You might not know Valerie McAllister, but if you're a resident of South Florida then you almost certainly know her company. Now in their eleventh year, McAllister's Premiere Center for Cosmetic Surgery has grown to become the single most recognizable name in cosmetic surgery in South Florida, and their catchy �It's For You!� radio jingle remains one of the most identifiable on the airwaves.

Cosmetic surgery was once a luxury available only to the wealthy. McAllister was a pioneer in making affordable, convenient access to high-quality, patient-focused cosmetic surgery a reality for thousands of patients from all over the world. Numerous imitators have come and gone while McAllister and Premiere Center have endured, flourished and emerged as an industry leader.

McAllister grew up in Baton Rouge, graduating with a B.S. in nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University. As a registered nurse, she worked in a number of clinical settings, including three years in critical care, before entering the anesthesiology residency program at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. The two year residency program is the same one taken by MD Anesthesiologists, qualifying McAllister as a CRNA, or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

CRNAs perform the same duties as Anesthesiologists in all types of surgical settings, from neurosurgery to infant deliveries and more. In fact, throughout the United States, CRNAs are often the sole anesthesia practitioners in rural areas and deliver more than 60 percent of anesthesia in urban areas.

�At Charity, I saw it all,� McAllister said. �It was a great place to train.�

It was during her time on staff in New Orleans that she met Marc Pearl, a real estate broker and native of Miami. The two eventually married and returned to Miami, where McAllister took a position on the anesthesia staff at Jackson Memorial Hospital. It was there, through a colleague, that McAllister first became acquainted with the South Florida's burgeoning cosmetic surgery industry.

Seeing an opportunity, McAllister soon left Jackson Memorial to start her own anesthesia company. In 1987, she established Southern Anesthesia Services, Inc., and began hiring other talented CRNAs, largely to provide services for cosmetic surgeons. Today, the Company has grown by leaps and bounds and routinely provides CRNAs to all sorts of medical facilities � from cosmetic surgeons to outpatient surgery centers, eye surgery centers, pain centers, hospitals and more. It was in 1994, however, that McAllister embarked on a second and even more ambitious entrepreneurial project and opened the very first Premiere Center for Cosmetic Surgery.

�It seemed to me,� McAllister said. �That people were calling out for a large, convenient cosmetic surgery center they could turn to not only for affordability, but for the highest quality medical care and attention.�

The very first Premiere Center opened in 1994 in Coconut Grove, in a quaint �Old Grove� building with shady outdoor verandas and charming architecture that McAllister and Pearl completely renovated themselves.

In a time period fraught with plastic surgery industry scandals and scares, not only did McAllister and Premiere Center take the high road in terms of ethics, professionalism and quality medical care � they adopted a unique corporate culture and marketing message that remains successful to this day.

Instead of focusing heavily on the aspects of their work overtly related to sexuality and pleasing or impressing others, Premiere Center has always focused, instead, on the idea of boosting one's self image and self confidence. Even their jingle, �It's For You,� summarizes McAllister's approach to her industry as much today as it did back then.

�One reason we form such long-lasting bonds with our clients at Premiere is that we � doctors, therapists, everyone - really take the time to get to know people and discuss their motivations and goals,� McAllister explains. �We've done a lot to promote the very important concept that a people should choose to have a cosmetic procedure because they've thoroughly explored the options and the facts, and decided it will help them feel happier, more confident and sexier � and certainly not as a result of pressure from a spouse, or anyone else. Building our patients' self confidence and esteem with beautiful results and quality, personal medical care and is really what it's all about at Premiere Center.�

Highly effective advertising campaigns and satisfied patient referrals spurred early growth, but making Premiere Center into the industry leader of today was no simple task for McAllister and her team, which today numbers over fifty doctors, certified therapists and nurse practitioners, clinical estheticians, and other employees.

�The degree of resistance from within the medical community was downright shocking,� McAllister said. �Here I was, a woman entering a male � no, male surgeon dominated industry. There were ego issues, and even open hostility from some doctors who delighted in predicting my downfall with every breath.� McAllister pauses for a moment, adding, �If anything, however, all of that initial unpleasantness just made me even more determined to succeed.�

Despite stiff competition and a market that included competitors with dubious credentials who drew crowds of patients by advertising impossible pricing, McAllister stayed her course and continued to build Premiere Center's reputation for high quality, reasonably-priced cosmetic surgery. All of McAllister's Premiere Centers, to this day, continue to operate with spotless safety records.

�Having the best doctors is critical,� McAllister said. �Our doctors are passionate about their work and their field. They appreciate the fact that, with Premiere Center, they have the peace of mind that comes from our experienced, top-notch team and facilities, and they're allowed to focus on what they love do best�surgery, and providing personal, one-on-one patient care, rather than the day to day rigors of operating a large business.�

Of course, many patients never even realize the difference in standards between Premiere Center's clinical facilities and many other �outpatient� facilities. McAllister and her team of doctors, however, share a firm belief in voluntarily meeting the strictest standards for quality, safety and accountability.

�Each Premiere Center is AAAHC Accredited, the most costly and stringent of all possible accreditations, and has received the highest [three-year] level of accreditation each time,� McAllister explains. �While there are countless expensive studies and documentation to comply with, and strict requirements for the credentials of our doctors and staff, neither I nor the doctors would have it any other way � and neither should any patient.

�Quality and quantity have always been the model for this business. I knew we could provide the highest quality care at reasonable prices, if we could sustain the necessary volume.�

Thousands of patients later, her theory seems to be proven correct.

�We don't advertise nearly as much today as we did in the beginning, because we don't have to � we get a lot of business from referrals now that there are so many � literally thousands � of happy people out there in the community that we've safely and affordably helped feel more confident in their everyday lives,� McAllister said.

Over the years, Premiere Center for Cosmetic Surgery has added large new offices in Weston and Tampa, and McAllister hints she is considering Palm Beach County for the newest location. She has also expanded all three facilities, recently adding a luxurious Medical Spa at Premiere Center to each office. The Medical Spas provide nearly all of today's popular non-surgical treatments (like Botox®, facial fillers, laser hair removal, Microdermabrasion, and spider vein removal) plus medical-grade facials and skin care and a lot more - all in a relaxing spa environment.

�These are medical-grade, results-oriented spas, where you go not just to relax and rejuvenate, but for powerful medical treatments that yield real results that you simply can't get at traditional spas, or anywhere all under one roof,� McAllister said.

�With both Southern Anesthesia and Premiere Centermy goal was to succeed without ever compromising an overall focus on quality medical care,� McAllister said. �I am so proud of my entire team of doctors, CRNAs and other professionals because, together, that's precisely what we've done. What's more, in the process, we've helped thousands of people achieve a whole new level of self-confidence, look great, and feel better about life in general.