The Voice of Podiatrists

Serving Over 14,000 Podiatrists Daily

May 02, 2013 #4,758 Publisher-Barry Block, DPM, JD

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IPMA Decries Cuts in Medicaid Funding

A state organization has begun a state-wide blitz to rally support for the nursing home community. The purpose of the state-wide tour is to fight for funding for essential medical services such as dental, vision, and podiatry care. Officials are expected to encourage lawmakers to support a bill that would roll back cuts to care for vulnerable seniors.

Dr. Michael Hriljac

Professionals in the field of podiatry have decried the cuts in funding for care to Medicaid patients. "Lack of podiatry care threatens the overall health of elderly people in may ways and greatly diminishes their quality of life," states Dr. Michael Hriljac, executive director of the Illinois Podiatric Medical Association.

Source; Rick Hayes, The Register-News [4/30/13]

PM News has begun a new weekly feature called Quick Poll. Each week, we will post a new poll based on some of the controversial issues discussed in our Comments/Responses section. Straw polls are not scientific and do not represent standards of care.

Quick Poll
What would you recommend as a career for your child?
Click HERE for Results

Laker Basketball Star's Injury May Have Been Preventable: TX Podiatrist 

San Antonio sports podiatrist Dr. Ed Davis, a South Texas podiatrist stated today that the injury Kobe Bryant received to his Achilles tendon may have been a preventable injury. Dr. Davis explains, "It is important for athletes to take preventative measures to prevent Achilles injuries. A tight Achilles tendon is easier to tear than one that is not. Proper stretching techniques can loosen most tight tendons but there are a number of athletes that have short heel cords that may require more aggressive treatment with manual therapy or more advanced biomechanical intervention."

Dr. Ed Davis

It is possible, according to Dr. Davis, that if proper precautions were not taken with Bryant's Achilles tendon, then that may have led to the injury that sidelined him during the Lakers playoff run. "Chronic or recurrent Achilles pain may indicate that there is an issue requiring professional evaluation. Always avoid use of cortisone injections to the Achilles tendon as even a single injection to that tendon has been shown to significantly increase the chance of a tear," said Dr. Davis.

Source: Wall Street Journal [4/30/13]

Rules Changes and Enforcement Can Reduce Soccer Changes: Aussie Podiatrist

An Albury-Wodonga soccer taskforce is demanding tougher tests for coaches, referees, and a crackdown on dangerous tackles. The group headed by podiatrist Paul Musarra has also investigated player and spectator behavior, calling on all involved in the AWFA to show more respect.

Paul Musarra

Musarra says that can change with a better understanding of the rules, and referees not tolerating dangerous tackles from the start of the game. Studies have found that foul play was the cause of about a third of all injuries in soccer. By comparison, foul play accounted for just 5 per cent of injuries in rugby union. “This initiative was aimed at improving what already is a great game,” Musarra said.

Source:  The Border Mail [5/1/13]

Many Don't Know Status of Healthcare Reform Law: Kaiser Survey

More than three years after President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, public confusion about the 2010 healthcare reform law is widespread, according to a survey released Tuesday. Forty-two percent of those surveyed by the Kaiser Family Foundation didn't know the status of the law, answered incorrectly when asked about PPACA's status or declined to respond. Some 59% answered correctly that PPACA is the law of the land and is being implemented.

For example, 12% of respondents said the law was repealed by Congress. While the House of Representatives last year passed a repeal measure, the Senate did not act on the proposal. In addition, 7% of respondents said the Supreme Court overturned the law.

Source: Jerry Geisel, Crain's Business Insurance [4/30/13]

Query: Dorsiflexed Hallux

This 53 year old male had osteomyelitis of the right foot (2007-09). Six months ago, he had a negative gallium scan and has been cleared by his family physician. He presented with severely dorsiflexed first and second toes. X-rays reveal bone loss on the 4th metatarsal head and on both phalanges of the right hallux. Present medical history is non-contributory, and he has not taken any meds.

