The Direct Care Derm Stephen Lewellis, MD, PhD

Episode 026 | Luká Yancopoulos is a visionary entrepreneur and the driving force behind Grapevine, a groundbreaking startup that is transforming the healthcare supply chain. Since its launch in 2022, Grapevine has made waves in the industry, including earning the prestigious President’s Innovation Prize the same year for its outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship. Under Luká's leadership, Grapevine has secured approximately $4,000,000 in funding and partnered with more than 400 businesses across the United States. The Grapevine platform enables clients to save up to 50% on medical supply costs, reduce order times by over 90%, and seamlessly work with multiple vendors, thereby accelerating procurement and delivery processes.

The Grapevine leadership team is committed to addressing critical issues in the healthcare supply chain, including:
- Hidden Costs of Single Supplier Dependency in Healthcare Supply Chains- Inefficiencies in Medical Goods Transport- Warehousing Costs in Medical Supplies (a hidden killer!)- Managing Backorders in Large Hospitals- Embracing Digital Transformation

Luká's thought leadership has been featured on prominent podcasts such as The Healthcare Leadership Experience, Healthcare Untold, and Health Innovators Show and notable publications including Medical Economics, Healthcare Express, and Healthcare Business Today. Grapevine has been highlighted in major outlets like USA Today and Benzinga.

As you will hear, Luká is committed to inspiring and educating healthcare professionals on the importance of digital transformation in supply chain management.
In this episode:
🔥 Dorm room disruption during the pandemic🔥 Work doesn't have to suck in order for it to be work🔥 High Cost + Low Value = Not Great!🔥 Healthcare's Hapsburg Chin/Jaw🔥 The $900 Mayo stand🔥 First, provide value🔥 Serving the independent physician🔥 The lowest price every time you buy🔥 Networks are stronger than chains🔥 Dr. Lewellis' Virtual First model explained🔥 11:59 -- Grapevine's solution for the Innovator's Paradox🔥 Taking customers for granted (don't do that)🔥 How Grapevine makes money🔥 Decentralization of power🔥 Hidden warehousing costs🔥 Foul and disgusting markups🔥 The Cost Plus model🔥 Company culture🔥 Grapevine's BHAG
🔗 Connect with and learn from Luká and GrapevineGrapevine on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, IG and FB 
Luká on LinkedIn
🔗 More from Dr. Lewellis🚀 Biolinky -- all the links in once place!👨‍⚕️ Subscribe to my newsletter and get a free gift!👥 LinkedIn📷 Instagram🎬 YouTube🎶 TikTok🐦 Twitter/X🧠 Change Your Mind, Change Your Life🥼 SoMeDocs (Doctors on Social Media)🎙️ The Direct Care Derm Podcast🐕 P***a!

Episode 025 | Dr. Teo Soleymani, a Los Angeles native, one of my Stanford residency mates, and founder of California Dermatology and Mohs Surgery Specialists (CDMS), completed his undergraduate studies in Evolutionary Biology at UCLA. He went on to graduate from the UC Irvine School of Medicine, where he received numerous accolades for academic excellence including induction into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society.
 
Dr. Soleymani completed his internship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was awarded the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine Excellence in Teaching with Humanism Award. He went on to complete his residency at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. While at Stanford, Dr. Soleymani worked with world-renowned experts in cutaneous oncology and complex skin diseases.
 
Following residency, he completed a rigorous fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery, Cutaneous Oncology, and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Zitelli and Brodland Skin Cancer Center under the tutelage of John Zitelli, M.D. Considered by many to be the world’s most prestigious and competitive fellowship, the program is directed by both John Zitelli, M.D. and David Brodland, M.D, widely considered to be two of the pre-eminent authorities in Mohs surgery. Notably, Dr. Zitelli, was trained directly by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, the founder and pioneer of Mohs micrographic surgery. This direct lineage from Dr. Mohs enables Dr. Soleymani to give his patients the highest-quality Mohs surgery experience. Dr. Soleymani’s unique fellowship training was the only program in the world that included fellowship training in both Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well.  As a result he is one of only a handful of Mohs Surgeons in the world with dedicated specialized training in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well, allowing him to provide the best possible functional and aesthetic reconstructive results. 

