and inclusive leadership create opportunities for future generations while strengthening the specialty as a whole.

Dr. Ashley Amalfi leads a thoughtful conversation with Wendy Chen, MD, Shuting (Susan) Zhong, MD, and Katerina Gallus, MD, exploring how mentorship, representation, and inclusive leadership are shaping the future of plastic surgery. Drawing on experiences from residency, academia, private practice, and organized medicine, they share personal stories and practical insights on overcoming barriers, building supportive professional networks, and creating opportunities that empower the next generation of plastic surgeons. Together, they demonstrate how diverse perspectives strengthen leadership, improve collaboration, and advance the specialty. 

Topics Discussed

•  Personal journeys into plastic surgery and leadership 
•  The importance of representation and visible role models 
•  Women Plastic Surgeons (WPS) initiatives and mentorship opportunities 
•  The growth and impact of the Times Up PRS and LIMITLESS initiatives 
•  Building leadership pathways for residents and early-career surgeons 
•  Gender diversity in academic medicine and organized plastic surgery 
•  Challenges women continue to face within the specialty 
•  The role of allyship in creating meaningful change 
•  Addressing implicit bias and fostering inclusive environments 
•  Advice for future generations of plastic surgeons 

Key Takeaways

• Representation influences leadership. Seeing diverse voices in leadership positions encourages future surgeons to pursue opportunities they may not have otherwise considered. 
• Mentorship extends beyond technical education. Professional guidance, sponsorship, and meaningful relationships help surgeons navigate career decisions while building confidence and leadership skills. 
• Diversity strengthens the profession. A broader range of experiences and perspectives leads to stronger organizations, better collaboration, and more thoughtful decision-making. 
• Creating an inclusive specialty requires collective effort. Meaningful progress depends on mentors, allies, institutions, and professional organizations working together to expand opportunities. 
• Small actions create lasting impact. Supporting colleagues, sharing experiences, and investing in future leaders helps build a stronger and more inclusive plastic surgery community. 

Bonus Resources

The guests discuss several organizations and initiatives that support mentorship, leadership development, and diversity within plastic surgery.

• Women Plastic Surgeons (WPS)
• Times Up PRS
  
  

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Representation can change what trainees believe is possible for themselves.

In this Season 6 conversation on diversity and inclusion, the discussion moves from patient care to the professional realities of LGBTQ physicians in plastic surgery: finding mentors, deciding when to be visible, navigating bias and creating environments where students, residents, faculty and patients can feel safe being themselves.

Dr. Ash Patel discusses LGBTQ issues in plastic surgery with board-certified plastic surgeons Jessica Lee, MD, Director of Gender Friendly Surgery and Co-director of the Vascular Anomaly Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and Joseph Losee, MD, Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and president-elect of ASPS at the time of recording. They share personal experiences with coming out, mentorship, patient bias, parenthood and advocacy, while highlighting why visible LGBTQ role models and active allies matter for both the workforce and the patients plastic surgeons serve.

Topics Discussed

•  LGBTQ visibility in plastic surgery 
•  Mentorship and role modeling for LGBTQ students and residents 
•  The impact of out physicians and allies in training environments 
•  LGBTQ representation in medical education and professional diversity efforts 
•  Regional differences in acceptance and discrimination 
•  Bias affecting LGBTQ physicians, trainees and patients 
•  Distinctions between LGB and transgender experiences in medicine 
•  Building gender affirming surgery programs 
•  Responding to discriminatory comments from patients 
•  Patient satisfaction scores and bias in feedback systems 
•  Parenthood, adoption and legal protections for LGBTQ families 
•  Authenticity, disclosure and professional belonging 
•  Education, advocacy and allyship within plastic surgery 

Key Takeaway

LGBTQ inclusion in plastic surgery depends on visibility, mentorship and a willingness to address bias when it appears. When LGBTQ physicians can be open about who they are, and when allies help create supportive training and practice environments, the specialty becomes stronger for clinicians, trainees and patients alike.

