The Coronavirus is Here.

And whether or not you want to hear it, life as we know it will change over the next few weeks to months. As the medical director and founder of the Zelken Institute for Aesthetic Medicine, I take the disease and its implications very seriously.

Still – for now, I have chosen to keep the medical practice open.

That means normal hours, normal services offered, and the same world-class care and service we’ve become famous for providing. I know we’ve been short staffed this past week, and I have encouraged my staff and providers to stay home if they are concerned or if they are not feeling well. So the phone may ring a few more times than normal, and you might need to leave a voicemail.

Alternatively, you may email us at concierge@zelkeninstitute.com.

Since we have four providers who work here, Joanna, Miki, Heather or I may elect to reschedule or cancel patients in the upcoming days or weeks. I have left that decision to the individual providers. We will do everything we can to accommodate patients whose plans may change and I apologize in advance. Surgeries will otherwise go as planned, as well as consults, follow-ups and nonsurgical treatments.

When you arrive to the clinic, you may distance yourself from other patients in the expansive lobby area, or wait in the hallway if you prefer. Between patients we will cleanse the exam chairs with specialized antiseptic wipes that control for coronavirus. I may choose to “bump elbows” instead of greeting you in a traditional fashion, to minimize risk of asymptomatic transmission.

Rest assured: if I felt that routine visits, consults, and surgeries imposed any additional risk on my staff and my patients, compared to grocery shopping, etc., I would not have chosen to stay open. If any news arises that compels me otherwise you should expect another update. But for now I leave it up to you, just as I do my providers, to decide if postponing is better.

Some experts say the majority of Americans can expect to get sick at some point. Fortunately, for most patients this viral infection will pass like any other. In the meantime, we must all do our part to slow down the inevitable (?) course of this virus by avoiding large crowds, isolating ourselves within reason, using common sense, washing our hands, and most importantly, taking a deep breath (in a clean place). If you’re up for a facial, some Botox, an IV or even surgery- we’re still here for you.

Smile. This too shall pass.

Warmly,

Jonathan Zelken, M.D.

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and CEO