06/10/2013    Robert Spalding, DPM

Staff Performing Routine Foot Care (Margie Plon, DPM)

In response to Dr. Plon’s comments, I would like
to share my opinion. More and more health
practitioners are benefitting from force
multipliers in the form of assistants to expand
their practice, so must podiatry. An assistant
who performs certain tasks well makes a practice
more efficient. And an assistant who can work for
cash services in place of you makes you more
profitable, period.

When I see podiatrists going from bed to bed in
nursing homes “professionally treating”
or “performing palliative care” on patients using
the same un-sterilized nail nippers, or not using
autoclaved instruments in their offices, I
cringe. That scenario diminishes our profession
quicker than a focused competent assistant who is
gloved up using autoclaved instruments. A trained
assistant under the direction of a DPM is a
better choice than any podiatrist who views nail
care as a perfunctory service he or she is
begrudgingly supposed to deliver without aseptic
techniques.

Our profession is going through a huge paradigm
shift and we need to expand our services. After
working with the cosmetology industry non-stop
since 1998, I can tell you that many nail salons
currently have better disinfection techniques
than many podiatrists. Routine foot care is going
to be in greater demand and we don’t have the
doctors to fill the need.

Dentists use hygienists to do routine oral
cleanings, while PCPs and DPMs are losing ground
to nurse practitioners and PAs every year.

Cash-based aesthetic foot care and routine foot
care are becoming a larger part of our practices
as co-pays and deductibles get larger and covered
services continue to shrink. If we want to expand
our services we need competent staff trained to
deliver. ACFAOM is stepping up to the plate to
help train our staff to provide these cash
services. I advise every DPM to look at this
program to augment your practice.

Robert Spalding, DPM, Signal Mountain, TN,
rts9999999@aol.com

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