X-Rays of Dorsiflexed Hallux

His original complaint was an ulcer plantar right hallux, which has healed. Orthotics have helped to a limited degree. Suggestions as to the various surgical options for correction of the right hallux would be appreciated.

Kel Sherkin, DPM, Toronto, Canada

RE: Foreign Body Granuloma? (David Kahan, DPM)
From: Neil Levin, DPM

Avulse the entire nail. Debride the granulomatous tissue and send it all for biopsy. Treat it post-operatively as you would any avulsion until you have path results.
 
Neil Levin, DPM, Sycamore, IL, DRFEET1@aol.com

RE: Wartabater (Greg Caringi, DPM)
From: Ted Cohen, DPM
 
Dr. Caringi, do you remember that long river we spoke about in 1980 at OCPM? It had that long structure over it that was for sale. Well, it's still for sale!
 
Ted Cohen, DPM, Las Vegas, NV, doctor@viawest.net

RE: Hired Gun Testimony of a Radiologist
From: Charles Lombardi, DPM

I just concluded a malpractice trial that took 7 weeks of my life. I will be posting the transcripts on PM News. I have attached a transcript of the testimony of Dr. Glenn Schwartz who works for Empire Imaging/Long Island Radiology. The claim against me was that I cut the medial plantar nerve while doing a removal of an os trigonum  from the lateral side. The plaintiff sued me, the anesthesiologist, and all the residents and associates. He claimed that he had chronic pain everywhere. He even had subsequent surgery by a neurosurgeon.

Dr. Schwartz read a post-operative MRI in 2006 and said  that except for post-operative edema, all structures were intact. That was the only "contact" with the patient. In the middle of the trial, when the plaintiff's lawyer realized he might be losing, he contacted Dr. Schwartz and paid him to come in as a subsequent treating doctor. Dr. Schwartz now says there was damage around the nerve (five years later) for money! What makes this worse is that Dr. Schwartz sat on the medical board with me for five years at Flushing hospital.

I ask you to read this transcript (start at page 40) and see if you have a concern about referring your patients to a radiology group that will later come back and change their report to hurt you.

Charles Lombardi, DPM, Bayside, NY, ChazDPM@aol.com

RE: Wireless Printers and HIPAA (Elliot Udell, DPM)
From: Marc Garfield, DPM
 
Your wireless network needs to be encrypted and password-protected. I switched to the Konica Minolta 5650EN seven months ago, after two HP printers could not handle the workload. Make sure the printer that you get has enough RAM (about 128 MB) to handle commercial use, and that it sips ink carefully. The Konica Minolta has been faultless and the starter cartridge has lasted several months. The full (@$220)cartridge last 6-12 months. I used to go through one to two HP laser toner cartridges per month at about $80 a piece. So in seven months, I have spent less on the printer and Ink than I would have spent on toner alone with the HPs that I retired.
 
Marc Garfield, DPM, Williamsburg, VA, mgarfield1@cox.net

RE: Patients' Requests for X-Rays (Joseph Borreggine, DPM)
From: Raymond Posa, MBA
 
E-mailing patient information or any ePHI can be done as long as the email service you are using is secure. There are secure email services such as Zix Corp (zixcorp.com) that grab your outgoing email and re-route it to their secure email servers, and then send a secure link to the recipient. It is all done seamlessly and is transparent to the recipient. Email is one of the most efficient modes of communications available to us today. I encourage all busy professionals to take advantage of it; just do so safely.

Disclosure: I have no financial ties to Zix Corp.
 
Raymond F. Posa, MBA, Farmingdale, NJ, rposa@themantagroup.com

RE: Purchasing a Digital X-Ray System (Michael Brody, DPM)
From: Kenneth Meisler, DPM

After 30 years in the same office, I moved to a new much larger office in 2007. I decided to switch to digital x-rays and go totally paperless with EMR at that time. EMR was relatively easy, digital x-rays were EXTREMELY easy.

I disagree with Dr. Brody recommending a CR system for digital x-rays. In 2007, I tried to save some money and bought one of the most popular podiatry CR systems. After one year...

