Medical Spa Insider

What can microneedling remind us about keeping the medical in medical spas? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Molly Muecke, RN, MSN, APRN, NP-C, founder of Astra Aesthetics in Knoxville, Tennessee. They discuss the risks associated with microneedling, the importance of safety protocols in medical aesthetics, and the need to educate patients and regulators about safe med spa practices. Their conversation includes: How a non-compete brought her practice closer to home; The potential risks and side effects of microneedling; Why microneedling is regulated as a medical procedure; Educating patients about safe aesthetic practices; Proper safety protocols for needles and syringes; Half-syringe usage, injection safety and more! Music By Ghost Score

In this Medical Spa Show speakers series, we hear from Taylor Siemens, NP-C, vice president of operations at Vitalyc MedSpa; Christopher Balbi, director of marketing at Meesha Aesthetics; Rebecca McAbee, practice manager and chief operating officer at Disappearing Act Medical Aesthetics; and Kelly Choi, NP, founder of The Beauty Collective. They describe their wins and lessons learned, along with what conference attendees will learn from their classes at Medical Spa Show 2025, from April 10 - 13, 2025! Taylor Siemens, NP-C Thursday, April 10: 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. | Choosing the Right Treatments for Your Medical Aesthetics Practice Saturday, April 12: 2:15 - 2:40 p.m. | Practice Non-surgical Body Contouring for Your Practice Chris Balbi Saturday, April 12: 9 - 9:25 a.m. | Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Your Aesthetic Practice Rebecca McAbee Saturday, April 12: 1:05 - 2:05 p.m. | PANEL: Perfect Partners: Medical Spa Owners and Practice Managers Saturday, April 12: 4:25 - 5:25 p.m. | The HR Panel: Hiring, Retaining, Compensating and Managing Your Aesthetic Talent Kelly Choi, NP Saturday, April 12: 9 - 10 a.m. | All-Star Owners Panel Music By Ghost Score

In this 300th episode of Medical Spa Insider, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Jodi Faustlin, chief compliance offer, and Chad Schiffman, director of risk management at Healthcare Compliance Pros. They talk about fundamental compliance policies and procedures for your organization, why the OCR and FTC are getting more involved in healthcare compliance, and how aesthetic practices can protect electronic personal health records. Their conversation includes: What triggers the FTC to look into your business practices; Why you should be careful with claims of HIPAA compliance; How to conduct a thorough risk analysis to find vulnerabilities; Getting your team’s buy-in to implement your compliance policy; How to protect your patients’ health information (PHI) when using AI; Protecting the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of PHI; Keeping up with rules and regulatory updates, and more! Healthcare Compliance Pros (HCP) understands that the health care industry continues to face a significant amount of regulatory oversight in HIPAA, OSHA, corporate compliance and human resources. Many health care organizations have struggled to find an efficient, simple and cost-effective way to stay current with these high-overhead, low reward-liabilities. Having seen this frustration firsthand, HCP has created innovative online tools and comprehensive compliance support to address these needs. Music By Ghost Score

In this episode, we revisit a conversation between AmSpa President and CSO, Cathy Christensen, Shawna Chrisman, NP, CEO and founder of Destination Aesthetics, and Maegen Kennedy, PA-C, co-founder and clinical director of Windermere Medical Spa & Laser Institute. They spoke about the current stage of their medical spas, the details of scaling a business, and insider tips to help new and growing medical spas reach their goals. Listen in to hear more about: What they’ve learned through expanding to multiple locations; How to prepare for expansion and train your employees; Strategies that have helped their med spas find success; Tracking and responding to the data in your practice; Which KPIs show you the health of your business; Advice for med spas starting out or looking to reach the next level; An original membership model and loyalty program; And much more! Music by Ghost Score.

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Jonathan Kaplan, MD, board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of BuildMyHealth. They chat about DrWell by BuildMyHealth and how it simplifies medical weight loss treatment for both patients and medical aesthetic practices. Listen in to learn: Evolving from price transparency solutions to subscription medications; How DrWell automates billing and connects med spas to compounding pharmacies; Compliantly paying providers and helping patients navigate insurance; How 503a and 503b pharmacies can continue providing weight loss solutions; The future of provider-to-consumer and working with compounding pharmacies; And more! Music By Ghost Score

