With its ginger-scented candles, serenity garden and elegant Mediterranean architecture, Donna Nunnally’s current medical practice is literally and figuratively miles away from where her career began.
Twenty years ago, Nunnally graduated from LSU’s medical school and entered a dermatology residency at New Orleans’ Charity Hospital. “We saw severe cases: sarcoidosis, lupus and other chronic skin conditions,” she says. “The skin had not healed in a timely fashion because [patients] didn’t get it treated early enough. The problems persisted, and we would often follow the same patients through all three years of residency.”
In the early 1990s, the Baton Rouge native returned home and practiced general and surgical dermatology at a multispecialty clinic for 14 years. After devoting five years of research to everything from computer systems to hotel spa ambiance, she designed a $4 million, state-of-the-art dermatology clinic and medical spa.
“Spas provide a luxurious experience for their clients with massages, facials, waxing and other treatments; but, for safety reasons, they are limited as to what they can do,” Nunnally says. “Medical spas are overseen by physicians and have written protocols for procedures. A physician must be on the premises to guide chemical peels, laser and other high-intensity treatments.”
At the Dermatology & Aesthetic Institute, Nunnally and her staff of 15 employees provide treatment for patients with general and surgical dermatological problems, skin care and consultation, and evaluation of new products and techniques that have multiplied exponentially in the last 20 years.
Within a year of opening, the Baton Rouge Growth Coalition had honored the institute for its architectural design and functionality. To efficiently accommodate the 9,000 dermatology patients and 10,000 spa clients treated annually, the business and its 8,600-square-foot building are split down the middle. In beautifully appointed exam rooms, Nunnally continues to treat acne, rosacea, precancerous lesions, poison ivy and other dermatological conditions.
The other side of the building resembles the toniest hotel spas and offers the services of a make-up artist, laser technician, massage therapist and five medical aestheticians trained to perform therapeutic facials, chemical peels, waxing and microdermabrasion.
While the setting is relaxing to clients, keeping up with the clients’ demands for the latest treatments touted in the Internet and other media is an intensive, exhausting pursuit.
“Some people enjoy reading novels. I read a packet of stuff from the Internet. It’s so confusing for patients to determine what’s fact and fraud. It does make me passionate because patients rely on me,” Nunnally says. “I don’t bring something on until it works and it’s safe. Anything we have here, I have used personally.”
Also, the two practice components have complemented each other most unexpectedly. For example, aestheticians consulted for make-up have detected early stage basal cell tumors and referred patients for medical evaluation.
Running two businesses has challenged Nunnally’s medical and organizational skills. “I make certain on a daily basis that patient care is always priority. It’s all about hiring the right people, with the same philosophy about patient satisfaction, customer service and making it right.”