Disclosure: Disclosure: Dr. Meisler is a paid consultant for 20/20 Imaging.

Editor's note: Dr. Meisler's extended-length note can be read here.

RE: Podiatry's Secret Problem (Victor Marks, DPM, MPH)
From: Barry Mullen, DPM

There are a plethora of medical conditions that can and should be added to Dr. Marks' dementia list for at-risk foot care coverage. These include, but are not limited to, blindness (and a multitude of other physical and mental conditions that preclude patients from safely rendering self foot care), immuno-suppression from ANY cause, anticoagulant therapy, and DM, to name but just a few.

That said, be careful what you wish for. Cash is always a preferred compensation for medically needed, rendered podiatric services; if the...

Editor's note: Dr. Mullen's extended-length letter can be read here.

RE: Appreciative Jerry Seinfeld Donates to NYCPM (Richard Jaffe, DPM)
From: Wenjay Sung, DPM

Yada, Yada, Yada. Dr. Jaffe must be joking about an apology. "Seinfeld" was THE hit  comedy of the '90s and was meant to entertain. Jerry Seinfeld is a comedian, not a politician. Dr. Jaffe may have better luck gathering his "bitter friends", sitting around a metal pole, and complaining about who screwed them over through the years  (another "Seinfeld" reference for the young ones). 

Wenjay Sung, DPM, Los Angeles, CA, wenjay.sung@gmail.com

Nike Helped Wonky-Legged Elephant with a Custom-Made Shoe

Pity the poor elephant forced to wander the wilderness with one leg noticeably shorter than the other three. We don't know how the animal came to Nike's attention, but it was the lucky recipient of the sneaker brand's biggest-ever custom shoe: a gray monstrosity, custom-designed to provide the elephant with a literal lift.

Could this work for a patient with elephantiasis?

It's unclear exactly when the shoe was built or where the elephant is now. But the gray fabric was meant to blend seamlessly with the elephant's skin, while the pink bits of remaining fabric are, in the words of Nike's lead public relations official, Heidi Burgett, "what's left of the beat-up swoosh."

Source: Heidi Burgett , MSN Now via Susan Anderson

PRECEPTOR POSITIONS - PHILADELPHIA

(3) Preceptor Positions available in Philadelphia and possibly (1) or (2) more in NY/NJ. Practice is diverse with a strong offering in podiatric rehabilitation, sports medicine and pain management. Two preceptors successfully completed this past year and gained tremendous hands-on experience. Please send resume to: ediamond7@comcast.net. To learn more:www.philadelphiapodiatrist.com.

PODIATRY PRACTICE LOCATION AVAILABLE - UPPER EAST SIDE NYC

Prime NYC Practice Location: 200 East 72nd Street. Street level with signage. My equipment or yours. Will stay on to introduce or leave.  E-mail Dr. Shavelson. drsha@lifestylepodiatry.com

SPACE AVAILABLE - NYC & LI

Office to sublet and share - East 60th Manhattan, and Plainview, Long Island. access to an MRI, Joint Commission certified operating rooms, digital x-ray, diagnostic ultrasound, and access to a multi-specialty ambulatory surgical center. Also availability E 22nd between 2nd and 3rd and E 70th off 3rd. Turn-key operation - no investment needed PODO2345@AOL.COM 516-476-1815.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE - CUTTING EDGE MPL  THERAPEUTIC "COOL" LASER

Purchased 04/2010 Purchase price $27,000 Asking $13,000 (Image 1, Image 2, Image 3). Our doctors just haven't been using it enough. email mrobsondpm@aol.com

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE - BIOMEDIX PADNET SYSTEM
 
PADnet is clinically valuable, provides fair financial return with medically appropriate testing and seamlessly integrates with the complete suite of BioMedix® products and services. One year old. In Excellent condition. Buyer pays for shipping. Please contact Rhonda Daggs at info@footanklecenters.com

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE - FOX YAG LASER

Mint condition, still under warranty. Unit is portable & includes all the accessories. $14,500.00. Call 727 586-3668 or 727-321-310.

