On this week’s episode, Christopher Surek, DO, talks about how the Academy for Injection Anatomy goes above and beyond to hone injectors’ knowledge of anatomy, skill with injectable treatments and ability to manage complications. He covers:

Developing his passion for head and neck anatomy;

His perspective as an injector, plastic surgeon and anatomist;

The benefits of cadaveric dissection injectable training;

Developing new ways to view and understand anatomy;

How the hands-on course helps to understand the three-dimensional anatomy of the face;

A quick breakdown of facial layers and his approach to teaching; and

How use of ultrasound can lead to better injectable results.

This week, George Baxter-Holder, ARNP, DNP, CANS, and chair of the AmSpa Aesthetic Safety Council (AASC), joins us in a wide-ranging talk. He covers:

The AASC looking at the practice guidelines with fresh eyes;

The priorities when fine-tuning the practice guidelines;

Determining the intent of practice guidelines;

Looking at the practice guidelines as a position statement rather than a policy statement;

Coming to a consensus on minimum standards for medical aesthetic practices;

Trying to define “medical director,” including training and qualifications;

The resiliency of medical spa industry during COVID-19;

His involvement with the Academy for Injection Anatomy; and

The benefits of getting a hands-on, 3D view of anatomy for injectors.

See here for more information on the AmSpa Aesthetic Safety Council.

 

See here for more information on the Academy for Injection Anatomy.

This week, AmSpa legal coordinator Patrick Armstrong O’Brien talks about legal trends he’s seeing in proposed bills that would affect medical aesthetics across the country. These include:

What independent practice means;

States increasingly moving toward independent practice for APRNs;

Some states that are considering allowing PAs more independence;

Trends regarding “cosmetic practice licenses” for minimally invasive procedures; 

The recent California LVN board investigation and what it may mean for aesthetic practices;

And more!

This week, Cathy Christensen, COO of AmSpa, joins Alex to discuss the results of the AmSpa 2020 Medical Spa Industry Short Survey – COVID-19’s Impact. In this conversation they cover:

The recent death of Dr. Paymon Simoni due to COVID-19;

Medical aesthetic practices that had to permanently close;

Medical aesthetic practices that had to permanently lay off team members;

How federal aid impacted medical aesthetic practices;

Revenues in 2020 compared to 2019;

The relative resilience of the non-surgical medical aesthetics industry;

How these numbers impact the outlook for the future;

And more

View more information about the survey at americanmedspa.org.

 

View and download an infographic summary of the results here.

This week, Jessica Wright, MD, of Rejuvenate Austin, stops by to talk about her journey from practicing medicine at a busy urban trauma center to life in medical aesthetics. She talks about:

Succeeding during the pandemic;

Why she got into medicine;

Why she got into aesthetics;

Going from hospital surgeon to business owner;

Balancing work and personal life;

Advice for people looking to get into aesthetics;

And more!

Alex Thiersch, JD, founder and CEO of AmSpa, is joined by Christin Trujillo of Skytale Group and Patrick O’Brien, JD, AmSpa’s legal coordinator, to discuss the new round of federal stimulus and assistance for COVID-19 relief. They will look into the individual programs and measures found in the bill and how they might affect your medical aesthetic practice.

Brandon Robinson, owner of Skin Body Soul and investor in OrangeTwist, takes over the podcast this week to interview Alex Thiersch, JD, AmSpa’s founder and CEO. As we close out a tumultuous 2020 and head into a new year join us for a look back at the history of the American Med Spa Association as Alex reveals:

How he first became interested in a legal career;

The legal case that got him into medical aesthetics;

The beginnings of AmSpa;

The idea behind AmSpa’s Medical Spa & Aesthetic Boot Camps;

How the Medical Spa Show came into being;

How Covid-19 and lockdown changed the focus of the association;

His outlook on the future of the industry post-pandemic.

This week, we’re back with Christie Hutchinson, RN, MBA, talking all about OSHA. She answers a number of compliance questions, including:

What is OSHA?

Where do majority of OSHA complaints come from?

What are the most common OSHA violations?

What are minimum compliance standards for light-emitting devices?

What do you do in case of an OSHA investigation?

This week, Christie Hutchinson, RN, MBA, does a deep dive on the nursing scope of practice in aesthetic medicine. She discusses:

The initial consult and what counts as the practice of medicine;

How standing orders affects what RNs can and can’t do;

The importance of protecting your nursing license;

Standard operating procedures and their place in medical spas; and

Where you can find information on “who can do what” in a medical practice.

This week, Brandon Robinson, owner of Skin Body Soul and investor in OrangeTwist, talks about the business outlook for the medical spa industry during and potentially after the COVID-19 pandemic. He covers how investment interest in the industry has actually increased over the past several months and reveals his thought process as he expanded his business over the course of 2020. He talks about:

Ways the pandemic has proven the business model of medical aesthetics;

How the “stickiness” of the industry has become apparent to investors;

Why and how he managed to expand during pandemic;

Where opportunities can come from during and after lockdown;

The importance of knowing your numbers, knowing your model and sticking to your guns;

Protections you can build into lease agreements to give yourself confidence to take risks;

Predictions for when industry will get back to full capacity; and

His reflections on 2020.