Who We Are
The Aestra Institute is dedicated to providing best-in-class, educational CE accredited courses to medical professionals looking to expand their skills and practices. Our mission statement is to provide intimate training seminars to gain confidence with medical aesthetics. We strive to achieve excellence in both skills and knowledge base within both didactic and clinical application. We perform at a 2:1 ratio with expert key leaders in the industry. Hands on educational seminars that offer comprehensive skill building in a small class size with exceptional key leaders with over 10 years as aesthetic international instructors.
The primary training site is located in the Tampa Bay area, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Classes are conducted at a well established plastic surgery office. It is nestled 2 miles from St. Petersburg Beach, shopping, and restaurants. The clinical hands-on portion is done in our state of the art med spa which offers a one of a kind coastal feel. We also provide private training at your facility upon request.
Our Tampa Bay facility is located 15 minutes from Tampa International Airport. Here you’ll be able to focus on your training in facilities that are state-of-the-art in an environment that is second to none for professional learning. And all in a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment. It offers 10 injection rooms and an elegant, well-equiped lecture hall. Video cameras in each room allow students to learn necessary concepts easily and comfortably.
Our Team
Denise Merdich
APRN
The president and founder of Aestra Institute (formerly Florida Aesthetics Training Institute), is an acclaimed clinician and international injectable trainer. She has successfully trained thousands of practitioners over the last 15 years in both mainstream and advanced techniques for all neurotoxins, dermal fillers and laser.
Ava Kloeber
Clinical Director
RMA
Registered Medical Assistant since 2015. Ava has worked in the aesthetic industry since 2017. She is continuing her education In 2020 for certified surgical technician. Works part time with Aestra Institute assisting during training day. Schedules patients for training day and Oversees the clinical flow to assure consistent patient care.
Yaz
Assistant
Yaz graduated with a BSN in Nursing from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro while being a Division I athlete. She moved back to Florida and is now a fulltime Cardiothoracic Nurse. Her plan is to continue her study for Nurse Practitioner Master’s Degree later this year. She currently works part time for Aestra Institute as clinical assistant.
Idamir Calderon
APRN, CRNA
Idamir Calderon, APRN, CRNA is our Nurse Practitioner Injector with over 5 years of experience as a Board Certified Nurse Anesthetist and Advance Registered Nurse Practitioner. Idamir has extensive training in cosmetic injectables. She works side by side with Dr. Guirguis and specializes in advanced cosmetic procedures involving neurotoxins (Cosmetic botox, Dysport, Xeomin), dermal fillers, platelet rich plasma, stem cell treatments for facial rejuvenation, hair restoration and erectile dysfunction. Patients complement her for her soft touch when injecting and her dedication to patient education.
Natausha Spears
B.S,. R.N.
Natausha Spears has been in the aesthetic industry for twenty years. She currently owns her own medical spa in Oklahoma City called Injectable Aesthetics. Over the past 15 years, she has traveled all over the country training many multi-specialty providers, including physicians, nurses, dentists, and physician assistants.
Jeff Merdich
Business Development Director
Jeff Merdich is Business Development Director/ CFO at Aestra Institute, with responsibility for marketing programs, brand management. Develop customer retention and additional penetration by focusing on building strong relationships, customer education, and value added service to continuously bring new solutions goals. Dynamic 28 years sales career marked by progressive advancement and achievement of strategic objectives.
Charissa
Assistant
Charissa graduated with bachelors in nursing in 2008 and is continuing her education for a Master’s Degree this year. She has a diverse nursing background including critical care, optimizing electronic health care records, and infection prevention. She has an interest in aesthetics and skincare and works part time for Aestra Institute as a clinical assistant. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time with family.