Today we’d like to introduce you to Melinda Keener.
Hi Melinda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I always wanted to be a surgeon, most memorably from the age of 4/5…since starting school, I maintained good grades and did my best to be a good student everything changed when I became pregnant at 16. Becoming a mother I was told limited what I was capable of doing in life. This is where my rebellion began…I didn’t listen. I put myself through college sometimes working 3 jobs as a single mother. I’m sure people thought I was crazy to think I could become a doctor and some even said so. But despite their omniscience I was accepted to medical school. My parents weren’t so supportive, cautioning me that I could not be an adequate mother in medical school. But I obtained my medical degree and maintained my daughter financially on my own and still experienced all of the joys of motherhood. I completed a 5 year general surgery residency in East Tennessee became board certified and did a research year so that I could be competitive for obtaining a fellowship in plastic surgery. I was highly ranked at a few programs but matched at UF. This is where I fell in love with Florida. Upon my completion, I accepted a contract to have my own practice in lake city and lived pacing in a small town. My reputation sent a hospital looking to employ me. It wasn’t long before I realized I did not enjoy working for hospitals. Since my first practice in Lake City I had obtained another practice in Starke FL…at the time I purchased it was mainly weight loss…I added plastic surgery options and still practice they are one day per week because I love the town and I love my patients. I also worked as an ER physician in Perry FL for years to keep up my trauma skills. With the advent of COVID, healthcare changed and I wanted to go a different direction. I opened a clinic in Jacksonville Beach in 2021. I developed surgical procedures that were typically done in an operating room under general anesthesia and made them safe and effective to be performed in an office setting with minimal but effective drugs. The results are amazing and patients love the procedure, even though they are awake. I enjoy my patients and try to offer a broad range of medical therapies, ie, HRT, weight loss, nutrition and wellness—-that I have studied intently over the last 10 years. Given my broad range of skill sets I guess I could be considered a holistic Doctor Who also does surgery. evidence that I’m still rebelling against the system.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
All detailed in the previous statements: teen pregnancy, finances, ideologies about mothers/women, confines of healthcare
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Procedures: minimally invasive cosmetic surgery
In office liposuction and skin tightening
Mini “nips and tucks”: eye lifts, tummies, facelifts arm and thigh lifts
Natural filler using your own fat
Hormone evaluation and treatment
Weight loss nutrition and wellness and pharmacology: phentermine, GLPs
Botox/Filler
Skin treatments Microneedle, RF treatments, laser therapy, skin care, acne treatments ie, subcision and scar minimization
Laser hair removal
* all patients will see me and have their treatments with me
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
The first day my dad taught me to clean fish…I was 4. This was the entry into surgery
Pricing:
- Semaglutide initial dosing starts at $125/mo
- Laser hair removal small areas start at $120/treatment
- Hormone consults are free with treatment
- Natural filler for the face starts at $2500
- KeenerSculpt neck treatment starts at $5K
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jaxbeachbodymd.com
- Instagram: Jaxbeachbodymd
- Facebook: Jaxbeachbodymd