Prior to founding CDMS, Dr. Soleymani practiced as a full-time Clinical Professor of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery at UCLA, where he was also the Director of the Pigmented Lesions and Melanoma Clinic, as well as Co-Director of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship Education and Resident Surgery Education programs. 
 
During his tenure at UCLA, Dr. Soleymani received local and national acclaim for introducing pioneering surgical treatments such as Mohs micrographic surgery with intra-operative immunostaining for melanoma and other high risk skin cancers. He developed UCLA’s first Mohs Surgery for Melanoma program.In his spare time, Dr. Soleymani enjoys spending quality time with his wife and children, staying active, and traveling.Coincidentally, this episode is dropping on the one year anniversary of CDMS, Dr. Soleymani's now thriving private practice. Congratulations to him and his team!
In this episode:
🔥 They need us; we don't need them🔥 The courage to leave the Ivory Tower🔥 "I realized I didn't need to be there."🔥 Betting on yourself🔥 Starting a dermatology and Mohs surgery practice🔥 Accepting all the insurances🔥 Sun Powder -- Developing and launching a skin health supplement🔥 Mohs surgery for melanoma🔥 Arrogance vs Confidence🔥 Grown men saying nice things to other grown men!🔥 Challenging the status quo in medicine and surgery🔥 Misalignment burnout🔥 A reason for hope -- the resurgence of independent practice🔥 Academic mentors and business mentors🔥 Taking care of your team
🔗 Connect with and learn from Dr. SoleymaniCalifornia Dermatology & Mohs Surgery Specialists (CDMS)Sun Powder by Sol SciencesDr. Soleymani on Instagram (stunning cases!)
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Episode 024 | Dr. Nicholas D. Brownstone received a BA degree in Psychology from Cornell University and attended medical school at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson. He trained for over 3 years as a resident in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery before switching to a career in Dermatology. Dr. Brownstone completed a fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco Department of Dermatology in Psoriasis, Phototherapy and Clinical Research and a fellowship in melanoma at the National Society for Cutaneous Medicine/Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine. He is currently a Dermatology resident at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and, among other collaborations with dermsquared, hosts Cutaneous Miscellaneous, a fantastic podcast geared towards dermatology residents.
In this episode:
🔥 From plastic surgery to dermatology🔥 Podcasting as a dermatology resident🔥 From not loving what you do to loving it -- a new lease on life🔥 The sunk cost fallacy🔥 Great mentors🔥 The dermsquared rebrand🔥 The team dermatologist for the Yankees🔥 "I just have to go and have my own thing."🔥 A passion for teaching🔥 Key merits of different psoriasis biologics🔥 Remembering Dr. Charles Crutchfield🔥 Cutaneous Miscellaneous and Derms and Conditions🔥 Want to contribute? Look for where the need is.🔥 The hard stuff becomes soft and the soft stuff becomes hard🔥 Disability insurance🔥 The post-residency job trap🔥 Being called in front of the state medical board and a malpractice insurance pearl🔥 A day without laughter is a wasted day🔥 Why we love psychodermatology🔥 Dr. John Koo, a true master clinician🔥 Secondary negative psychological effects from acne, vitiligo, alopecia, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis🔥 The art of communication🔥 The Koo-Brownstone Staging System for delusions of parasitosis🔥 Beware of emphathic failure🔥 How to break in with industry🔥 "All I want to do is get your life back on track."🔥 "I'm not going to give up on you if you don't give up on me."🔥 The morbidity threshold🔥 LinkedIn as an undervalued resource for dermatologists
🔗 Connect with and learn from Dr. BrownstoneCutaneous MiscellaneousUnder Your SkinDermbustersBiologics and JAK Inhibitor ChartsNon-steroidal Topicals Chart LinkedIn
🔗 More from Dr. Lewellis👨‍⚕️ Subscribe to my newsletter and get a free gift!☀️ Sun Powder👥 LinkedIn📷 Instagram🎬 YouTube🎶 TikTok🐦 Twitter/X🧠 Change Your Mind, Change Your Life🥼 SoMeDocs (Doctors on Social Media)🎙️ The Direct Care Derm Podcast🐕 P***a!

Episode 023 | Dr. Oxana Ormonova is a board-certified Internal Medicine Physician, Clairvoyant, Spiritual Healer, and Intuitive Life Coach 
gifted with insight and perception to facilitate deep transformation and healing on spiritual, emotional, and mental levels. 

