Walk-in dermatology clinic firm eyes LI expansion | Long Island Business News

A walk-in dermatology clinic, with one location in Oceanside, is planning to open at least two additional sites on Long Island in 2024.

The Dermatology Specialists is affiliated with Mount Sinai and has 41 locations – mostly in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, and also one in Delaware. It offers a host of medical and cosmetic dermatology.

Here, patients can get “same day appointments” and the firm welcomes walk-ins and “all insurances,” said Gil Messer, the company’s chief operating officer.

Like many urgent-care clinics, most of The Dermatology Specialists locations are “open seven days a week – six days at a minimum,” said Messer, a former executive with CityMD.

The broad view of the company, which was established in 2019 and co-founded by the company’s CEO Dr. Bobby Buka, is to be a destination to “serve everyone with skin,” making skin health accessible to everyone, Messer said.

The growth of the company comes at a time when, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, there is a shortage of dermatologists. And yet, it is estimated that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70, according to the National Institutes of Health. That dichotomy could explain why patients may find delays in scheduling appointments with their dermatologists.

Despite the limited supply of dermatologists, Messer said New York has a robust number of dermatology residencies, and many of the specialists graduating from local programs want to stay in New York, a plus for the company’s recruitment efforts.

The company aims to ramp up to 52 sites in the next year, and expand its footprint into another state, Messer said.

The company’s locations range in size from about 2,100 square feet to 2,500 square feet, with two providers at each location. In total, the company employs about 600 people.

And while some surgery is performed in the office, each region also has a surgical center.

On Long Island, the company is considering leases in Huntington, Levittown, Commack and Valley Stream, and expects to sign the best two deals in early 2024, Messer said. From there, it would be about a three-month buildout, he said.