Jones Dermatology making a difference

With enchanting decorations and vibrant flowers dripping from every corner, the waiting area at Jones Dermatology mirrors the image of a comfortable living room rather than a stagnant doctor’s office.

The clinic’s owner, Dr. John Jones Jr., says that multiple times a day patients offer him compliments on the lobby in his Thibodaux facility. He is quick to attribute credit to his interior decorator, Marie Falgoust, and his wife, Frankie, as his only contribution to the d/cor is a large black bear standing ferociously in the corner, sometimes donning an Easter bonnet or Santa Claus hat.

Prior to opening his current clinic on North Acadia Road, Jones had two other facilities, one in Raceland, which he opened in January of 1980 and then one in Thibodaux on Bayou Lane. He moved into his current workplace, which took approximately four years to plan and complete, around the early 1990’s.

While the furnishings and adornments of the new facility were left up to his decorator and wife, the actual design and building of the office was a labor intensive, research-filled venture for the doctor.

“I designed it myself after I went to at least six, eight or 10 of my friends’ clinics around the country. The guys I knew were the smartest, most innovative, creative and efficient. We went all over … just to hopefully get the best ideas. And from that, I took what I thought was the best of each of the things that they did and put them together,” Jones explained. “I relied on the experience of others.”

With nine exam rooms, two surgery rooms, a PUVA room and an allergy room, Jones said he built the place large enough so that two or three doctors could practice together without feeling cramped. Several years after opening the clinic, Jones was joined by Dr. Ricardo Mora and the two men worked together for over 12 years, until Mora’s recent retirement.

“It was a great relationship and I was sorry to see him go,” said Jones of his colleague.

The owner did not have to look far to find another doctor, however. Ryan Matherne, M.D., a native of Raceland and graduate of Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, literally came knocking on his door.

“Dr. Matherne had come by here looking for advice regarding when he finished his residency. My wife told me he came by here like two years ago … so when I thought about looking again, he was about to finish and he called again. I said, ‘Well, come by and visit,'” explained the dermatologist. “We are very happy to have Dr. Ryan Matherne. He started July 1 and he’s been busy ever since.”

Accompanying the two doctors at the clinic are 15 full-time employees, a couple of part-timers and some consultants. According to Jones, this is not the norm but the workload requires the number.

“I read in an article about five years ago, the average dermatologist has 2.5 employees,” he said with a laugh. “We are extremely busy here.”

Busy indeed. Jones Dermatology sees approximately 100 patients every day, according to the owner, who has never put a cap on the number of clients he has due to his zeal for helping others.

“A consultant told me, ‘I cannot believe you see so many patients and patients still come to you.’ So, I said, ‘Think about what you’re saying. Where is the problem here? I thought the reason I went to school for 21 years was to help people and now I’m helping too many people? Explain that to me.’ The whole goal in all of this is to see how many people you can help,” he said.

“The bottom line is … I guess when you love what you do, you end up getting good at it. From there, it just kind of grows,” added Jones, summing up the reason as to why he believes his business continues to thrive.

The skin-loving physician wasn’t always this passionate about dermatology, however. As a new medical student at LSU, Jones needed a little coercing to even consider the field.

“I really didn’t know what dermatology was when I went to medical school,” Jones admitted. “I was really thinking of neurosurgery or orthopedic surgery … I got to medical school and they had a Christmas party at the Houma Medical Group that had a new office building and they were trying to recruit doctors. … It was there that I met Dr. Palomeque, the first dermatologist in the area. He and I had a great time at that party … and he made a great impression on me, mainly because he had such a clever sense of humor. Then, I ended up befriending a fellow student, who became my best friend, Dr. Johnnie Brantley … Brantley was going into dermatology and I always thought that dermatology was for sissies, kind of bookworms and wimps. But he ended up being one of the toughest, super-athletes I ever met. He was an LSU basketball player … I figured it was OK and cool to be a dermatologist even if you are not a wimp. So then I said, ‘I can do it.'”

After deciding to go the dermatological route, Jones took part in other educational ventures that pertained to his field of study, including working with several pharmaceutical companies. This eventually led to the development of his very own skin care product line.

“When I was a resident, several pharmaceutical companies were looking for a resident to run some of their studies,” explained the doctor. “… Well, I ended up being in charge of pretty much all of the drug studies that were going on at LSU, Tulane and Ochsner. It was fun and I learned a lot and I realized that this wasn’t so difficult.

“I got to know a lot of the manufacturers … I learned a few tricks and I put a few things together,” he said.

According to Jones, two of his most popular products are A Gel, a collagen synthesis that reverses sun damage, reduces fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration, helps diminish acne and improves the texture of the skin, and Acne Magic, which is a three-step, easy-to-use acne product.

“I knew the products would work because most everything that we put in them was used elsewhere, but never together,” he said. “The trick to all of this stuff is learning how to adjust the medication. You want to be on the most powerful, potent medicine that you can tolerate comfortably. That’s kind of a key idea here.”

In addition to the product line, Jones Dermatology offers a number of medical services including the treatment of skin cancer, moles, pre-cancerous lesions, acne, rosacea, shingles, eczema, warts, hair loss, allergies, etc.

The practice also offers several cosmetic procedures performed by two licensed estheticians, who are trained to treat all skin types. Some of these procedures include Botox, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, IPL, laser hair removal, and more.

While acne and wrinkles are two of the more common skin conditions that Jones treats, he says that skin cancer is high on the list. He is currently working on a campaign to promote early detection of melanomas by educating families.

“Whenever I see a late diagnosed melanoma, I think, ‘This is so preventable and there is going to be unnecessary pain and agony for this person. If they just would learn how to check themselves, or have a family member check them. They can do it at home. They don’t even need to come to the doctor,” he said.

His advice: “If you see a growth, lesion or sore changing size, shape, color, ulcerating or bleeding or developing the ABCs of melanoma, you should consider it suspicious. You can wait a month, but don’t wait a year.

“Anything a level three and above is very dangerous. With a level three, for instance, you have a 75 percent chance of being alive in five years. With a level five melanoma, you have a five percent chance of being alive in five years. So you want to catch them early.”

Some additional guidance Jones offers is to avoid unnecessary sun exposure and take care of your skin. If you notice anything unusual, you should probably want to have it checked out.

“Everybody has skin … and everybody eventually has some sort of problem,” he stated.

Jones Dermatology provides support to local high school organizations through its Giving Back Campaign. With every purchase of either the A Gel or Acne Magic products, owner John Jones M.D. donates a portion of the profits to the high school of the buyer’s choice. COURTESY PHOTO