UnityPoint Health we take pride in offering comprehensive and coordinated healthcare to our community to address the full continuum of healthcare needs. A recent expansion of our dermatology services was a necessary investment to ensure that the specialized needs of our community are met with a high quality of care and convenience.
Skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the United States, affects up to one in five Americans. One of the ways that skin cancer is unique—beyond being extremely prevalent—is that it is also very preventable. By bringing a new dermatologist, Dr. Marie-Josee Thibault, into UnityPoint Clinic, we’re giving our patients and providers a new option for what to do when an area of concern is identified.
Doctors will diagnose more than five million skin cancers this year. Many of those could have been prevented by protecting the skin from exposure to the sun and indoor tanning beds. Keep in mind the “ABCDEs” of skin cancer: look for a mole that is Asymmetrical, has an irregular Border, has an irregular Color, is larger in Diameter than a pencil eraser, or has Evolved or changed suddenly.
If you notice a mole or lesion on your body that meets any of these criteria or raises your concern, please discuss it with your primary care doctor or contact a dermatologist to find out if you are among the one in five who will be diagnosed with skin cancer. Dr. Thibault’s arrival on the UnityPoint Health – Proctor campus has given us a tremendous opportunity to renew a conversation about skin cancer prevention and early detection.
Dermatology is not relegated to the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. Dr. Thibault’s office serves patients with acne, psoriasis, hair loss, eczema, nail disease and other ailments. Among the options for treatment is a DioLite Laser system, touted as the ultimate solution for certain types of skin lesions. Designed for aesthetic treatments, the DioLite Laser system can precisely target superficial vessels or large, deep vessels for an easy and convenient treatment option. Cosmetic issues such as unwanted moles, skin tags, broken capillaries, spider veins and sun spots are quickly and easily treated with the laser system. After application of a topical anesthetic, the full laser treatment can painlessly deliver instant results in just a few minutes.
One of the reasons we’re glad to add dermatology and the DioLite laser treatment into our group is to secure one of the things we strive to provide for our patients: convenient access to high quality, evidence-based care. Our patients rely on the providers at UnityPoint Health to help them distinguish when something on their body looks alarming and when it’s just abnormal, and we’re pleased that our medical group can now provide the resources to treat a full range of skin issues, from cancers to cosmetics. iBi
