Dr. Christine Rausch

Dr. Christine S. Rausch is the founder of Elevate Dermatology & Plastic Surgery, a physician-owned independent practice built on the belief that medicine works best when physicians can remain focused on what matters most: their patients. In an increasingly corporate healthcare environment, maintaining an independent practice allows Dr. Rausch and her team to keep patient care as their North Star. It is a distinction she is deeply proud of and one that guides every decision within the practice.

Dr. Rausch understands that for many patients, hearing the words "skin cancer" can be frightening. For more than two decades, she has dedicated her career to guiding patients through that experience with surgical precision, compassion, and genuine connection. She believes that excellent care requires not only technical expertise but also listening, empathy, and a commitment to caring for the whole person who entrusts her with their care.

A board-certified dermatologist, dermatologic surgeon, and fellowship trained Mohs micrographic surgeon, Dr. Rausch specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer serving patients in the greater Richmond area. Over the course of her career, she has treated more than 50,000 skin cancers and performed more than 27,000 Mohs surgeries, making her one of the region's most experienced skin cancer surgeons.

An important part of Dr. Rausch's work involves reconstructive surgery following skin cancer removal. She finds this aspect of Mohs surgery particularly rewarding, as it combines medical science with a careful eye for aesthetics and form. Thoughtful reconstruction allows patients not only to be cancer free, but also to heal with confidence.

While the technical challenge of Mohs surgery initially drew her to the field, it is the relationships with patients that have kept her passionate about her work. Dr. Rausch enjoys getting to know her patients, hearing their stories and lessons, and learning about their lives. She believes that great medical care includes both skill and humanity. Sometimes that means holding a patient's hand, wiping away tears, or bringing a little humor and reassurance into an anxious moment.

One of the compliments she values most is when a patient tells her that she made an experience they expected to be unpleasant, comfortable and even positive. To her, that is the true measure of success.

Dr. Rausch graduated summa cum laude and Phi Betta Kappa from the University of Richmond and earned her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School, where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She completed her dermatology residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and her Mohs surgery fellowship at Geisinger Medical Center. She is board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology and is a Fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery.

Outside of the office, Dr. Rausch enjoys travelling, running, spending time at the beach, and discovering great restaurants and cuisine. She also has a long-standing interest in architecture and design, fields that reflect the same blend of visual aesthetics, science, and precision that drew her to Mohs surgery.

Ironically, although she loves summer and the ocean, you will usually find Dr. Rausch sitting under a tent fully covered up and reminding everyone around her to reapply sunscreen!

Dr. Rausch met her husband, an emergency physician, when she was eighteen years old and he was twenty. They have been together ever since, balancing two demanding medical careers whiles raising three children, Thomas Lauren, and Katherine, who remain the joy of her life.

She looks forward to meeting you!