Every question, answered honestly.

Velvet is a private, nurse-led post-operative concierge service. Over a 30-day recovery episode, you receive scheduled video and phone check-ins, secure messaging access to your clinician, recovery education, medication and schedule reminders, and red-flag escalation back to your surgeon's office when something needs their eyes.

It exists for the weeks between leaving the operating room and your six-week surgical follow-up — the weeks where most patients feel the most alone.

Adults recovering from elective surgical procedures who want a structured, supportive presence during recovery. Especially patients who travel for surgery, recover without close at-home support, have higher-acuity procedures, or simply prefer concierge-level attention to their healing.

No, and intentionally so. Velvet works alongside your surgical team — supporting your day-to-day recovery, surfacing what shouldn't slip, and escalating anything clinical back to your surgeon. We are a layer of attention, not a substitute for medical judgment or emergency care.

Velvet currently supports recovery from elective surgical procedures, with particular care for cosmetic, plastic, and aesthetic recoveries — where the days after surgery shape the final result. During your consultation, we'll confirm fit based on your specific procedure and recovery profile.

Dr. Lydia Smith, FNP, MSN, DNP — a Family Nurse Practitioner with a doctorate in nursing practice — is the founding clinician and provides care directly. As Velvet grows, additional vetted clinicians may join the care team, but every Velvet clinician is held to the same standard Lydia set personally.

No. Velvet does not prescribe new medications, modify your existing prescriptions, or take over your medication management. Those decisions remain with your surgeon and prescribing clinicians. We help you take what's already prescribed safely and on schedule.

Velvet uses a structured escalation protocol. Most questions are "normal recovery" reassurances. Concerning-but-not-urgent findings get a clinical call within hours. Urgent findings get a same-day call from us to your surgeon's office on your behalf. Emergencies — chest pain, severe bleeding, breathing difficulty, signs of a clot — we direct you to 911 or the nearest emergency department immediately while staying with you on the phone if possible.

Yes. All Velvet care is delivered through telehealth — video calls, secure messaging, and phone. You'll sign a Telehealth Informed Consent at enrollment explaining how this works, the limits of remote care, and your rights.

Velvet serves patients in the state(s) where Dr. Smith is currently licensed to practice. Your state of residence is collected during the consultation request so we can confirm fit before enrollment. If we cannot serve your state, we'll let you know honestly and, where possible, suggest alternatives.

Velvet treats your medical information with HIPAA-aligned safeguards: encrypted records, role-based access, audit logs of every chart view, and a Notice of Privacy Practices reviewed at intake. Only your assigned clinical team can see your case.

Yes — with your written authorization. At enrollment, you can name specific individuals (a partner, parent, friend) who are authorized to receive information about your care. You can revoke that authorization at any time.

No. The website booking form and email are not HIPAA-secured. We deliberately do not ask for clinical detail through those channels. Once you enroll, all clinical conversation moves to a secure, HIPAA-compliant messaging platform.

Your clinical record is retained per applicable medical records retention law — typically 6-10 years. You retain the right to access, request amendment to, and receive a copy of your record at any time. Details are in our Notice of Privacy Practices.

Velvet offers two 30-day plans: Essential for straightforward recoveries, and Velvet Concierge for higher-acuity or higher-attention care. Current pricing is shown on our main page. Both plans include the consultation call and your written graduation summary.

No. Velvet is a private-pay concierge service and is not billed through insurance. We can provide an itemized statement on request if you'd like to submit for possible reimbursement under your plan — but most insurance plans do not cover nursing concierge services, and any reimbursement decision rests with your insurer.

The path is simple: submit a consultation request through our booking page, have a 15-minute conversation with Dr. Smith, and if Velvet is the right fit for you, you'll receive a secure intake link to complete enrollment. The whole process from "I'm curious" to "I'm enrolled" is usually two to three days.

Extensions are available at a concierge rate. We typically discuss whether an extension makes sense around day 21 of your initial episode, so the transition is seamless.

If you cancel more than 48 hours before your first scheduled check-in, you receive a full refund minus a small administrative fee. After service begins, refunds are prorated based on days remaining in your episode. Full terms are in the Service Agreement you sign at enrollment.

Especially then. Many of our patients travel out of state for surgery and recover at home in another state, often without their surgeon physically nearby. Velvet was built for exactly this — your day-to-day support shouldn't depend on geography.