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PMNews
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| PM News | |
The Voice of Podiatrists
Serving Over 15,766 Podiatrists Daily
March 12, 2014 #5,010  Publisher-Barry Block, DPM, JD
A partner of Podiatry Management http://www.podiatrym.com
E-mail us by hitting the reply key.
COPYRIGHT 2014- No part of PM News can be reproduced without the
written permission of Barry Block
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| IN YOUR MAILBOX SOON | |
We've just mailed the March 2014 issue of Podiatry Management. Our cover story is titled "Malpractice and Podiatry: Navigating the Waters." In addition, you'll find our usual assortment of features, including our columns and a CPME-approved CME.
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March 2014 Podiatry Management |
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| PM NEWS QUICK POLL | |
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| PODIATRISTS AND DIABETES | |
It's Difficult to Get Insurers to Pay for Prevention of DFUs: WA Podiatrist
Routine foot care to inspect and prevent foot ulcers, the usual cause of diabetes-related amputations, has long been touted by the CDC and the World Health Organization as one of the cheapest and easiest ways to prevent amputations and ensure quality of life. But insurance coverage for preventive care is another matter. Registered nurses in Oregon can provide basic foot care services, such as toenail trimming, debridement for overgrown toenails, and wound care for ulcers, which is done at Kaiser and the Veterans Administration working under a doctor's order.
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Dr. Julia Overstreet |
It has always been hard to difficult to get insurers to pay for prevention, said Dr. Julia Overstreet, a podiatrist in Bellevue, WA., and founding member of the American Foot Care Nurses Association. Overstreet started practicing in the 1980s, and at the time, Medicare didn't pay for shoes or inserts for diabetic patients. Now it does, but that wasn’t always the case. “One guy told me, it's actually cheaper to cut off a few legs than to give everybody shoes,” she said.
Source: Christen McCurdy, The Lund Report [3/10/14]
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| PODIATRISTS IN THE COMMUNITY - PART 2 | |
ND Podiatrist Fills the Need in Podiatric Shortage Area
All Dr. Guy Slann wanted was to be useful. But as a podiatrist in South Florida, he was just one among dozens. While the demand for podiatric services was high, the supply was even higher — there were foot doctors everywhere. Wanting a market where he could supply something not commonly found, Slann turned to Williston, ND. With the booming economy and lack of podiatric services in the area, Slann had found his market.
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Dr. Guy Slann (photo: Larry Griffin) |
Like many upstarts in Williston, Slann had trouble finding office space. Those who enter Slann’s office are greeted with a small space, but one that has all the necessary equipment to treat patients. He has obtained surgical privileges at Mercy Medical Center for bone, skin, and muscle operations, and is training to do operations now. “There are very few foot surgeries done here,” he said. “It’s another gap we have in Williston.”
Source: Larry Griffin, Williston Herald [3/10/14]
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| PODIATRISTS IN THE COMMUNITY - PART 1 | |
FL Podiatrist to Cycle 100 Mile Tour de Cure
As a doctor of podiatric medicine for the last 20 years, Dr. Olga Luepschen has seen more than her share of foot ailments that diabetes can cause. They could be ingrown toenails, swelling, foot ulcers, cuts and sores, corns, deep foot infections and Charcot foot deformities. It was with these in mind that she decided to step up and participate in a 100-mile bike ride to raise funds for the American Diabetes Association.
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Dr. Olga Luepschen |
"I have never ridden a bike this far in my life and even though I'm nervous, I'm looking forward to the challenge of completing the Tour de Cure ride on March 30," Luepschen said. "I want to be an encouragement to my patients. I'm not very coordinated, and even though I have fallen off my bike, I keep getting back up on the bike. I want the Highlands County diabetics to have hope and not give up when they receive a diabetes diagnosis."
Source: Highlands Today [3/10/14]
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| PODIATRIC PRODUCTS IN THE NEWS | |
CA Podiatrist's Candy Company Donates to Down Syndrome Awareness Campaign
In honor of Down syndrome Awareness month and the Delaney Ott-Dahl Foundation, Toe-Rific Chocolates and Candies is donating $5.00 for every Down syndrome “Happy Feet for Happy People” – Chocolate Gift Bag sold to Down syndrome Charities throughout the entire month of March. Each bag contains chocolate Happy Feet.
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Dr. Mark Wolpa |
“In the sweetest way possible, we hope to help advance the awareness that people with Down syndrome are more alike than different” -explains, Dr. Mark Wolpa, podiatrist, author, and founder of Toe-Rific. “There have been amazing advancements that have been made in the last decade in improving the cognitive ability of people inflicted with Down syndrome. Let’s keep that momentum going! The Down Syndrome Awareness Campaign will mark the first of many Toe-Rific causes that we will support with fundraisers.”
