“If I didn’t have this test, I would have no idea I have stage four cancer.”
Over the weekend I attended the conference where I met Lori.
Lori was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2024 and completed treatment. When she asked what monitoring would look like afterward, she was told it would mostly be based on symptoms.
That wasn’t good enough for her.
She asked for the Signatera test to detect recurrence earlier. Her oncologist supported it…but insurance denied it multiple times.
And here’s the part that stopped me in my tracks: the test was ordered by her oncologist, but the denial was signed by a family medicine doctor working for the insurance company.
Lori told me something during our conversation that meant a lot to me: watching my videos helped her understand how important patient advocacy is, and it gave her the determination to keep pushing.
Eventually she was able to get the test.
Her first result was negative.
Four months later, the second test came back positive.
A PET scan confirmed stage four metastatic breast cancer with no symptoms.
Because she advocated for herself, her cancer was detected earlier than it otherwise would have been. That means more treatment options and a different path forward.
Lori, it was an honor to meet you. Your courage and determination are going to help so many other patients learn to advocate for themselves too.
03/05/2026
Today I had the privilege of sitting down with a patient who is four weeks out from her Explant and DIEP flap surgery. Jessica helped translate our conversation, and it was such a powerful reminder of something simple but important in healthcare: every patient deserves to be heard.
I’ve also been working on my Spanish and moments like this remind me how important that is. I’m incredibly grateful that we have providers throughout the practice (from billing and scheduling to clinic and the OR) who speak Spanish and help make sure our patients feel comfortable and understood. There is always something I can do better, and continuing to learn is part of that.
She shared how different this experience felt compared to her past surgeries in the hospital. Feeling safe. Feeling cared for. Feeling like her wellbeing was the priority.
Hearing that she feels stronger and more secure with her own tissue reconstruction is exactly why we built Redbud Surgery Center.
Good care isn’t just about surgery. It’s about listening, communication, and making sure every patient feels seen and supported.
Moments like this are everything to us.
02/27/2026
It’s a lot right now.
A few days ago, I shared a video about what’s happening inside the hospital, and the response reminded me how many of us are feeling the weight of it in different ways.
I’ve been speaking up more about what’s happening in healthcare because it matters. To our patients, our families, and our future. But I don’t want this to feel one-sided.
I’m curious…
What are you thinking about lately?
What conversations are you having at the dinner table?
What’s running through your mind when it’s quiet?
I know what I’m carrying and processing each day. I’d really love to hear what you’re carrying, too.
This is a space for thoughtful conversation.
Let’s talk about it.
02/24/2026
Today one of my breast cancer patients was placed under general anesthesia before I had seen her, marked her, or signed her chart.
That should never happen.
This is not the first time I have walked into a hospital and found that the rules were treated like suggestions. Surgery is not an assembly line. These are human beings. They deserve to be seen, evaluated, marked, and spoken to before anesthesia is administered.
When I asked for an explanation, I was met with defensiveness instead of accountability.
And here is the deeper issue. I am often told by insurance companies where I am allowed to operate. Even when I know that another facility is safer. Even when patterns like this have already occurred.
Physicians should be able to choose the safest environment for their patients. Insurance contracts should not override safety standards.
I am tired. But I am not going to be quiet.
We have to build a system where surgeons can vote with their feet and take patients where protocols are followed and safety comes first.
Our patients deserve better.
02/22/2026
Sharing my thoughts as I get centered for the week ahead.
I’m focusing on acting as soon as I know what my purpose is. Being other-centered, honest, brave and intentional.
02/20/2026
There are moments in medicine that stay with you.
This is one of them.
Alma is sharing her experience and her story with you to make a difference. Alma and I are the same age, and we both work in healthcare. In 2021, she knew something wasn’t right. Her abdomen hurt and kept swelling. Her symptoms were addressed, but she was reassured that she would feel better soon. She visited multiple doctors and emergency rooms before finally being diagnosed with metastatic ovarian cancer at age 44.
She was also found to carry the BRCA1 mutation.