From a very young age, Oxana realized she was different – being able to see and feel things no one else could. As a physician, this talent was helpful to others, but painful for herself, as Oxana could feel all the pain of her patients and colleagues.Through much trial and error, she found a way to embody her intuitive gifts and feel great in her body, and it’s these secrets she’s now passionate about sharing with others. 

Oxana’s greatest love (other than diving into the Pacific with her marine family) is empowering people by helping them heal themselves on all levels – physical, emotional, and spiritual. She works with people all over the globe, from physicians, to business executives, to coaches and entrepreneurs. She also teaches others how to develop their intuition and maintain energetic boundaries.
In this episode:
🔥 Being an intuitive🔥 5 hour commute to med school... in Siberia!🔥 You can be creative AND be a doctor🔥 Not being able to fully be yourself and express your gifts🔥 Functional medicine🔥 Finding your tribe🔥 The trouble with trying to fit your truth into their system🔥 "I just have to go and have my own thing."🔥 Learning how to develop your intuition🔥 Opening the doors of perception🔥 "This practice doesn't exist, so I have to create it."🔥 Trust it, have fun with it, explore it 🔥 Learning to ask the right questions🔥 We are here to express and share our gifts🔥 A sense of alignment and joy🔥 Shoulding ourselves to death🔥 It takes a long time to know who we are🔥 "This current job is not working for me."🔥 High sensitivity and The Land Before Time🔥 Boundaries to protect ourselves🔥 Opening yourself to energetic connections🔥 Swimming with dolphins and the power of play🔥 Allowing ourselves to live in alignment with our joy🔥 Realizing you are limitless
🔗 Connect with and learn from Dr. Ormonova🩺 Wholenessana (formerly Divine Wellness MD)📷 Instagram👩 Facebook👥 LinkedIn
🔗 More from Dr. Lewellis👨‍⚕️ Subscribe to my newsletter and get a free gift!☀️ Sun Powder👥 LinkedIn📷 Instagram🎬 YouTube🎶 TikTok🐦 Twitter/X🧠 Change Your Mind, Change Your Life🥼 SoMeDocs (Doctors on Social Media)🎙️ The Direct Care Derm Podcast🐕 P***a!

Episode 022 | Dr. Meena Julapalli is triple board-certified in pediatrics, dermatology, and pediatric dermatology. After 7 years in academics as an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at the University of Texas - Austin and the University of Colorado, she opened her own direct care pediatric dermatology practice, Bluebird Dermatology, in Houston, Texas. Dr. Julapalli is passionate about providing comprehensive, integrative, and personalized care that acknowledges and supports not just the physical aspects of her patients' skin conditions but also their unique social and emotional needs. She believes that by fostering sacred relationships of love, trust, and mutual respect and creating an environment and community whereby children and families affected by skin disease feel seen, heard, understood, valued, and supported, they are empowered, transformed, and healed in profound and life-changing ways. Dr. Julapalli has been blessed to facilitate and witness these transformations through her involvement with support groups and camp programs throughout the country, including the American Academy of Dermatology-sponsored Camp Discovery, Paul Newman's SeriousFun Network, and the American Camp Association, as well as through local workshops and healing circles that she leads. She is the founder of The Joyful Path, whose mission is to help children build the intuition of how to nourish their mind, body, and soul so that they may live, love, and serve generously with an open heart, intention, and purpose.

In addition to her philanthropic pursuits in her local and national communities, Dr. Julapalli is dedicated to serving children abroad. She has volunteered her time and expertise at a pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic in Lesotho, Africa, at orphanages and schools in Nicaragua, with children and adults with albinism in Tanzania, and most recently with people in impoverished villages in northern Thailand.

