Women's Dermatologic Society

  By Dr. Julie Karen It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It is also hard to overstate the impact of the pandemic on each of us. Prolonged office closures with concomitant reduced productivity, the introduction (and for most, the persistence) of personal protective equipment (PPE), elimination of introductory handshakes with our patients, and for many of us, the tragic loss of colleagues, friends and family due to illness are chief among the ways our practices and lives have been indelibly altered. In this country, there have been more than 47.6 million confirmed infections and more than 770,000 COVID-19-related deaths to date. There have been some interesting intersections between COVID-19 and our field of Dermatology, some of which I will highlight below. Diagnosis Delay and Telemedicine Mandatory lockdowns during the first few months of the pandemic limited patients’ access to urgent dermatologic care. At one academic institution,

  By the WDS Practice Advisory Committee From Dr. Sarah Harvey: The most important feature of a successful partnership is sharing the same values and goals for the practice. It is wonderful to have your own interests, but the values that govern your practice should align and you should be honest and upfront about goals for the future and whether they are compatible. From Dr. Una Miniter: An ideal partnership is mutually beneficial with a non-competitor who has a similar demographic/clientele. An obvious and key partnership is with major referring sources: primary care. For the first referral from an office, call personally with a plan and thank them for the referral. Meet and greet or attend happy hours with other doctors in your area so they can get to know and trust you. Communication is key. Maintain regular and consistent communication with major referral sources. Perhaps you have a med derm or cosmetic niche that other derms in your area do not have. Get to know your colleague