She found a wonderful oncologist and began treatment, but when her cancer progressed on the strongest medicine available to her, her doctor suggested that she go to MDAnderson for an alternate treatment.
Alma has medical insurance, but says that when she reached out to MDAnderson, she was told it would cost $16,000 upfront to have her records reviewed and see a doctor for a second opinion.
And this is only part of her story. There is so much more she has endured — more than can fit in a single video — and it deserves to be heard.
Regardless of where you stand on policy, insurance, or systems, we can all agree that this is not the way insured patients should experience cancer.
Her words that keep echoing in my mind:
“Listen to your patients. We know when something is wrong.”
Something is wrong, America. Let’s agree on that.
Thank you for trusting us with your story Alma. Your voice matters.
02/17/2026
Nursing is a profession.
That is not symbolic language. It is a statement with real policy implications.
As a reconstructive microsurgeon, I do not practice alone. I rely on nurses and advanced practice providers who are independently licensed, credentialed, and practicing at the highest level of their training. I could not meet the needs of the women I serve without them.
If nursing is removed from the “professional degree” classification, access to certain federal loan programs may be limited. That is not abstract. That affects who can afford advanced training. It affects who enters the workforce. It affects who stays. And ultimately, it affects patient care.
We cannot say we care about access, safety, and workforce shortages while simultaneously making it harder to become a nurse practitioner.
Words matter. Classifications matter. Respect matters.
The public comment period through the United States Department of Education closes March 2.
You do not need credentials to participate. You need five minutes and a willingness to use your voice.
Small actions can have real consequences.
If you believe nursing is a profession, say so.
02/16/2026
When healthcare feels overwhelming, look for one concrete thing you can do.
Right now, the Department of Education has opened a public comment period on a proposed rule that would remove nursing from the “professional degree” classification.
That sounds technical. It isn’t.
If this change goes through, nurses and advanced practice providers could lose access to certain federal loan programs that make advanced training financially possible. That affects who can afford to become a nurse practitioner. It affects who stays in the workforce. It affects access to care.
As a reconstructive microsurgeon, I cannot care for the volume of women I serve without the nurses and nurse practitioners on my team. They are not assistants. They are licensed, credentialed professionals practicing at the highest level of their training. They are the backbone of American healthcare.
If you care about access to safe, high quality care, this matters.
The public comment period is open and closes on March 2nd.
Here is how to leave a comment. It takes five minutes:
1. Go to regulations.gov
2. Type into search “reimagining and improving student education”
3. Click “Submit a Formal Comment”
4. Write a short statement. It can be simple. For example:
“I support recognizing nursing as a professional degree. Limiting access to federal loan programs will worsen workforce shortages and reduce access to care.”
5. Enter your information and click submit
You do not need to be a doctor or a nurse to comment. You just need to care.
Small actions matter. Words matter. Please take a few minutes to support recognizing nursing for what it is: a profession.
02/14/2026
I have fought publicly for fairness from insurance companies, but I know that there are other strong forces keeping healthcare unaffordable and inaccessible for many Americans.
The response to unfairness must not be more unfairness. The cycle has to end.
Transparency is coming, and it will show that respected medical institutions have taken advantage of the public trust.
For patients to be protected from unnecessary, additional harm by the healthcare industry, we must simply agree to stop hurting them. It is becoming painfully clear that the system, at all levels, has profited from exploiting the most vulnerable who are, by their condition, distracted by more important matters.
Medicine is a great place to make a difference, not a fortune.
*29k corrected for accuracy
02/14/2026
If I want healthcare to be different, I have to practice differently.
Today at Redbud we did multiple cases in an environment built around patients, not profit margins. We had time. We had focus. We had the right team in the right setting.
One patient came to us after receiving a quote of more than $100,000 for her cancer surgery elsewhere. The operating room fees alone were quoted at over $30,000. We performed her surgery today in a CMS-certified facility with fellowship-trained surgeons and experienced nurses for a fraction of that cost.
Same standard of excellence. Different priorities.
Healthcare does not have to be this expensive in America. It’s not easy to do things differently, but it is possible. And we’re proving that one patient at a time.
