Meet the Honoree: Dr. Stephanie Frankel

Meet Dr. Stephanie Frankel! This year the MRF is honoring Dr. Frankel with the Humanitarian Award at our 2020 Denver Virtual Gala on August 6th! Get to know more about her below! 

After growing up in Denver, Dr. Frankel attended Yale University where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in Anthropology. She then received her medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. Finally, she completed her internship in Internal Medicine and residency in Dermatology at the University of Michigan before returning home to Colorado.     
 
Dr. Frankel is board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology and is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and Colorado Dermatology Society. She is the former chief of Dermatology at St. Joseph’s Hospital and has lectured many future physicians on various skin-related subjects. Within dermatology she is particularly interested in skin cancer detection and prevention, as well as inflammatory skin diseases such as acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis. She relishes the opportunity to treat entire families and is grateful when her patients refer their family, friends and coworkers.  
 
In her free time, Dr. Frankel enjoys spending time with her family and enjoying everything that makes Colorado so incredible. She loves to travel, read and volunteer in her daughter’s elementary school (which happens to also be her alma mater!).  

In 2018, she founded Core Dermatology in order to provide personalized dermatologic care for patients of all ages in a private practice setting.  She looks forward to seeing you in her new central location!  

Ask the Honoree: 

Q: Why did you want to become a dermatologist? 

I had an interest in medicine from an early age but didn’t “discover” dermatology until I was a 3rd year medical student. I was drawn to the blend of medical and procedural medicine and loved caring for patients of all ages. Most importantly, the older dermatologists I met remained happy and engaged many years into their careers.  

Q:  You were born and raised in Denver, are you a skier? If so, what is the skin care line you use to help protect your skin from the sun, wind and cold? 

I do ski—although I MUCH prefer summertime activities in Colorado ☺. There are so many great lines available to address the environmental challenges of Colorado. In our office we love and carry EltaMD, Supergoop and our own line of medical skin care. However, there are many great drugstore options as well. Ultimately, the best products are the ones that people are willing to use – so experiment a little to find what works best for your skin! 

Q: Is it true that in Colorado it is easier to get a sunburn? 

Colorado is blessed with beautiful sunny weather and awesome outdoor activities. However, combined with our elevation and increased UV index we do have a recipe for sunburns. The good news is that with proper education there are many great ways to reduce this risk and keep your skin protected year-round while still enjoying all that our state has to offer.  

Q: Tell us a bit about Core Dermatology.  

I founded Core Dermatology in 2018 with the goal of providing comprehensive, compassionate, individualized dermatologic care. We aim to provide up-to-date, evidence-based treatments in an efficient and cost-effective manner. I am joined by Mohs Surgeon Dr. Jessica Olander and medical dermatologist Dr. Nicole Neuschler. We all value having a warm, small practice where we can maintain an open dialogue with our patients about all aspects of their care. I am also blessed to have an amazing team of support staff and the best office views in town!  

Q: How have you been dealing with COVID-19 and your practice?  

Our top priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic have been to keep our patients, staff and community safe and preserve much needed PPE for our front-line colleagues. At the beginning we shifted our practice to primarily a telemedicine platform, with in-office appointments for urgent needs only. With time, we shifted to more in-office visits, trying to prioritize our melanoma and high-risk skin cancer patients who had delayed their visits given the pandemic. Our day-to-day clinic looks quite different now. In order to protect our patients and staff, we are closely monitoring CDC and state medical guidelines, and starting many new practices. For example: daily temperature checks for patients and staff, daily use of scrubs, minimizing patient waiting times and practicing social distancing and strict mask routines for staff and patients. COVID-19 has made us acutely aware of the need to be adaptable and pivot quickly and educate ourselves at every turn.  

Q: What do you think are the biggest obstacles for melanoma today and what are ways we can help overcome them? 

I think that many obstacles exist, but as a general dermatologist, what I see frequently is an inability to change habits about sun protection. Thankfully, those patients with a personal history of melanoma are acutely aware of the need to change habits and be more consistent about sunscreen and other sun protection measures such as UPF clothing. Unfortunately, patients who don’t have any history or known risk factors are less inclined to take the necessary steps to prevent melanoma. Habits are hard to alter! It is most important that we continue to educate, and I think that it needs to start when our patients are young – i.e. in childhood. Sunscreen and preventing sunburns with other means such as hats and sun protection should be a daily part of life, just like brushing your teeth or putting on deodorant or wearing a helmet when you bike. If we don’t impress the importance of sun protection on the young generation, it will be hard to change their habits with age. My daughter is the outlier on the playground at school with a hat, which is hard to believe when it is 2020 and we live at such a high altitude. We need our adult patients with children to teach their children and model good sun protective behavior.   

Q: Tell us what this award means to you. 

I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award. Every day that I go to work I hope to make a difference — improving the lives and health of my patients. Their gratitude and their kind words help motivate my entire team, especially during these challenging times. This award is a wonderful reminder to stay focused and motivated as we navigate this “new normal.” Dermatology is truly an essential field and I am honored to be a part of this amazing community. 

The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is thrilled to honor Dr. Stephanie Frankel with the Humanitarian Award at our Virtual Denver Gala. This event will also feature a silent auction, a chance to win a once in a lifetime vacation and the opportunity to fund a melanoma research grant. 

YOU can be a part of giving back to the Denver melanoma community by joining us for this virtual night of fun on August 6th, 2020! Join us and RSVP today! 

RSVP for the Virtual Denver Gala

Thank you to our generous Denver Gala Sponsors!