Dr. Greg Delost is new to the team at Apex Dermatology, and he’s anything but a traditional physician
By Laura Briedis
When Dr. Greg Delost was at Cardinal Mooney High School, his course load was heavy on science classes, but he always sprinkled art classes into his curriculum. He may not have known it at that time, but the combination of science and art uniquely qualified him to become an exceptional dermatologist.
The newest physician at Apex Dermatology, Dr. Delost is passionate about both medical dermatology—treating acne, psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, autoimmune blistering conditions and other complex skin disorders—and aesthetics, helping patients to simply love their skin more.
“In school, I had a Leonardo da Vinci sketch book and always focused on how the artist drew lips, noses, faces and hands, which parallels in a way to what I am doing now as a dermatologist, except that I use fillers, lasers and neuromodulators (Botox) as my tools,” says Dr. Delost, who still dabbles in oil painting in his free time.
During medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and residency at University Hospitals, Dr. Delost was recognized for his excellence in research. He even appeared on a CNN news segment about the study he conducted that found a correlation between college students eating chocolate and their number of pimples.
Throughout residency, Dr. Delost was passionate about teaching and mentoring medical students and residents, helping to publish over 20 research articles. He wanted to continue his passion of mentoring the next generation of dermatologists and joined the faculty at his medical school. He was recently awarded the 2019 Outstanding Resident of the Year in dermatology. The award recognizes Dr. Delost’s exemplary work, demonstrated leadership and steadfast clinical performance as well as his passion for, and unwavering commitment to, the osteopathic profession.
Now on staff at Apex Dermatology, patient education is one of his hallmarks.
“The original translation of the word ‘physician’ is ‘teacher,’ so first and foremost I want to be a teacher to my patients and share insight and knowledge about different skin conditions,” says Dr. Delost, who will be working in Apex’s Parma and Mayfield Heights offices.
“Gone are the days when doctors talked to their patients in a more paternalistic way, as now medicine is more of a collaboration between physician and patient,” says Dr. Delost, who introduces himself as Greg and doesn’t always wear the traditional white coat as a way to remove the hierarchy of a doctor-patient relationship.
“Nowadays, patients are more educated than ever, so it is our job to navigate them through all the information and misinformation.”
One of his passions is treating acne and debunking myths about medications.
“When I was in high school I had really bad skin and acne,” he recalls.
“When I was treated with Accutane, it was life-changing for me and probably the reason I am working as a dermatologist today. I went from always staring at the ground to making eye contact with others. Now I want to help my patients gain confidence through healthy, beautiful skin.”
“There is a huge psychosocial burden of skin diseases,” he says. “Some of the diseases we deal with may not be life threatening, but they severely affect the quality of life. My goal is to make patients happier.”
He takes a holistic approach to patient care by treating the whole person and collaborating, when needed, with other doctors, including rheumatologists, psychologists and primary care physicians for a 360-degree approach.
An avid Cleveland sports fan, Dr. Delost enjoys golfing and working with therapy dogs at colleges, hospitals and nursing homes.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Delost to our team at Apex,” says Ruth Barnum, director of marketing at Apex.
“Not only is he a locally and nationally recognized physician, but he is a true community partner. Already he has joined us in community events including Miles for Melanoma, Stuff the Bus and the annual NEOPAT golf outing, as well as cofounding his own charity, Run for Caitlin.”
Apex Dermatology is located at 5800 Landerbrook Drive, Suite #250, in Mayfield Heights; and 6820 Ridge Road, Suite #204, in Parma. Other Apex offices are located in Medina, Westlake, Solon, Hudson and Concord. To schedule an appointment at any office, call 833-279-SKIN (7546). For more information, visit ApexSkin.com.