Family to open Springfield clinic

Three members of the Goforth family have purchased the rights to open franchises of Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinics in Springfield, as well as in Tulsa, Okla., Kansas City and Oklahoma City.

Chuck Goforth is the founder and former president of Oxford Healthcare in Springfield, now a division of CoxHealth. Dr. Gary Goforth, Chuck’s brother, runs his own medical practice in Tulsa. And Gary’s son, Steven Goforth, is Chuck’s partner in the operation of Oxford Healthcare in Tulsa.

Steven Goforth said the family chose southwest Missouri based on Springfield’s track record of recent growth.

“Springfield is a large town and a small town,” he said. “The numbers of people who come into Springfield during the day is phenomenal.”

The group’s Tulsa office is set to open in early August. No definitive plans have yet been made for a specific location in Springfield and a timetable for construction is unknown. Goforth declined to discuss the cost of investment, though the Dermacare corporate Web site says the average cost of starting a new clinic is between $165,000 and $365,000.

Chuck Goforth was on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

Dermacare, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., has nearly 120 locations open or under construction covering 10 states. The company specializes in laser aesthetic procedures for conditions ranging from facial blemishes and unwanted veins to excess hair.

Company founder and president Carl Mudd said that though aesthetic procedures, sometimes associated with the rich and famous, appeal to everyone.

“These procedures are universal; they’re not limited to Beverly Hills or West Palm Beach,” Mudd said. “A lot of people have facial veins and want them gone, they have wrinkles and want them gone. These are very safe, very dramatic and, in some cases, life-changing procedures for the public.”

Steven Goforth said the universal appeal of aesthetic medicine is something he and his partners have come to recognize.

“As we’ve gotten more involved with this, we’ve found that who you’d think is the typical client is not the client at all,” he said. “It could be a teenager who has a problem with acne – they can have just as good results as someone in their 40s who wants a little beautification in their face.”

Mudd, who founded the company in 2001, said the emphasis of Dermacare’s offerings – aesthetic medicine – is the medicine.

“We’re a physician-based franchise. These are medical procedures to be done by medical professionals in medical clinics,” he said.

The company offers master regional franchises, for physicians who wish to control a multistate territory or large metropolitan area and run a prototype clinic. Area development franchises also are available for nonphysician owners.[[In-content Ad]]