Today, the future of dermatology goes beyond fluorescent clinic lights. It takes place in a dorm room, during a lunch break, or within the four walls of a home, guided through a laptop screen by someone who genuinely listens. In the evolving landscape of healthcare, Gigi Rusnak, MSN, FNP-C, DCNP, is at the forefront of a shift that's redefining how skin health is treated and how patients are cared for. Through her dermatology telehealth practice, Dermatolo-G, she's proving that telemedicine doesn't just entail convenience; it's a catalyst for restoring compassionate care and better access.
"In my practice, I've often observed that in-person consultations can take months to secure," Rusnak shares. "And even after all that wait, they sometimes tend to last for less than 10 minutes. When this occurs, it's really an inefficient use of time." Aiming to change this narrative, Dermatolo-G's model is deliberately unhurried. Every consultation is designed to take place for a minimum of 30 minutes, ensuring that she builds more than a transactional relationship with her patients, who can feel truly heard, cared for, and accurately diagnosed.
"Time is on my side," she says. By removing stringent time constraints, Rusnak crafts a space where expertise can merge with empathy. Aside from diagnosing and treating patients remotely, Rusnak also bridges the gap for those who do need in-person care. When a patient's condition warrants physical evaluation, she refers them directly to trusted local providers. In doing so, she ensures that virtual care never replaces essential hands-on medicine, but rather complements it.
Dermatolo-G mirrors the full range of in-person dermatology services, prescriptions, oral and injectable medications, and lab work orders, designed to treat ailments like eczema, psoriasis, hyperhidrosis, hair loss, acne, and other skin infections. "I aim to be a one-stop solution for patients struggling with these problems, who'd rather have access to quality care from the comfort of their homes than in-person visits," Rusnak shares.
Rusnak's commitment to accessibility also extends beyond geography; operating as a cash-only provider, she eludes the complexities and constraints of insurance, which she believes can be a hurdle between patients and the care they need. That transparency, Rusnak notes, is particularly beneficial for college students and individuals without insurance: "I don't take insurance, it's always a flat fee, no surprise bills," she reveals. "Our model gives students a chance to have proper dermatological care without navigating transportation or the labyrinth of billing codes. They know exactly what they're paying."
To further amplify accessibility, Rusnak fosters collaborations with a primary care physician in Washington, building a mutually beneficial referral system that prioritizes patient outcomes over excessive bureaucracy. Rusnak also relies on these physicians to perform biopsies and lab work under her direction, while she handles dermatological management and follow-up. "It's a partnership built on trust and shared purpose," Rusnak explains, "and I'd love to expand it further."
Skin diseases continue to rise. In the U.S., acne alone affects up to 50 million people annually, and atopic dermatitis affects nearly 1 in 10 Americans of all ages. Noting such a high incidence across various skin conditions, Rusnak recognizes that healthcare costs can be an equally significant hurdle, inhibiting suffering individuals from getting help. In aiming to bridge that gap, she refuses to charge patients unless she's been able to help them.
"Why would I take money from someone if I can't treat them?" she asks. It's an ethos rooted in empathy, a reflection of her own frustrations as both a healthcare provider and a patient. "I treat people how I'd want to be treated," she says. "As a business owner, maybe I should charge for the 15 minutes someone takes, but as a human being, that's not who I am."
In that humanity lies the real revolution. Telemedicine, in Rusnak's hands, is about redefining care itself. It's about giving patients time, dignity, and clarity in a system that often leaves them waiting, guessing, and paying for uncertainty. From diagnosing life-threatening conditions to helping college students manage acne without skipping class, Dermatolo-G represents the best of what modern telemedicine can be: accessible, personal, and profoundly human.
