Forefront Dermatology opened their third Louisville-area location in Middletown less than two years ago, led by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Melissa Wise.
Dr. Wise grew up all over the country as part of an Air Force family but ended up in Kentucky after her father’s retirement. She always knew she wanted to go to medical school and attended Morehead State University for pre-med before earning her medical degree from the University of Louisville.
“A dermatologist in town came and talked to my class during my third year of medical school, and I remember how excited she was about dermatology and how much she loved it,” Dr. Wise says.
That doctor’s passion for dermatology inspired Dr. Wise to pursue the field herself. After completing her residency with Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania, she moved back to Louisville to practice dermatology full time.
Whether she’s working with a patient who has psoriasis, acne, possible skin cancer or another dermatitis issue, Dr. Wise enjoys finding solutions to ease their suffering. She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the skin, hair and nails, and her office offers the latest innovations in dermatological skincare conditions and skin cancer treatment and detection in a friendly, professional office where the patient’s needs come first.
“Patients want to tell their story, and listening lets them know we care,” Dr. Wise says.
While practicing dermatology can be difficult, seeing the sometimes life-changing results for a patient after successful treatment is worth it.
“A lot of what we do is external care,” Dr. Wise says. “Someone may have a mild skin issue, but it may really affect them socially. It gives me a really good feeling when patients come back and say I helped them and they feel so much better about themselves.”
Afflictions like brown spots, sun damage, eczema, acne and more can take a large toll on how people feel about themselves, affecting how they interact with others on a day-to-day basis.
“If you have a problem like high blood pressure, a lot of times other people won’t know that,” Dr. Wise says. “But skin issues can really affect the social aspect.”
Dr. Wise also enjoys seeing the advancements medicine has made in helping patients and knows there is even more to come.
“Medicine has come a long way with how we treat psoriasis, so it’s a great time to be treating those patients,” Dr. Wise says. “There are many options out there to choose from now.”
Educating patients about their diagnoses and treatment options are also a very important part of Dr. Wise’s work, and she teaches her patients to examine their skin and watch for warning signs. She does skin scans to detect potential cancer or lesions and works with patients to develop their best course for action.
Forefront Dermatology is committed to providing advanced, compassionate care, and Dr. Wise and her staff treat each patient at the Middletown office with the most high-quality, personalized care they can.
“We are a smaller office, which is nice because we all know what is going on,” Dr. Wise says. “My nurses always know what is going on with different patients.”
And while Dr. Wise is the only doctor at the Middletown office, she has the entire Forefront Dermatology network of doctors to rely on for second opinions or input, including those at the downtown Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana, locations.
“A lot of times I can take a photo of something, upload a chart and have the ability to extend my case out to around 200 physicians located from Wisconsin to Florida,” Dr. Wise says. “I can gather opinions as needed to provide the best care possible for my patients.”
Another benefit of the Forefront Dermatology network is patients can reach a real person by phone at the organization’s central answering system to ask questions or to schedule an appointment. Dr. Wise can check messages that have been forwarded to her throughout the day in between appointments, so patients can get answers more quickly instead of waiting until the end of the day.
“We don’t want people to have to wait,” Dr. Wise says. “If someone is worried about what a skin issue may be, we want them to get it checked out as soon as possible.”
The Middletown office caters to all age groups and is perfect for those in east and south Louisville.
Conveniently located at 159 S. English Station Rd next to Wild Eggs, Forefront Dermatology is open from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. For more information, or to make an appointment, call 502-792-0439 or visit them online at forefrontdermatology.com.
