Amber Blair, MMS, PA-C practices dermatology at Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in Winter Park, Florida. She also serves on the Board of Directors and is Director at Large for the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants (SDPA), preceptor and adjunctive faculty guest lecturer with Nova Southeastern University’s MMS Physician Assistant program, preceptor for Advanced Dermatology’s PA fellowship-style training program.
Dear Colleagues,
Hello and welcome to the June 2021 issue of NP+PA Perspectives in Dermatology, 2021’s second edition of this quarterly supplement series to The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology (JCAD). It is my great pleasure and honor to serve on both the editorial advisory board and as guest editor for this edition of NP+PA Perspectives. This supplement provides cutting edge, relevant, evidence-based, clinical information directly into the hands of PAs and NPs. Like each of you reading this, I have dedicated my life to providing high-quality clinical care and serving the needs of the patient. This dedication necessitates a life-long approach to learning and the need for continuous new knowledge to optimize one’s clinical acumen. THIS is where publications such as NP+PA Perspectives in Dermatology can truly raise the educational bar. Additionally, this supplement series provides an important platform for PAs and NPs to have the opportunity for authorship of a publication in a peer-reviewed, indexed journal.
It is incredible to think that it is already summer of 2021. While these past 18 months in a pandemic have presented tremendous struggles, there has also been an amazing amount of innovative growth within our profession. Without exception, we were all dramatically affected by COVID-19. There was no preferential treatment or bias, and all of us experienced hardships in different ways. Many of us were furloughed or took a significant reduction in pay, while some lost their jobs. Offices closed as we stared in shock and horror. The world stood still, and everyone was forced to re-evaluate how healthcare and business was conducted. Our profession then rapidly pivoted as we began working from home, doing telemedicine and managing Zoom calls (To be quite frank, I don’t believe I even knew what “Zoom” was 2 years ago). Now, as we emerge from the “dark side of the moon,” it is time to reflect on the events that occurred, as we settle into our “new normal”. What can we learn and how can we best apply those lessons moving into this next phase? The good news is, we made it, and are now ultimately better prepared and stronger for it. I believe that we and every member of the healthcare team should feel a new sense of unity. We all stepped up to serve the needs of the patients, and we did it together. I feel blessed to be a part of the incredible dermatology community, which comprises many types of healthcare professionals, including dermatologists, NPs, PAs, dermatopathologists, Mohs surgeons, nurses, lab technicians, and office staff, just to name a few. I am proud and humbled to be able to call us all colleagues and to work side by side on our quest for the optimal team approach to stellar patient healthcare.
I now invite you to continue your learning endeavor as you dive into this issue of NP+PA Perspectives in Dermatology. Here, we present the first of a series of aesthetic complications guidelines from the Complications in Medical Aesthetics Collaborative (CMAC) group in the United Kingdom—”Guideline for the Management Herpes Simplex 1 and Cosmetic Interventions.” We also present a case report by Pande et al titled “A Rare Case of Congenital Vitiligo in a Neonate.” You won’t want to miss this issue’s installment of “Dermatological Conditions in Skin of Color” by Sangha titled “Managing Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation in Patients with Acne.” We are also pleased to include our first letter to the editor by Pathania—“Use of Webinars in Medical Training in Dermatology during COVID-19: A Commentary”—as well as our regular informational columns, “Journal Watch” and “News & Trends in Dermatology.”
We hope you enjoy this issue of NP+PA Perspectives in Dermatology. As always, we welcome your submissions and your feedback.
Warmest wishes to you all!
Amber Blair, MMS, PA-C