I didn’t know what to think when I walked into The Pink Dahlia. Was it an aesthetics center? A wellness center? A board-certified gynecologist’s office? Turns out it’s all three.
“It’s a place where women can get all of their medical needs met,” Dr. Russo says. “I can help with aesthetics like Botox, medically assisted weight loss, body contouring. But I can also help with things like fertility and incontinence as well as with sexual health concerns. Plus really any basic health concerns like high blood pressure where having an MD is necessary.”
Dr. Russo is a board-certified OB-GYN as well as Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.
Photograph courtesy of The Pink Dahlia
Smiling, charming, and dark-haired, Dr. Russo exudes a spritely energy as she explains the Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine: Nutrition, Movement, Restorative Sleep, Stress Reduction, Social Connection, and Avoidance of Risky Substances. It’s a philosophy that emphasizes treating the whole patient.
“I wanted to create the kind of care center that I wanted as a woman, especially as I began to age. Most clients who come to me don’t want to just live longer—they want those extra years to be meaningful and vital.”
And there’s plenty of new technology that assists in doing just that.
There’s the EM Sculpt Neo which uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate weakened muscles, and the BTL EMSELLA, a chair which uses the same kind of pulse to activate the muscles pelvic floor to help reduce incontinence. (I was astonished and delighted to learn that you could use this FDA-approved device fully clothed!)
Then there’s the EMFemme 360, which helps with intimate wellness, and the O Shot, which uses platelet-rich plasma to improve . . . well, the hint is in the name . . .
“I want to normalize talking about sexual health,” Dr. Russo says with a warm smile. “It’s a big part of life and there’s so much we can do to improve the experience of people who might be struggling.”
And those are only a few of the aesthetic and medical options available.
An initial free consultation with Dr. Russo takes, on average, 90 minutes. During that time she aims to not only learn about a patient’s immediate health concerns but also their goals and concerns about their bodies—something that is impossible to achieve in the average 10-minute slot at the average health organization.
Because of the major inhibitions of working directly with medical insurance companies, Dr. Russo’s center uses a direct-pay model, but she does provide superbills that clients can provide to their insurers for possible reimbursement depending on their individual plans; The Pink Dahlia also partners with Cherry Payment Plans. More information about both these payment options as well as extensive explanations of all services can be found on The Pink Dahlia Health Center website.
“I want to empower women to be active participants in their healthcare and be listened to,” says Dr. Russo. “I guess I just want to give women a better experience.”
1155 N. State St., Ste. 402, 360.637.6710, thepinkdahliahealthcenter.com, Instagram @thepinkdahlia_md