This week in AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Patrick Blake, MD, and Praveen Ramineni, co-founders of Portrait, along with Sam Pondrom, JD, associate at national healthcare law firm ByrdAdatto. They discuss the role of medical directors in shaping aesthetic practices, from setting protocols to ensuring regulatory compliance and patient safety. Their conversation includes: How independent medical providers stay competitive; Portrait’s launch kit and systems to scale aesthetic practices; Navigating compliance concepts and the gravity of patient care standards; Building a medical director network to provide state-required oversight; The most common compliance mistakes people make when trying to open; Developing protocols and a standardized foundation for the long term future; Compliance as an ongoing process, knowing your exposure to risk, and more! Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Shannon Blake, Director of Medical Spa Partnerships at Podium; Traci Andreason, FNP-C, founder of Rise Rejuvenation Center; Cortney Hall, COO of True Medical Spa. They discuss the systems and tools that can help med spas increase lead conversion and manage the volume they see over the holidays. Their conversation includes: How to capture the influx of the holidays; Building a holiday game plan focused on value over price; Teaching consumers how to interact with your business; How patient education helps med spas capture more leads; Allocating your marketing to build SEO and get the word out; How an AI patient coordinator improves response time; Actively training your AI, and more! Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa’s President and CSO, Cathy Christensen, speaks with Nick Liguori, CPA, owner and founder of Liguori Accounting. They discuss the complexities of management service organizations (MSOs), common pitfalls for medical spa MSO taxes and how to properly set up your accounts. Their conversation includes: MSOs: the key structure for compliant med spa ownership; Where med spa MSOs can get tripped up with financials; Specific tax challenges and common pitfalls to avoid; How to ensure that your business entity is set up correctly The typical process of setting up the proper systems; When to transition from DIY bookkeeping to working with professionals; How to correct and prevent future issues while preparing for tax season; And more! Music by Ghost Score

This week on the podcast, AmSpa Membership Advocacy and Engagement Specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with Traci Andreason, FNP-C, founder of Rise Rejuvenation Center. They talk about her specialty in sexual wellness and her passion for empowering women in this conversation that includes: Joining AmSpa to learn compliance in aesthetics; How sexual wellness became her specialty; The education intimate health practitioners need; Remembering that patients bring vulnerability ; Her passion for helping others reach their goals; The anatomy coloring book she created for injectors; Her favorite treatments, skincare routine and more! Music by Ghost Score

This week, we revisit our conversation with Michael S. Byrd, JD, and Bradford E. Adatto, JD, of national business and health care law firm ByrdAdatto. AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Byrd and Adatto in a discussion of the latest in aesthetics compliance concerns and what medical spas should know about IV therapy compliance. They cover: Private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and the idea of integrated health care; How the corporate practice of medicine and scope of practice regulations compare for IV bars vs. traditional medical settings; Standing orders and who can use independent medical judgment to make IV therapy treatment determinations; How nursing boards view administering IVs; What the risks are for noncompliance in IV therapy; Delegation and good faith exams in IV bars; How pharmacy boards regulate licensing and compounding IV medication; · What the enforcement atmosphere is at the moment, and more! Listen to these previous episodes to learn about an unfortunate incident at a Texas medical spa, plus the educational resources the industry is building to help aesthetic providers safely perform IV nutrient therapy. Music by Ghost Score

This week on the podcast, AmSpa Membership Advocacy and Engagement Specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with Kenzie Cammuse, founder of Nashville Skin Studio. They chat about how she started an aesthetician owned med spa in this conversation that includes: Celebrating their recent awards at Best of Nashville 2024; How her AmSpa membership continues to help her grow her business; Owning a med spa as an aesthetician and partnering with a medical director; Why she favors energy devices and specific products; Her skin care, aesthetic treatments, and more! Music by Ghost Score

How are two nurse practitioner injectors transforming the future of aesthetic education? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Alexa Nicholls Costa, NP, and Alexandra Rogers, NP, co-founders of LexRx. They discuss an exciting expansion of their certificate program in partnership with the Boston College Connell School of Nursing. Their conversation includes: LexRx’s brand evolution and new educational offerings; How they pitched an injectables program to university leadership; The significance of academic partnerships for aesthetic training; How student feedback inspired a new business-building initiative; The enthusiastic response from nurses joining this community. Register for the upcoming Clinical Aesthetics Business Building course on November 16th at Boston College! Music by Ghost Score

This week on the podcast, AmSpa Membership Advocacy and Engagement Specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with Elisabeth Smith, PA-C, founder of IndieRX. They talk about how AmSpa events helped her strengthen the foundation of her business, in this wide-ranging chat that covers: How she first learned med spa regulations and compliance; Her experience at medical spa boot camps and AIA advanced cadaver course; Stand-out advice to being honored as one of Nashville’s best med spas; Developing proprietary skin care products, Skindie Rx; Her skin care and aesthetic treatments; And much more! Sign up for the Orlando Medical Spa Boot Camp the weekend of November 8 – 10, 2024 to learn the most important med spa regulations, discover trusted business strategies and connect with med spa owners and professionals who will become your community. Whether you are new, prospective, or 5 years into the business, you can take away pearls of wisdom for the next steps on your medical aesthetic journey. Register today! Music by Ghost Score

