Women In Wellness: Dr Angelina Posteov of IBI Healthcare Institute On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Move around as much as you can — walking, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, etc. Set small activity goals for yourself each day and increase your goals as you can
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Angelina Posteov.
Dr. Angelina Posteov, MD is a triple-board certified cosmetic surgeon and the founder of Surgicare Arts & Aesthetics and co-founder of IBI Healthcare Institute. She received her undergraduate degree from Ohio State University, attended medical school at Ross University, ranking in the top five percent of her class, and completed her residency at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Angelina and her family reside in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I grew up with my family in Russia and then when I was 15 years old we moved to the United States. When we arrived in the US I, like all the other members of my family, did not speak English. It was a major challenge to navigate my way through college and medical school with very limited guidance and the language barrier but I never gave up.
My command of the English language improved as I completed my four years of undergraduate education, four years of medical school, five years of residency in general surgery, and a two-year fellowship.
During that time, I met and married my husband who is also a surgeon. We desired to open a private practice that would allow us to use our skills and knowledge while employing the best techniques, surgeries, or medications to do what was best for the patient.
Often, when working for a hospital or large practice, the options for patient treatment are dictated by an entity such as a board, an administration, or a large insurance company. This can sometimes “tie our hands” as surgeons and doctors and we are unable to treat the patient the way we feel would be best for their situation. As doctors we are not trained to be told what to do, we are trained to heal people and make critical decisions that could be life or death in nature.
We moved to Georgia and opened our practice together where we had the freedom to put patient well-being first.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
I think the way I met my husband and business partner is one of the most interesting stories of my career.
We were both surgical residents at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio but he was a year ahead of me in his residency. I saw him around and knew he was in the program but we were never really in the same proximity to speak or interact.
About halfway through my second year of residency, we began working together in the critical care unit. He was in his third year of residency and the Senior Resident with me being the Junior Resident. One day while running morning rounds, (which is the time when all the residents and students move from room to room and visit each patient to make plans for the day) there was an incident that kind of put him on the map for me.
There was this one guy in the group that was saying something that made absolutely no sense to me. I began to get irritated and eventually I got mad (It usually takes a lot to make me mad but he succeeded to make me mad that morning) I quickly turned around to get away from this guy and at the same time began saying “a few choice words” under my breath in Russian. The only problem with that was I had completely forgotten that the Senior Resident, my now husband, spoke Russian! He busted out laughing!
We continued to have rotations together but we were also both busy with our own responsibilities, he in the operating room and me running the unit. There was a core group of us that would hang out sometimes after work and we were both involved in this group and became friends.
A few years later we began dating, and then we got married and then opened our practice together. I guess long story short, I not only found an appropriate business partner but I also found a husband and a friend.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
We have learned many lessons since we first started our practice and we faced many challenges. As doctors and surgeons, we understood medicine and how to navigate large trauma centers, perform surgeries and take care of sick patients. But all of our years in school and experience working with people in the medical field never prepared us to start and run our own business.
Most of our challenges starting out were related to running the business side of things. I think the biggest mistake we made when we were starting is not investing more in the real estate side of the business when prices were much lower. (offices and surgical center locations)
We were both just coming out of residency and we could not afford to purchase exactly what we wanted and of course, everything increased in price and now we are paying for that.
The lesson learned is do not procrastinate. If you think it is the right thing for your business, find investors and continue pushing forward.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
Having our own practice, we can treat patients based on what is best for them and are not limited by constraints imposed by a hospital or medical practice. IBI Healthcare Institute consists of a state-of-the-art surgical center, a weight loss/bariatric surgery division, and a cosmetic surgery practice that all work together and can provide patients with an individualized plan and a continuity of patient care not found elsewhere.
For instance, an obese patient may undergo bariatric surgery or a weight loss procedure and lose a significant amount of weight. This loss of weight improves their health and possibly eliminates a weight-related illness they suffered from such as type 2 diabetes. This patient has also received personalized nutrition education, guidance, and support to effectively make lifestyle changes that will help them maintain their health in the future. This patient then passes this mindset and learning experience on to their friends and family who hopefully will live healthier lifestyles.
This same patient, after losing a great deal of weight, may be left with loose sagging skin that can cause medical issues and/or create emotional anxiety. The next step in their continuous plan of care would be to address this excess skin at our Surgicare Arts & Aesthetics division. Cosmetic surgery eliminates the loose skin and the patient is not only pleased with the aesthetic results but the rewarding physical benefits. They can now move around freely; maybe something as simple as playing with their kids on the playground. We continue to support these patients to help them maintain their health and their weight loss indefinitely.
Watching these patients progress and achieve these changes and knowing that we played a small part in helping them get there, makes all of the hard work and hours we put in each day as doctors worth it.
We also have a non-profit organization that helps patients who have no access to medical care, finances, or insurance. By helping these patients and performing what are sometimes life-saving surgeries, we hope they in turn will pay it forward and help someone else. By working together, each doing what we are able to help others, we can make a big difference and it will go a long way in making the world a better place.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
- Wake up early and make a plan for your day
- Practice intermittent fasting
- Move around as much as you can — walking, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, etc. Set small activity goals for yourself each day and increase your goals as you can
- Be proud of all your achievements big and small
- Drink more water
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
As a doctor and a surgeon, I would like to see more responsibility and stricter regulation of ingredients in the food products that are marketed to the American people.
Our Nation’s current obesity epidemic is partly fueled by the increase in additives and unhealthy ingredients that are contained in processed and pre-packaged food. Cancer and other health issues can be directly tied to food additives or the way foods are grown or harvested. The United States has the highest rate of cancer in the world.
The regulations in Europe regarding food additives are much stricter than in the United States and only additives that are proven safe are allowed in Europe. There are also strict regulations regarding genetically modified foods.
Many food additives that are contained in products sold in the United States are illegal in Europe and so companies that sell the same product in both markets alter the ingredients according to the market. The version that is sold in Europe does not include dangerous chemicals, color agents, or artificial flavors. Why are there not the same standards in the United States?
Generally, processed foods are less expensive to buy than whole or healthy foods. Research has proven that obesity levels are elevated among individuals in lower income brackets.
I would like all Americans to have access to healthy foods that are free from dangerous cancer and obesity-causing agents.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- I wish someone had told me about college scholarships. With no guidance and my lack of English, I did not know about scholarships.
- I wish someone would have helped me become financially educated. Planning for retirement early, etc.
- I wish I would have understood the benefits of securing real estate for the business sooner rather than later.
- Take time to take business and/or marketing classes. They will be useful in any field.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
I would have to say mental health, especially the mental health of women, and finding a balance in your life that includes time for yourself.
As women, we feel we have to take care of everyone and everything but we rarely even “pencil in” time for ourselves. Living an unbalanced life full of stress can lead to many serious health conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and can contribute to obesity.
Be deliberate in scheduling time for yourself. Maybe it is as simple as 10 minutes of yoga every day guided by Youtube or taking a nice peaceful walk.
It may be a challenge at first and you may have to adjust your plan a few times before you find what works for you. Most of us women need to adjust our thinking to prioritize ourselves and our well-being because we are so accustomed to being last.
Taking time to invest in your own wellbeing will help alleviate stress and benefit your health and wellness long-term. It can be the difference between managing through your life and enjoying your life.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
You can take a look at my cosmetic surgery website www.surgicarearts.com and from there you can find the links to follow me on other social media platforms.
From there you can also learn about the line of skincare products that I have developed and find videos and articles that cover a variety of subjects.
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
Women In Wellness: Dr Angelina Posteov of IBI Healthcare Institute On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.