Notice something suspicious on your skin? Early detection saves lives, reminds the Skin Cancer Foundation.
But what do you do when you call for an appointment and you’re told you’ll have to wait days or even weeks for an appointment? Enter the new convenient care, designed to help patients avoid panic mode, achieve peace of mind, and receive professional treatment in a timely fashion: Walk-in Dermatology in Greenvale, Long Island’s first local walk-in dermatologic office.
“The increase in public awareness of skin cancers and advanced treatments available for chronic skin conditions has encouraged more people to have their skin examined,” says Stacey Brisman, M.D., F.A.A.D. ”This, combined with the shortage of dermatologists, has contributed to long wait times to see a board-certified dermatologist.
Dr. Brisman is a board-certified dermatologist and member of the American Academy of Dermatology, Women’s Dermatology Society and Skin Cancer Foundation. In April, she and Steven Dresner cofounded Walk-in Dermatology, which provides medical and cosmetic dermatologic services and allows patients to book online, call the office or simply walk in on the same day to be seen by a dermatologist. Dr. Brisman is joined by dermatologists Dr. Louis Siegel and Dr. Kumar Sukhdeo, both Fellows of the American Academy of Dermatology.
At Walk-in Dermatology, “anyone can walk in and be seen seven days a week for any skin care condition,” Dr. Brisman says. Plus, the office accepts most health insurance plans.
The secret to Walk-in Dermatology’s success is quite simple, says Dr. Brisman. While the practice provides the same services — full-body skin examinations, diagnostics, cosmetic procedures, etc. — as a traditional dermatology office, their approach is more modern and keeps in mind that people are busy and sometimes waiting is not an option.
“It’s all in the scheduling,” she notes. “We manage our calendar to avoid scheduling back-to-back patients so that someone who needs to be seen the same day can simply walk into the office.”
“In dermatology, faster is better,” notes Dr. Brisman. “The sooner you are diagnosing any kind of skin cancer, the more treatable it is…rashes, contact dermatitis and other skin issues need to be dealt with faster before they spread.”
The goal of Walk-in Dermatology’s founders is to achieve efficiency in patient management, monitoring and follow-up by utilizing advanced technology systems to manage electronic medical records.
“It’s super high-tech stuff and we believe this is really the future of care,” Dr. Brisman says.
While Dr. Brisman is thoroughly enjoying being able to serve patients more efficiently at Walk-in Dermatology, she notes, “The hardest part about starting a new practice for me was leaving the special bonds that I had made with so many of my prior patients.”
She says thankfully she has been reacquainted with some familiar faces. Robyn Doubert of Port Washington was a patient of Dr. Brisman’s at her previous practice who says she owes her life to Dr. Brisman. For years, other physicians missed a spot that had concerned Doubert; Dr. Brisman tested the area and diagnosed Doubert with melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer.
“I was very lucky and thankful she is so thorough,” Doubert says. She has also taken her three children to Walk-in Dermatology. “It’s a big relief to know you can get right in. We maybe waited twenty minutes; you can wait an hour plus 20 [minutes] at a regular doctor’s office.”
Great Neck residents Harold and Jacqueline Lamkay also followed Dr. Brisman to Walk-in Dermatology.
“We were so impressed with her there; we’d follow her wherever she goes,” Harold says.
The quick and easy access to care at Walk-in Dermatology has come in handy for Mr. Lamkay. Upon returning with his wife from a recent trip overseas, he had noticed a rash.
“She [Dr. Brisnan] saw me immediately and prescribed medication; she gave me her cell,” he says.
The rash was healed in five days.
“I feel humbled everyday with the incredibly positive feedback from patients old and new about the convenience of Walk-in Dermatology and the exceptional care they received by our board-certified dermatologists,” says Dr. Brisman.
Walk-in Dermatology is located at 50 Glen Cove Rd. in Greenvale. It can be reached at 516-621-1982 or walkindermatology.com
