To my Dear Patients,

I hope you are well and safe.

I usually write separate emails to my Virginia-based and California patients, but nothing is usual for the moment, right?

First of all, let me thank all of you who reached out to my staff and I with a call, email, or skincare order during this time. Because of the pandemic, we closed our Virginia office to all patient visits except emergencies for a month and a half. The office was unusually quiet and we all kept our distances, so it felt isolating to us. The communications we got from both coasts were the bright spots in our days and we were grateful for them.

We opened my Richmond, Virginia office quite recently, and are seeing patients according to a very specific protocol. We are back doing Botox, fillers, and surgical consultations. I have also been doing surgery again for the past few weeks – I can’t tell you how great it feels to be back in the operating room!

Before we started up again, I studied over a dozen different opening protocols to help me create an 8-page document for my staff and I to follow. Then we drilled on the new procedures for days before seeing patients. I know that my partners at the Osborne Head and Neck Institute in Los Angeles and my colleague Dr. Mann at the Secret Vein Clinic in La Jolla have shown similar levels of commitment to patient safety.

My practice is going well, and I am glad we took the time to get it right. We look forward to seeing you back.

We are also very much looking forward to re-introducing skincare services in our Richmond office. Our four master aestheticians cannot wait to help you look your best again. They are using this time to get additional sterilization equipment and safety certification training to make your encounters with them as safe as possible when they resume. We are waiting for guidance from the Governor to let us know when that will be. Rest assured, once it is safe to re-open this area of the practice I will do so, and I’ll be sure to inform you about it when I do.

I want to take a moment to urge you to take good care of yourself during this time. This involves not only avoiding the corona virus at all costs, but also continuing to follow all of the advice of your primary care doctor. One of the adverse side effects of this long quarantine is that many of us are failing to treat basic health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular risks, chronic illnesses, and even anxiety and depression which can be heightened by the pandemic.

Having a relationship with a primary care doctor who is there for you is important to your overall health and even more so during this time. If you have such a relationship, I urge you to keep it going and have check-ups and follow-up visits with your doctor when he or she recommends. If you live in Virginia and don’t have a primary care doctor or need help finding one, I can recommend you to my personal doctors at www.partnermd.com / 804-843-6855. This is an outstanding group of primary care physicians who operate the leading concierge medicine practice in Richmond. If you mention that you heard about them from my practice, they will extend a discount on the cost of your first year of membership. Again, if you already have a good relationship with your primary care doctor, please keep it going. If not, this may be an avenue for you to consider.

Finally, as I expressed in a message to my Left Coast patients, I cannot wait to return to Southern California. I anticipate and hope this will happen at the end of June / early July. My scheduled dates are given below and I hope they hold.

I look forward to seeing all of you when we can, and to once again helping you look your best.

With warm regards,

Dr. G