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NBPME Seeks Nominations for Board Seats
The following positions on the Board will be open for election to a three-year term at the Annual Meeting in August, 2014
• A candidate who is a podiatric physician currently in practice.
• A candidate who has served as a member of his or her state’s professional licensing board within the five years prior to the initial term.
• A candidate currently serving as a director of a podiatric residency program approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education.
Interested individuals should forward a letter and curriculum vitae no later than June 1, 2014 to: nbpmeofc@aol.com or NBPME, P.O. Box 510, Bellefonte, PA 16823.
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| PHARMACEUTICAL NEWS | |
DEA Publishes Proposal to Reschedule Hydrocodone Products
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has published in the Federal Register a formal proposal to reschedule hydrocodone combination products (HCPs) from Schedule III to Schedule II, a move that would further increase controls on the powerful opioid painkillers. The DEA's action on February 27 follows recent recommendations to reschedule HCPs from the Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS) and a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee, which voted 19 to 10 for the change back in December. The DEA's own evaluation of relevant data on HCPs, which include Vicodin (AbbVie Inc), "supports the action," the agency said in a statement.
HCPs contain hydrocodone and other substances, such as acetaminophen or aspirin. When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970, it placed HCPs in Schedule III but hydrocodone itself in Schedule II, a class reserved for the most potentially harmful and abusable medications. Data and surveys from multiple federal and nonfederal agencies show that HCPs have a "high potential for abuse, and abuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence," the DEA said.
Source: Megan Brooks, Medscape News
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Codes for Podiatric Medicine and More! 2013/2014 (26th Edition)
Make the transition this year with minimal stress and ultimate convenience.
This two-volume set contains podiatric medicine specific ICD-9-CM, ICD-10-CM (cross-referenced), E/M, HCPCS, CPT, E/M, E, and V codes, modifiers, guidelines for wound care, diabetic foot care, the Medicare Diabetes Shoe Program, and more.
Telephone and email support is provided at no additional cost for help with your tough coding questions.
Accept no substitutes. My publication is the one that you hear about. Join the thousands of satisfied podiatrists using my coding manuals for over 25 years. Available for immediate shipping!
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| QUERIES (NON-CLINICAL) | |
Query: H&P Credentialing
One of the hospitals where I hold full staff privileges is requiring podiatrists to perform pre-operative history and physical examinations. Can anyone suggest a venue where podiatrists can become credentialed in doing H&Ps?
David Iorio, Sr., DPM, Hamilton, NJ
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| CODINGLINE CORNER | |
Query: Co-pay During 90-Day Global Period
I am having a dispute with a colleague about collecting a co-pay during a global period. When a patient visits your office post-op and you are evaluating the surgical site, taking x-rays, or removing sutures, is it okay to collect a co-pay from a patient who is still in a post-op global period?
Furthermore, is it okay to collect this co-pay as a non-covered service and not submit it to their insurance? I am pretty sure that this is incorrect, please weigh in.
Marc Katz, DPM, Tampa, FL
Response: I agree with you, this would be incorrect. If you are a contracted provider with a payer, you are obligated to abide by the contract. If a patient is seen for a related visit in a global period, a co-pay should not be collected from the patient since it's non-payable due to the visit being part of the global period.
Collecting a co-pay and not billing the carrier would be looked at negatively, and it would be a breach of your contract with the payer.
Response: Angela K. Gomes, RMC, CMBA, Office of Gary McClernan, DPM, Tampa, FL
Codingline subscription information can be found here
APMA Members: Click here for your free Codingline Silver subscription
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| RESPONSES/COMMENTS (NON-CLINICAL) - PART 1 | |
RE: Considerations When Buying Medical Equipment
From: Elliot Udell, DPM
When considering the purchase of any physical medical modality, especially one where there is considerable economic investment, it behooves one to do some research on the "mechanics" of the device you are considering. Over the years, I have witnessed many high priced physical therapeutic modalities being peddled to members of our profession for high sums of money, when a similar modality may be available at a fraction of the price from another major physical therapy manufacturer.
Another issue to investigate is whether the device you are buying is made by a small company that might go out of business and whether it requires proprietary parts, such as custom-made electrodes which cannot be obtained if the company ceases to exist. A third issue is to investigate what codes the company is advocating for billing. Many sales reps will give you codes that are not legitimate or which pay very little. Independent research before buying any of these devices can prevent being stuck with a big loan or long lease and not being able to use or bill for the modality.
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MEETING NOTICES - PART 1
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| RESPONSES/COMMENTS (NON-CLINICAL) - PART 2 | |
From: Lawrence M. Rubin, DPM
I believe Dr. Rosenblatt's letter to his patients expresses the frustration we all feel with Obamacare and its impact on us and our patients. However, I want to clarify one part of the letter which seems to tell patients that they will now be billed for routine foot care that Medicare had previously covered. We have to remember that if we are either participating or non-participating podiatrists, we are obligated to know what is and what is not covered by Medicare. Charging patients for covered services without filing a claim for the patient can be considered a violation of Medicare law.