PRACTICE FOR SALE - VIRGINIA

62 years consecutive private podiatry practice, excellent referral base, busy, modern equipment; X-Cel Xray machine, digital Tigerview scanner, Traknet EMR, and 3 new Midmark chairs for the doctor and patient. Virginia license is required. Please contact Dr. Fine at drmichaelfine@aol.comor 703-582-5999.

PRACTICE FOR SALE - BROOKLYN, NY

28 year old practice in a desirable part of Brooklyn. EHR certified with stage 1 criteria successfully met. Practice has room to grow. Good mix of Medicare hazardous foot care; surgery and wounds. Low overhead. Priced to sell. Email Inquires to brooklynpracticeforsale@gmail.com.

PODIATRIST SEEKING EMPLOYMENT - CHICAGOLAND AREA
 
Personable, well trained ABPS Board Certified podiatrist with 10 years experience seeking associate position or buy-in opportunity in the Chicagoland area. Please email inquires to ewcv5@hotmail.com.

ASSOCIATE POSITION - MASSACHUSSETS

Located near Boston. Busy multi-office podiatry practice looking to expand. Need extremely energetic dedicated individual. Must be PSR 12-24 trained, EMR, laser, vascular testing the works. Must have sense of humor. MA License, NH License A+! Surgery, sports medicine, pediatrics, shoe store. Please send resumes to resumesent11@comcast.net.

ASSOCIATE POSITION - NORTHWEST CHICAGO SUBURBAN AREA
 
Medical-surgical podiatry practice seeking well-trained individual to work full-time with future partnership opportunity. PM&S-36 a minimum. Pleasant community 45 minutes outside Chicago. Send resume to feetdpm@yahoo.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION - WEST VIRGINIA 

Seeking podiatry associate in well-established, growing practice in small, friendly, safe city. New hospital built 2 years ago in nearby. large college is 35 minutes away. Immediate employment. Senior podiatrists is retiring. email resume to associatedpodiatrists@gmail.com or fax to (304) 623-2638. 

POSITIONS AVAILABLE -  PHILADELPHIA, PA AREA , & TEXAS

Looking for podiatrist to see patients in Nursing Home Facilities in Philadelphia, PA area  and Texas. AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY.  Please contact me at doconcall@aol.com.

ASSOCIATE POSITION - SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina's largest provider of foot care is a multi-doctor, multi-location practice currently seeking a highly skilled, personable, and hardworking physician to join our TEAM. South Carolina License is necessary. Above average salary and benefits. Please send Letter of Interest and CV to scdpmjobs@gmail.com.

TWO FOR TEXAS

Desiring to grow our group of successful medical and surgical professionals. We are seeking an exceptional Podiatric Physician and Surgeon with great interest and talent to serve as 1) Our Diabetic Foot Care Team Leader or 2)Our Sports Medicine Team Leader. Send CV and letter of interest to: greatdoctors1@gmail.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION - SUBURBAN WASHINGTON

Busy 4 office practice in suburban Washington, DC seeing highly motivated individual for full time associate position leading to partnership. Minimum PSR 24. Competitive salary and benefits.  Respond to mlmltm@aol.com

FT OR PT ASSOCIATE - SOUTH JERSEY

Great opportunity for FT or PT associate starting July 2013 in established practice in South Jersey. EMR, FDA-approved Lasers for fungus. Will work with Board Certified/Qualified podiatrist. Must have New Jersey License. Diverse practice in a nice area with a pleasant environment. e-mail CV at hhfootdoctor@gmail.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION - NEW JERSEY

Immediate opening for a full time podiatrist in a rapidly expanding multi-office practice in central New Jersey. Well established referral base with full admitting hospital privileges. Compensation is performance based with patients scheduled from day 1. Wonderful working conditions. Applicant must have at least PSR-24 surgical training. Valid NJ license and Medicare number is required. Applicant should also be familiar and competent in podiatric surgery, biomechanics, trauma, PRP, wound care, and ultrasound diagnostics. Participating insurance #'s a plus. Please fax resume to: (609) 259-6637.