Dr. Julapalli's adventures also include being a children's book author, wisdom coach and yoga instructor for kids, Reiki master, world explorer (she has been to all 7 continents, all 50 states), avid hiker, meditator, sound healer/instrumentalist, and amateur swing dancer!She's also simply one of the most truly joyful and generous people I've ever met. I'm honored and grateful to call her a friend and colleague.
In this episode:
🔥 From academia to direct care pediatric dermatology🔥 50 patients a day and feeling disconnected and like a hypocrite🔥 "The metric was how many patients can you see in the shortest amount of time possible to make the most amount of money."🔥 The current system does not allow us to do what we do best -- CONNECT with people🔥 Neurocardiology and HeartMath🔥 Integrative Dermatology🔥 Taking some time off to figure it out🔥 Pausing to reconnect with yourself🔥 Private practice as a means of utilizing our unique gifts🔥 Direct care is just one way of solving a huge problem 🔥 Misalignment burnout🔥 Combatting bad information with good🔥 "How can I?" instead of "I can't"🔥 Educate, Empower, Advocate -- a virtuous cycle🔥 Marvel, DC, and Elsa🔥 Should out to Dr. Marinkovich and his team at Stanford working to help kids with EB!🔥 Chronic diseases are family affairs🔥 Dermatology Camps🔥 Asking kids "What brings you joy?"🔥 Writing children's books🔥 Ikigai🔥 The magic of building something of your own🔥 Mindset coaching for kids🔥 Big hairy audacious visions
🔗 Connect with and learn from Dr. Julapalli🐦 Bluebird Dermatology 🐦
Other Blubird Dermatology Links
The Joyful PathOther Joyful Path Links
AAD's Camp Discovery
Paul Newman's SeriousFun Network Roundup River Ranch
Camp Spirit (Winter Camp for kids with Epidermolysis Bullosa)
🔗 More from Dr. Lewellis☀️ Sun Powder👨‍⚕️ Subscribe to my newsletter and get a free gift! Your skin will thank you.👥 LinkedIn📷 Instagram

Episode 021 | If you're a specialist who knows there has to be a better way but doesn't know where to start, start with Diana Girnita, MD, PhD, FACR, visionary Founder and CEO of Rheumatologist OnCall and the Direct Specialty Care Alliance.She's one of my heroes, and I'm so grateful she took the time to share her wisdom and experience with us. Rheumatologist OnCall is a telemedicine company delivering specialized care to arthritis and autoimmune disease patients across multiple U.S. states. This innovative platform grants access to top rheumatology experts from the comfort of patients' homes, overcoming the typical delays of up to 6 months for specialist appointments. It provides timely, compassionate, evidence-based care at affordable and transparent pricing.The company is built upon a groundbreaking healthcare model known as direct specialty care, offering a comprehensive approach that includes nutrition, mindfulness, physical therapy, and cutting-edge medicine.Educational background: Dr. Girnita is double board-certified in rheumatology and internal medicine. She holds a PhD in immunology and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, an immunology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, and a rheumatology fellowship at the University of Cincinnati. Additionally, she graduated from the Nutrition Science course at Stanford University and a Mindfulness course at The University of Massachusetts.Recognized as a "Top Doctor" from 2017-2020, Dr. Girnita was featured in the New York Times,  she is frequently invited guest speaker of the National Arthritis Foundation and American Congress of Rheumatology. She generously shares her expertise on her popular YouTube channel, boasting over 65,000 subscribers and more than 5 million views. 
In this episode:
🔥 Early career physicians need independent role models🔥 From cardiologist in Romania to post-doctoral fellow at Harvard🔥 Life is what happens, not what you plan🔥 Doctor life within the System: "You start to sacrifice from somewhere."🔥 What you can do to improve your relationships with your patients AND your family🔥 The unique value proposition of telemedicine🔥 "But how am I going to bill for this?"🔥 Getting started in direct specialty care -- borrowing from the private practice model in Romania🔥 Having the courage to increase your prices🔥 "They had to refer in their system"🔥 All the things primary care docs wish they had time to do🔥 Systems that take advantage of our good nature🔥 Hiring and delegating🔥 Great doctors are leaving medicine🔥 Primary care as air traffic control🔥 Learning from our patients🔥 Taking holistic back from internet marketeers and autoimmunity charlatans🔥 Multi-state licensure strategy🔥 Getting your face in front of the camera🔥 Discovery calls, social proof, pricing🔥 Doctors supporting doctors
Connect with Dr. Girnita:Rheumatologist OnCallDirect Specialty Care AllianceYouTubeLinkedInInstagramRheumatologist OnCall on FB PageRheumatoid Arthritis Warriors FB GroupSpecialists for Direct Care FB GroupFrom Dr. Lewellis:
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