02/12/2026
You can change American healthcare with the choices you make as a patient.
Today I sat with two women who did exactly that. One shared her story publicly after a hospital wasn’t prepared for her surgery and her courage helped other patients gain access to better options. Another trusted us with her DIEP flap surgery at Redbud when we had to fight through layers of approvals to make it happen.
Four months later, she’s thriving and now Cigna is in network with Redbud. Because she was willing to choose differently.
Patients have more power than they realize. When you ask questions, when you advocate for yourself, when you share your story, you move the system.
Real change in healthcare doesn’t just come from policy. It comes from people.
02/11/2026
Today at Redbud Surgery Center, we’re doing immediate DIEP flap reconstruction and this one matters.
We didn’t need an exception. We didn’t need a long approval process. We were able to move forward because Redbud Surgery Center is now in network with Aetna.
That means timely care, fewer barriers, and decisions being made based on what’s best for the patient not paperwork.
This is what progress in healthcare looks like. When insurers, surgeons, and surgery centers align, patients win. We’re grateful for the opportunity to take great care of this patient today and many more to come.🤍
Address
6818 Austin Center Boulevard Suite 204 Austin, TX 78731
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With expertise and compassion, Dr. Elisabeth Potter guides her patients to embrace self beauty and strength.
Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Elisabeth Potter holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Princeton University and a medical degree from the Emory University School of Medicine.
Building upon her expertise, Dr. Potter completed a Plastic Surgery Integrated Residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and a Microsurgery Fellowship at MD Anderson, one of the world’s most respected centers dedicated to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention.
Specializing in natural breast reconstruction, Dr. Potter has performed over 900 DIEP flap surgeries using patients’ natural fat and tissue. A former regulatory analyst of FDA law, Dr. Potter possesses a uniquely informed view regarding the safety and efficacy of breast implants. Tailoring treatment options to each individual, Dr. Potter and her team always put patients first. From educating women on their breast reconstructive and cosmetic surgery options to helping them achieve their very best results, Dr. Potter is committed to her patients and her role in their journey.
To help patients look and feel their personal best, Dr. Potter also offers body cosmetic surgery, including liposuction, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), and arm, thigh and body lifts. Among her dedicated staff of healthcare professionals includes Licensed Medical Aesthetician, Injection Specialist and Laser Therapist Alissa Saenz and Cosmetic Nurse Injector Ashley Sartin. Adding to her practice’s comprehensive care services, Dr. Potter and her team offer aesthetic treatments ranging from HydraFacials, microneedling, chemical peels and laser treatments to injectables and dermal fillers.
From consultation to implementation, Dr. Potter and her team provide excellent patient care every step of the way. Here’s what some of Dr. Potter’s patients have to say:
“When I became very nervous about the increasing coronavirus spread in Austin, Dr. Potter and her co-surgeon Dr. Sprunt jumped through all the hoops (including a change of hospitals) to move my cancer surgery up a week so that I could have the procedure and be out of the hospital quickly to recover and "shelter in place" at home. My recovery has been almost painless as well as anxiety- and trouble-free, and Whitney and Sarah and Heidi and all of Dr. Potter's staff have been there for me whenever I had questions or concerns. I feel very lucky that I will have Dr. Potter and her staff there for me throughout the reconstruction process. Thank you all!”
-Chrissi M.
“Dr. Potter is fabulously gifted and a warm human being. I went to her after my initial reconstruction was botched. I was so afraid I would have to go through life with one breast smaller and deformed. Dr. Potter took all the time I needed to understand what needed to happen and what she was going to do. 10 weeks later I could not be happier. Not only do my breasts match but I have a beautiful belly.”
-Julia B.
“She is incredibly caring and nurturing. She's a fierce patient advocate and will go above and beyond to care for her patients. She's friendly and funny and kind and most importantly very honest. She's not the kind of surgeon to "cut" and run. She only offers options that are in the best interest of her patients. I trust her implicitly. You won't be able to find another plastic surgeon in Austin that is more skilled and more caring than Dr. Elisabeth Potter. Guaranteed.”