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MEETING NOTICES - PART 2
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PODIATRY MANAGEMENT'S AFFORDABLE ONLINE CME
You can Earn 50 CPME-Approved CME Contact Hours Online
Earn 15 Contact Hours only $179
(Less than $13 per credit) http://www.podiatrym.com/cme.cfm
All required credits can be taken online for AL, AK, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MI, NV, NJ, NM, ND, OH, OR, RI, SC, SD, VA, WV, WI, & WY
Partial required credits can be taken online for AZ, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, MO, MT, NH, NY, NC, OK, PA, PR, TN, TX, UT, VT, WA, and DC
Choose any or ALL (50 CME Contact Hours) from the 30+ CME Category-1 articles posted
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| CLASSIFIED ADS |
ASSOCIATE POSITION – CONNECTICUT
Well-established, growing practice in Darien, Connecticut is looking to bring on a new hard-working Podiatric Associate with PSR-36 Training. This is a GREAT opportunity for a young physician coming out of residency. Please email your CV and letters of reference to: sweiss4@stamhealth.org
ASSOCIATE POSITION - MANHATTAN
In-network associate position PT/FT east side midtown Manhattan position available for motivated podiatrist in all phases of podiatry including surgery . Please send CV with list of plans that you are in enrolled in to johnj10022@aol.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION - NORTH CAROLINA - GREENSBORO/TRIAD AREA
Busy, state-of-the-art group practice seeking full time associate. PSR 24 or above training preferred. Excellent opportunity for a highly motivated and ethical applicant. Competitive income and benefit package. Hospital privileges available. Board certified/qualified applicant, send CV and letter of interest to triad.podiatrist@yahoo.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION - CENTRAL FLORIDA
Non-surgical associate wanted for busy Central Florida practice. Duties to include palliative care, diabetic foot care, wound care and minor office procedures. Competitive salary plus incentives, malpractice insurance, health insurance, fees and dues, are covered. Please reply to: footcareforyou@gmail.com.
ASSOCIATE POSITION - CENTRAL PA
Looking for an associate with strong surgical training. Personal and energetic a must. The physician will provide all aspects of podiatric practice, including sports medicine, wound care, and foot and ankle surgery. Competitive compensation package. Partnership opportunity for right person. To apply, please email, letter of intent and CV to premierfootpa@outlook.com
ASSOCIATE POSITIONS – TENNESEE
Immediate full & part-time positions available for fully credentialed. Buy in/Buy out options available for this high volume practice in Knoxville area. Principal, also seeking like-minded to share semi-retirement, e.g., 2 weeks on/ 2 weeks off or 1 month on/ 1 month off, etc. Please email letter of intent and CV to:easttnpodiatry@gmail.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION - CENTRAL FLORIDA
Associate wanted for well-established practice in central Florida. Multi Physician Practice – Multi Practice Locations Competitive Salary and Benefits. Experienced support staff. Excellent opportunity for a promising future. To apply please go to www.yourcareerinpodiatry.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION - KENTUCKY
Immediate opening for palliative/general podiatric care provider in established clinics, nursing home and assistive living settings in beautiful Southern Kentucky. Travel involved, but transportation provided along with ability to provide a wide range of clinical care including DME. Board certification not mandatory, but must be eligible for KY state license. Base salary with incredible bonus opportunity/full benefits. Join Kentucky’s largest and most respected podiatric group. Email CV and letter of interest to:jonkim12000@yahoo.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION - UPSTATE SC
Well-established three doctor practice seeks PSR-24/36 trained associate. New office building with privileges at nearby hospital and surgical center. EMR in place. Located near lake and mountains. Two hours from Charlotte and Atlanta. Please send letter of interest to docrose@bellsouth.net.
ASSOCIATE POSITION – CHICAGO, IL
Podiatrist in Chicago. Independent, energetic Dr. needed to do house calls; schedule will be accommodated due to Dr.'s preferences; both full- and part-time will be considered. Send your inquiries to: dpms2@hotmail.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION - NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
Position available leading to buy in after 6-12 months for the right person. Well established practice all aspects of care. Modern facility and latest technology. Need a self-starter ambitious person to work and grow the practice. Send Resume and cover letter to DRFOOT44@gmail.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION – SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Immediate associate position available. Applicant should be personal, self-motivated and independent. Will provide diabetic treatments, biomechanical exams, minor office procedures, major surgical corrections, in-home care. Great surgical growth potential. Competitive compensation package. Send letter of intent and CV to: admin@blaskodpm.com.
