Meet The Team: Marissa, Plastic Surgery Patient Care Coordinator

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You are listening to The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast.

Monique Ramsey (00:15):
My guest today is Marissa. She's here in the Jolla Cosmetic office in our surgery department and she is a patient care coordinator. So she's somebody that you would talk to when you're going to think about surgery, if you wanna have questions to set up a consult, after your consult, she's your your best friend. So welcome Marissa.

Marissa (00:37):
Hi, good morning.

Monique Ramsey (00:39):
So tell us about how you help patients in our practice.

Marissa (00:44):
Yeah, I'm one of the first people that you talk to on the phones to get scheduled for a consult and I'm with you throughout the entire process, even up until after your surgery. I have my patients that will still text me asking questions about post-op and I'm able to assist them or get a nurse to help them during that time as well too. So I really am your best friend throughout the entire time of your surgery experience.

Monique Ramsey (01:08):
And so when they first talk to you, is it phone usually, or text or how do you,

Marissa (01:13):
Phone, text, email, you name it. We're able to make it work. Whatever's easiest for the patient is how we're able to, sometimes you're busy and your day-to-day schedule and there's no time for even a few minutes on a phone call. So if a text is preferred then we're able to make it work that way too.

Monique Ramsey (01:30):
Great. So tell me kind of the road that led you to being a patient care coordinator in aesthetics and then kind of what you enjoy about it.

Marissa (01:41):
Yeah, so I actually started working in retail, um, when I was in high school. So customer service, quickly worked up to management and the holiday schedule is not easy. working Thanksgiving, Christmas, being away from family. So at one point I realized, you know, I want an office job and I somehow came across a cosmetic surgery center and once I started I just absolutely fell in love with the industry. I've been doing it for about five or six years now and I honestly couldn't imagine doing anything else. When I moved to San Diego, I kind of stepped away from it for about maybe six months to a year and no other office job compared. There was no exciting challenges, there was no bonding with the patients, which is what I really love to do because it is a very vulnerable time for our patients. And so to be able to, you know, walk them through this and guide them and be their best friend really gives me a peace of mind and joy as I'm able to help and then still help someone make their dreams come reality basically. You know, so many people think about this and it's been in their mind for years and years and they're like, I just don't know when the right time is and, there never is a right time. Whenever you are mentally ready, just make the the jump and it's the best decision of your life.

Monique Ramsey (03:02):
So tell me about yourself and where you grew up.

Marissa (03:05):
Yeah, I actually grew up in Bakersfield, California. Um, I moved to San Diego about three years ago now. Probably will never move back as much as that probably hurts my mom to say. But , I just love it way too much. There's so much to do every day of the week on the weekends. I love going to the beach, going to Farmer's Markets, gym on the weekends. I love that it's always sunny here in San Diego. I mean there really is no better place to be.

Monique Ramsey (03:32):
And then when you are outside the office, what are your passions?

Marissa (03:38):
Right now I'm kind of focusing on getting back into the gym with a new year of 2023. That is my main focus right now is just to try to be consistent, overall healthier eating and just really focusing on goals to better myself and further myself in all aspects.

Monique Ramsey (03:54):
And what advice would you give to somebody who's coming to La Jolla Cosmetic for the first time?

Marissa (04:02):
To not be intimidated. We're here as your friend to walk you through this whole process. I know everyone that walks in is in a vulnerable state, but we're here just to hold your hand and get you through this and make sure that you have the best experience with us and feel comfortable and confident moving forward.

Monique Ramsey (04:19):
I'm sure you talk to lots of people, lots of different backgrounds and people going through surgery for the first time or maybe not for the first time. Have you come up with anything that you've noticed that's kind of a common thread?