ASSOCIATE POSITION - NORTH TEXAS

Associate position available. Located 50 miles from Dallas. All phases of podiatric care with no ER call. PSR 24 required. Hospital privileges & strong referral base. Practice has EMR, digital X-ray & on site vascular testing. Very competitive salary and benefits. Please send CV to Footdoc3143@gmail.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION - NEW YORK

Large established podiatry practice 30+ years in New York Hudson Valley/Capital District area seeking associate/partner to eventually take over practice. Also would entertain reasonable offer to purchase one of the two offices. Serious Inquiries may contact: Podiatrygroupny@gmail.com

PODIATRIST WANTED - PENNSYLVANIA

Multi-specialty physician group seeking part-time or full-time to join our Johnstown, PA facility offering on-site x-ray, vascular ultrasound and other services. Patient base already established. Experienced or recent graduates considered.  Applicants send resume to cfleegle@atlanticbbn.net or call 814-288-1418 ext. 7.

ASSOCIATE POSITION - UPSTATE NY

Busy multi-specialty practice of PCPs, general surgeons, OB-GYN, podiatric surgeons looking for a full-time podiatric associate in  Upstate NY, Binghamton, Finger Lake Region. Great Benefits, opportunity for partnership. Must be highly motivated, personable and be Board qualified/eligible. Our podiatrists have over 100 years combined experience. Please send CV to associateinfoot@yahoo.com or fax 607-723-1567.

ASSOCIATE POSITION DETROIT SUBURBS

Multi-location practice seeks individual with excellent surgical training.  Practice is well established for over 30 years.  EMR’s available, ultrasound, Doppler & circulation testing, digital x-ray.  Buy in opportunity as owner plans on retiring in 2016 or sooner.  Please send cover letter with CV to footlaw@hotmail.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION - NORTHWEST IOWA

A well-established, Midwest multi-physician practice with strong hospital affiliations seeking FT podiatrist. Applicant should be well trained surgical physician, completed a 12/24 month residency, & board eligible. Practice offers high surgical volume, advanced wound care and good mix of general podiatry. Competitive salary, excellent benefits. Fax resume: 712-258-9977.

POSITION AVAILABLE - CENTRAL FLORIDA

Two doctor practice looking for an associate to take retiring doctor's position with partnership opportunity for the right person.  Competitive salary, health insurance and incentives. Two offices serving a diverse number of routine, surgical and wound care patients. Two years surgical residency training and FL license required. If interested in this great opportunity please e-mail CV, surgical log and references to toesrus7@yahoo.com.

ASSOCIATE POSITION - MARYLAND, DC, PA

A podiatrist is needed for the Baltimore, Washington, Pennsylvania area. Partner for the corporation. Surgery center, emergency room call and a hospital location. All areas of podiatry. Established practice. Salary and commission. Fax resume 410-857-4227 or email at butler@qis.net

ASSOCIATE POSITION – MISSOURI

Podiatric medical group seeks PSR24-36 individual who is interested in working with former residency director who can enhance your already strong training. Full scope practice with the cases to fast track to board certification. Four hospital affiliations, certified surgical suite in office, ultrasound, EHR Certified Stage 2. We are located close to St. Louis for day use. Exceptional school system in a low crime, low cost of living area. E-mail resume to: drfootski@hotmail.com

PODIATRISTS NEEDED - LOS ANGELES, CA
 
Home Foot Care, Inc. Is looking for motivated podiatrists to provide quality mobile care to our home-bound patients. Flexible schedule, independence, great compensation. If interested, please email resume to homefootcare@hotmail.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Requiring full-time podiatrist (PSR-24 or greater) in established Practice situated in a foothill community of Southern California. There is an existing patient base and a strong support team. Compensation is performance based with practically an unlimited earning capability. A possible buy-in is negotiable. Send resume to office@uplandpodiatry.com, titled "podiatrist."

PM News Classified Ads Reach over 14,000 DPMs and Students

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