Olansky Dermatology & Aesthetics’ Dr. Jodi Ganz recently made a return appearance on “Lenz On Business,” a one-hour business talk show airing 11 a.m. Sundays on 95.5 WSB Atlanta’s News & Talk. The May 22 episode featured Dr. Ganz addressing a range of topics from the business of healthcare and current trends to physician access and burnout.
In addition to being a practicing board-certified dermatologist with a special interest in female genital dermatology, Dr. Ganz has been serving as a managing partner for Olansky Dermatology & Aesthetics since 2009. Business skills, she explained to host Jon Waterhouse, are not typically part of the medical school curriculum. However, her drive to become a doctor and passion to help people would inevitably lead her to become a managing partner at Olansky. Dr. Ganz shared how this role has taught her the importance of different aspects of business, from building a team to knowing how to analyze numbers.
Later in the show, Dr. Ganz shared how the pandemic led Olansky to further explore telemedicine. Although she said she was skeptical at first, Dr. Ganz revealed how telemedicine has positively impacted the practice and changed how staff can interact with patients. In dermatology, some things are well suited for telemedicine, she said, because much of what they do is visual.
“We can very easily assess a rash, acne follow-ups, or eczema follow-ups,” she explained. “Those do beautifully with telemedicine care. To some extent, I think it is a lot more intimate.”
Having worked in the medical field for many years, Dr. Ganz shed light on physician burnout. One cause, she said, is modern communication. Today many patients can reach their doctors through patient portals. Although a helpful tool for both doctors and patients, portals can make it difficult for doctors to disconnect from work. Dr. Ganz explained how to use this tool without causing physician burnout.
“In today’s modern age, you are kind of always on call because that portal and telephone are always with you,” said Dr. Ganz. “(We) try to split that burden. We have a lot of supporting staff that can answer quick messages that need to be taken urgently. We try to split that up so the doctor is not feeling inundated by this.”
When discussing current healthcare business trends, Dr. Ganz revealed many practices are consolidating with larger entities. The notion of bundling everything together can be beneficial to some businesses but not to all hospitals or practices, she said. In her opinion, it can damage the efficiency and quality of patient care.
“I think a lot of that gets lost,” said Dr. Ganz. “A lot of these bigger companies do not understand what dermatology practices understand. We understand patient relationships and the need for a specific pathologist to help evaluate a specific need. Bigger isn’t always better.”
Lastly, Dr. Ganz described the three most common skin cancers: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Since the common cause of skin cancer is chronic sun exposure, she emphasized the importance of sunscreen usage, protective outerwear, and being mindful of time spent outdoors. Additionally, Dr. Ganz shared all of the community efforts the practice engaged in throughout May for Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
Do you have questions about yourself or your loved ones regarding skin disease and skin cancer? Did you miss Dr. Ganz on “Lenz on Business” on Sunday, May 22? See below for the full segment.
If you have any more questions or would like to schedule an appointment, contact the expert dermatologists at Olansky Dermatology & Aesthetics by visiting our appointment page or by calling 404-355-5484.