Marissa (04:34):
Among my patients, I would say that everybody just wants to feel comfortable in their own skin and they feel uncomfortable saying that they wanna do these little minor, you know, tweaks like a breast augmentation or tummy tuck after having kids. And your thoughts are the same as everyone else's. Trust me, if a little bit of skin is bothering you. I can tell you a million things that bother me on myself. You know, we all are our own worst critics and don't feel like you're the only one. That's what I would tell my patients as a little piece of advice. And what I notice as a trend or something that everybody has in common, we all have the same thoughts. We all notice those little insecurities on ourselves and nobody else sees it but of course we do, and it's completely normal.

Monique Ramsey (05:19):
And when you are working with patients, do you work with one of the doctors specifically or a group of doctors or all of the surgeons?

Marissa (05:30):
I actually work with all of the surgeons, which I'm very lucky to. So you're able to pick a surgeon from anyone. If you wanna have three consults with three different surgeons, you're able to do that too. And I'm right there by your side the whole time asking, you know, okay, how'd you feel? How was that one? What are the pros and cons for you? Okay, let's try this surgeon instead. That way you find the perfect doctor for you and not everyone is a great match. And so that's the benefit of our office is that we have multiple surgeons that are able to assist you during this time.

Monique Ramsey (06:00):
So at La Jolla Cosmetic, our brand promise is where dreams become real. Like we want you to feel like we're a place where we can help you manifest that vision you have for yourself. So Marissa, tell us a dream of yours. That became real.

Marissa (06:16):
A dream of mine that became real was being back in plastic surgery. When I started at La Jolla Cosmetic, I was in the call center and I had a couple years of experience in the surgery center prior to coming here. And so I was like, you know, I'll start from the bottom and I'll prove to everyone that I can be a surgery coordinator again. And so that was kind of my thing. So that's kind of my dream that became real and that just happened last year after being here for two years now. And so I feel really glad that I found a home and coworkers that I'm able to really bond and connect with and a family.

Monique Ramsey (06:52):
Oh that's nice. Well we do feel like a family and we call it our work family cuz we are with each other so much, and so many of us have been around for a while, and um, generations, um, . But, but really no, it is, it is that feeling and I think it makes it extra special.

Marissa (07:13):
It does. I have my sisters in the med spa, I have my nurse moms, my doctor, dad, . I mean there's always someone I can turn to for something.

Monique Ramsey (07:23):
Well, thanks again for being with us today and we wanna let everybody in the audience know that we give $25 off any product or service of $50 or more if you are showing that you're a subscriber to our podcast. So Marissa, if you were gonna use that $25 towards anything, what product or treatment would it be?

Marissa (07:46):
Ooh, that is a tough one. , I would say either Botox or Lip Filler. Those are my two go-to treatments. As far as a product, I would say the overnight cream has been one of my go-tos lately.

Monique Ramsey (08:01):
Which overnight cream is that?

Marissa (08:03):
Alpharet Overnight Cream.

Monique Ramsey (08:04):
Oh, the Alpharet from Skin Better?

Marissa (08:06):
Yes. It's good.

Monique Ramsey (08:08):
I have to try that one. Of course, my bathroom counter looks like

Marissa (08:13):
Like you live here in the Med Spa with all the skin care? Same. Yeah, I try all the samples.

Monique Ramsey (08:17):
I try a little bit of everything.

Marissa (08:18):
Mm-hmm. .

Monique Ramsey (08:19):
Okay. Well, well I'll put that one on my list. So thanks everybody for listening and we would love if you'll check the show notes, you can schedule a consultation. Um, we have online scheduling now, so for in the Med Spa and if you wanna see one of our surgeons, there's a button to get that scheduled as well. And you'll probably talk to Marissa somewhere along the way. And thank you again for joining us and we'll see you next time.

Speaker 1 (08:50):
Take a screenshot of this podcast episode with your phone and show it at your consultation or appointment or mention the promo code PODCAST to receive $25 off any service or product of $50 or more at La Jolla Cosmetic. La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off the I 5 San Diego Freeway in the XiMed Building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus. To learn more, go to lj csc.com or follow the team on Instagram @lj csc. The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast is a production of The Axis, the axis.io.