Bonus Resources

ASPS Diversity and Inclusion Resources

AAMC LGBTQ+ Health Resources

Medical School Factors Associated with Changes in Implicit and Explicit Bias Against Gay and Lesbian People

Gallup: In U.S., Estimate of LGBT Population Rises to 4.5%

Sponsor

Allergan Aesthetics

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Creating a welcoming clinical environment often starts with small choices that tell patients they are seen, respected and safe.

Names, pronouns, bathrooms, documentation, staff education and insurance advocacy all shape the care experience before surgery is ever discussed. For gender affirming patients, those details can determine whether a practice feels affirming or alienating.

Dr. Ash Patel interviews board-certified plastic surgeons William Kuzon, MD, PhD, and Katy Gast, MD, about caring for transgender and gender diverse patients with respect, clarity and clinical thoughtfulness. They discuss evolving terminology, individualized goals for gender affirming surgery, the role of multidisciplinary teams, WPATH standards, insurance barriers, patient-reported outcomes research and practical steps surgeons can take to help patients feel comfortable across every point of care.

Topics Discussed

•  Understanding gender identity, gender expression and pronouns 
•  Asking open-ended questions about identity and patient goals 
•  Using preferred names and pronouns in the EMR 
•  Creating welcoming clinic and hospital environments 
•  Gender-neutral bathrooms, pronoun badges and staff education 
•  Gender dysphoria terminology and diagnosis coding 
•  WPATH standards of care and readiness letters 
•  Multidisciplinary teams for gender affirming care 
•  Insurance coverage, appeals and patient advocacy 
•  Research needs in gender affirming surgery 
•  Patient-reported outcomes and quality of life measures 
•  Building referral networks outside large academic centers 
•  Supporting transgender and gender diverse patients across all care settings 

Key Takeaway

High-quality care for transgender and gender diverse patients requires more than surgical expertise. Plastic surgeons can help create safer, more affirming experiences by using respectful language, educating staff, coordinating with multidisciplinary partners, advocating with insurers and approaching each patient’s goals without assumptions.

Bonus Resources

WPATH Standards of Care

Planned Parenthood Gender Affirming Care

The Gender Unicorn

Lambda Legal Know Your Rights

Sponsor

Allergan Aesthetics

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Allyship is not a label; it is a practice.

The season premiere opens Enhance Your Practice’s diversity and inclusion season with a conversation about what it means to move beyond good intentions. Listening, self-reflection, discomfort, risk and sustained action all shape how clinicians can support colleagues, trainees, patients and communities more meaningfully.

Dr. Ash Patel discusses allyship with Puru Nagarkar, MD, board-certified plastic surgeon, assistant professor of plastic surgery and assistant program director for the plastic surgery residency at UT Southwestern, and Jennifer Coleman, BA, MA, MS, PhD, clinical psychologist with the Road Home Program and assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center. Together, they examine allyship as both a personal and professional responsibility, including how bias affects care, why representation matters in medicine, how to support transgender patients and other underrepresented communities, and how physicians can use their privilege and influence to help create more equitable systems.

Topics Discussed

•  Defining allyship beyond non-discrimination 
•  Personal identity, privilege and lived experience 
•  Why allyship matters in healthcare 
•  Bias in patient care, training and hiring 
•  Patient-centered and practitioner-centered DEI issues 
•  Building more diverse medical systems and leadership pipelines 
•  Supporting transgender patients and gender-affirming care 
•  Speaking up when bias or discrimination occurs 
•  Managing risk, discomfort and fear as an ally 
•  Creating supportive groups and institutional structures 
•  How COVID-19 and social stress affected conversations about equity 
•  Recognizing unconscious bias through reflection and feedback 
•  Listening, inquiry and amplifying marginalized voices 

Key Takeaway

Allyship requires active participation, not passive agreement. For healthcare professionals, that means listening carefully, examining personal and systemic bias, taking thoughtful risks, supporting colleagues and patients from underrepresented communities, and using positions of influence to make medicine more inclusive and equitable over time.

Bonus Resources

ASPS Diversity and Inclusion Resources

Road Home Program

Allergan Aesthetics

About Enhance Your Practice

Enhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.

Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.