ASSOCIATE POSITION - GEORGIA (ATLANTA, NORTHERN SUBURBS)
Largest physician-owned equity based super group model (EHI, Inc.)- seeking multiple practitioners to work in highly successful clinical environments. Physicians must have minimum of 5 years practice experience in high volume clinical setting (s), ABPS board eligible/certified, highly motivated, hardworking, and extremely ethical. Unique setting encompassing practice owned surgery centers, pathology lab (s), imaging service(s), vascular access center (s), hyperbaric center(s), compounding pharmacy, anesthesia service(s), & more in development. Practice mergers considered for the right cultural fit. Competitive initial salary plus ancillary bonuses with full benefit package and ownership opportunities. Please send all inquiries via e-mail to dhelfman@extremityhealthcare.com and mhilsen@extremityhealthcare.com include cover letter and CV.
ASSOCIATE POSITION – VICTORIA, BC
Beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. Needing experienced associate for 3-office practice
Reply to dr.cole@shaw.ca
ASSOCIATE POSITION - GEORGIA (ATLANTA)/TEXAS (AUSTIN, DALLAS, HOUSTON)
Largest Physician Owned Equity Based Super Group Model (EHI, Inc.)- seeking ethical hard working practitioners interested in joining EHI’s Southwest expansion. Our model is proven to produce successful practice groups and ancillary services, some of which include physician owned surgery centers, pathology lab (s), imaging service(s), vascular access center (s), hyperbaric center(s), compounding pharmacies, anesthesia service(s), & more in development. This is your opportunity to join EHI’s strategic national expansion focusing on secure wealth creation in an uncertain regulatory healthcare market. Only successful group (s) and/or solo practitioners will be considered. Send inquiries via e-mail to dhelfman@extremityhealthcare.com and mhilsen@extremityhealthcare.com
FULL-TIME ASSOCIATE - BRONX, NY
Associate needed for 30+ year busy private practice. Applicant should be personal, independent and motivated. Bilingual a plus. Practice entails all aspects of podiatry. Surgery, orthopedics, wound care, primary care and sports medicine. Competitive compensation package. Partnership opportunity for the right person. To apply please email letter of intent and CV to Bronxfootspecialist@gmail.com
SPACE TO SHARE - EAST SIDE MANHATTAN
East Side Manhattan - reception, waiting area, lab - 3 furnished treatment rooms - Staff available - Immediate availability. email off61dpm@gmail.com
PRACTICE FOR SALE - SOUTHWEST FL
Multilocation multidoctor practice in beautiful Southwest Florida. Practice has grossed over seven figures consistently and currently shows 10-15% growth in revenues with increase in new patients and patient visits. EHR is already implemented with meaningful use criteria met. Practice has been professionally evaluated by Provider Resources. Only serious inquiries to this email address. This is a great practice in Paradise and a good opportunity for the right doctor or doctors. Email to: practiceforsaleswfla@gmail.com
PRACTICE FOR SALE – MANHATTAN
High End Lucrative Practice for Sale on Fifth Ave. in Manhattan. Ground Floor. Street entrance.1,000Sq. Ft. Doctor owned Co-Op, lease secured for 10 years. Priced to sell. Will be available through transition. Contact Email pied106@aol.com
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE - PINPOINTE FOOT LASER
$16,800.00 OBO, FDA-cleared to treat Onychomycosis. Purchased May 2011, Machine was maintained under warranty and is in working order. Includes; manuals, keys, thermometer, 1 hand piece, new fibers, cleaver, 3 pairs of eye goggles, original packaging. Contact -Darren @ 801-870-4161 or email: dman1hansen@gmail.com
PM News Classified Ads Reach over 15,500 DPMs and Students
Whether you have used equipment to sell or are offering an associate position, PM News classified ads are the fastest, most-effective way of reaching over 15,500 DPMs. for details, click here or write to: bblock@podiatrym.com or call (718) 897-9700 for details. For commercial or display ads contact David Kagan at (800) 284-5451
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| Disclaimers |
Acceptance and publication by this newsletter of an advertisement, news story, or letter does not imply endorsement or approval by Barry Block or Kane Communications of the company, product, content or ideas expressed in this newsletter. Podiatric Medical News does not represent the views, and is a separate entity from Podiatry Management Magazine and Podiatry Management Online. Any information pertaining to legal matters should not be considered to be legal advice, which can only be obtained via individual consultation with an attorney. Information about Medicare billing should be confirmed with your State CAC.
THIS MESSAGE IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE USE OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR
ENTITY TO WHICH IT IS ADDRESSED AND MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT IS
PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL AND EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE.
If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an
employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the
intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination,
distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please
immediately notify me and you are hereby instructed to delete all
electronic copies and destroy all printed copies.
DISCLAIMER: Internet communications cannot be guaranteed to be
either timely or free of viruses.
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- Subscribers are reminded that they have an ethical obligation to disclose any potential conflicts of interest when commenting on any product, procedure, or service.
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