When performed appropriately, IV therapy is safe. What resources can help med spa providers practice safely? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Sam Tejada, founder and CEO, and Dr. Christopher Davis, chief medical officer of Liquivida. They talk about the business growth of Liquivida’s IV nutrient therapy solutions and wellness centers, why they got involved with the American IV Association (AIVA), and the educational resources they’re working on to promote safe medicine in the aesthetic industry. Their conversation includes: What inspired Tejada to found Liquivida with only $500 in his back pocket; Why interventional cardiologist Dr. Davis added IV nutrient therapy; The science of IV therapy to selectively target micronutrient deficiencies; How they used clinical data to convince the public this is more than a fad; The importance of treating IV therapy seriously as a medical treatment; Future datasets for providers with the American IV Association (AIVA); Liquivida Wellness Centers vs. Liquivida Integrated Lounges; And more! Music by Ghost Score

How much training and experience is enough to be a safe, competent injector? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Michelle Doran, MSN, APRN, BC, CANS, co-founder of RN Esthetics and faculty for the Academy for Injection Anatomy (AIA). They chat about her personal training journey in medical aesthetics, the importance of clinical education in facial anatomy, and what to look for when hiring a provider. Their conversation includes: What drove her to switch from palliative care to medical aesthetics; Her first aesthetic education, early mentorship, and path to training; The types of aesthetic training courses she invests in year after year; Why she finds it important to hire nurses with real world experience; Taking the AIA cadaver course and how she became a faculty member; Essential anatomy training and learning to manage complications; Her decision to partner with Alpha Aesthetics Partners. The Academy for Injection Anatomy trains injectors to be safe, competent and legally compliant. Get an in-depth understanding of facial anatomy when you sign up for the upcoming AIA Advanced Cadaver Course or add hands-on clinical training to your conference agenda at Medical Spa Show 2025: https://www.medicalspashow.com/aia-cadaver-training. Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with Dr. Kate Dee, founder of Glow Medispa and author of Med Spa Mayhem: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Secrets of the Aesthetic Industry. They chat about her newly published book, the state of med spa oversight, and her goal to educate the public and affect change in the industry. Their conversation includes: Pivoting from radiologist to 10 years as a med spa founder and practitioner; Her mission to educate the public about what to look for in a med spa; Comparing the compliance processes of hospitals and medical spas; The controls, checks and balances that are lacking in the industry; Overviews of recent cases of adverse reactions and prosecution; The motivations of medical directors and the risk they take on; Concerns about aesthetic newcomers who don’t know the laws; And much more! Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, and AmSpa Director of Education, Kirstie Jackson, speak with Erika Barry, NP-C, MSN, aka Injector Bunny of Moksha Aesthetics. They discuss the challenges small med spas face with recent updates to the Allē loyalty program and make suggestions that prioritize the patient experience and your practice’s values. Their conversation includes: How med spa professionals have responded to the rollout of these updates; The ways Barry is navigating and implementing the program in her practice; Speaking with patients who ask for a product or service you do not recommend; How focusing on patient outcomes can help you maintain high customer service; Barry’s decision to add an injector fee and how it can protect your providers’ finances; The commercialization of healthcare and implications for the future of aesthetics; Why building a foundation of community is so important. For a breakdown of these changes, read the Allē Loyalty Program Update FAQ: https://americanmedspa.org/alle-loyalty-program Music by Ghost Score

How do you maintain your independence when joining a private equity platform? This week, AmSpa founder and CEO, Alex R. Thiersch, JD, speaks with John Wheeler, CEO of Alpha Aesthetics Partners. They discuss recent private equity activity and how Wheeler’s experience with his family’s aesthetic business has helped him become the leader of a medical spa platform backed by Thurston Group. Their conversation includes: The current M&A landscape and how Alpha Aesthetics Partners is positioned; Wheeler’s journey from pastor to aesthetic marketer to platform CEO; About his family aesthetic business and his reasons for founding Alpha; How they retain brand identity and clinical autonomy with their partners; Why they don’t approach selling as an exit strategy; Guidance on navigating acquisitions, key questions to ask, and more! Listen to our conversation with Melissa Rogne of Chapter Aesthetic Studio. Learn more about AmSpa’s Medical Spa Boot Camps and reserve your seat in the final events of 2024! Music by Ghost Score

This week, AmSpa Membership Advocacy and Engagement Specialist, Michela Bailey, speaks with Courtney Walker, JD, co-founder and chief legal officer of Smiley Aesthetics in Nashville, Tennessee. They talk about her involvement in the AmSpa Tennessee State Chapter in this wide-ranging chat, which covers: Her motivation to join the Tennessee State Chapter; How Tennessee is ahead of the game in med spa regulations; The reason she went to law school and became an attorney; Being proactive about serving as a case study for state policy; Top 3 things she’s looking forward to in being a part of the state chapter; Her favorite skin care, aesthetic treatments, and more! Note: Episode may include explicit language. Music by Ghost Score