The Voice of Podiatrists

Serving Over 10,800 Podiatrists Daily

May 06, 2008 #3,238 Editor-Barry Block, DPM, JD

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IL Podiatrist Proclaims the Wisdom of Having Good Shoes

Silver Cross podiatric surgeon Paul Kirchner's German grandfather used to tell him great words of wisdom. One had to do with shoes."It's important to take care of two things in your life," grandfather Kirchner said. "Your bed and your shoes. Because when you're not in one, you're in the other."

Dr. Paul Kirchner

High heels may be high fashion, but they can cause many foot problems over the years. A good, strong arch support and cushioned soles in a shoe can help prevent plantar fasciitis, a condition that causes the majority of all foot pain. Women get it more than men do.

Kirchner fully agrees with his grandfather's wisdom, especially the part about the shoes. If your feet hurt, it seems like everything hurts, and you're probably not having a very good day. Foot pain slows you down or even stops you completely, keeping you from events and activities and from living your life to its fullest potential. But your feet don't have to cause you such grief. Armed with the right information and some good shoes, Kirchner says, we can kiss our foot blues goodbye.

Source: Jeanne Millsap, Sun-Times News [4/29/08]

Wayne College Names OH Podiatrist Second Distinguished Alumna

Dr. Marchelle Suppan has been named the second recipient of the University of Akron Wayne College's 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award. The award will be presented at Wayne College's academic and graduate recognition ceremony on May 9.

Dr. Marchelle Suppan

Suppan, a doctor of podiatric medicine and surgery, is the senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer at Dunlap Community Hospital. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Wayne College, teaching basic pharmacy. She previously was employed with Spine Matrix as vice president of market development, and Theken Spine as vice president of business development. From 1981-2004, Suppan was president and owner of Suppan Foot and Ankle Clinic in Orrville, where she provided patient care in addition to her administrative duties.

Suppan completed her bachelor's degree at Kent State University, earned a doctor of podiatric medicine degree from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland, and completed her residency at Riverside Hospital in Toledo. In 2000, Suppan worked with Wayne College to develop its alumni association, and served as the organization's first chair. Suppan has twice been recognized by the Ohio Podiatric Medical Association (OPMA) for her outstanding work in podiatry. In 1984, she was chosen OPMA Young Podiatrist of the Year and in 1995 she was selected as OPMA Champion of Podiatry.

Source: Paul Locher, Daily Record (Wooster, OH) [5/2/08]

IL Podiatrist and Lymphoma Survivor Running for LLS Man of the Year

Dr. Richard Bennett of Chicago spent much of last year battling Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a high-grade form of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. The committee members at Leukemia & Lymphoma Society(LLS) chose Richard to run this year because of his compelling story. The chemotherapy protocol for the aggressive lymphomas is pretty tough, performed entirely in-patient, and covered more than a four-month period. His Northwestern Memorial Hospital oncologist also placed him in a citywide clinical trial for Burkitt’s, the results of which should be published soon.

Dr. Richard Bennett

There are only about 100 new cases of Burkitts in the U.S. each year, The LLS funds research for all of the leukemias, lymphomas, and, myeloma, and donates over 70% of all monies collected directly to research and trials. The Man of the Year competition by itself donates almost 90% of funds collected, making it the most efficient fundraising arm of the organization. Tax-deductible online gifts of $25 or more can be made by clicking here

RE: Rotary Bone Burrs (Marc Katz, DPM)
From: Steven H. Goldstein, DPM

I do not think it is an issue of the actual burr. I believe it depends on the hand system you have. Lower speed with higher torque cause less heat buildup. You can always use refrigerated saline and flush it through your stab incision with a 25-gauge needle and syringe.

Steven H. Goldstein, DPM, Royal Palm Beach, FL, stevefootdr1@cs.com

RE: Synvisc (Ivar Roth, DPM)
From Sloan Gordon, DPM

I've used it about 12 times and I use 1/2 the dose (amount) that is used in the knee. I have had excellent results with it. Most of these were patients with severe DJD who had been scoped and were headed for arthrodesis. Just for correctness, I don't use Synvisc since they refused to detail me on the product and I use Supartz since I have a great Smith & Nephew rep.

Be aware that you will not be reimbursed for injecting this into the ankle so you have two options, (1) charge the patient for an ankle injection plus the cost of the Supartz, or as I do (2) give the patient an Rx and have them bring it to their visit. Most insurance plans cover the Rx and I charge for a simple ankle injection rather than an office visit.

Sloan Gordon, DPM, Houston, TX, sgordondoc@sbcglobal.net

RE: Z-Coil Shoes (Michael Lawrence, DPM)
From: Lou Nordeen, DPM, Robert S. Schwartz, C. Ped

I have used Z-Coil shoes for my patients as well as for myself. They are very good for back pain and knee pain. They have an actual coil spring on them, fastened directly under the heel. They can be cumbersome to wear, especially if you try to use them for athletics, like running. But, of course they are meant for walking and for prolonged standing activity. They may be used for heel pain too, but the best results I have seen with the Z-Coil is in relieving lower back pain. They are not covered by insurance, and they used to run for $180.00-250.00 4 years ago. Compliance with them has been an issue for my patients, as they can be quite unsightly. However, they provide great relief on lower back and lower extremity pain, almost immediately.

Lou Nordeen, DPM, Mechanicsville, VA, onefoot7@gmail.com

We have carried Z-Coil shoes in our stores for the past six months. Here’s what we have learned to date. The spring coil under the heel dramatically reduces impact forces. They are designed with a semi-rigid rocker sole and good arch support. They tend to feel like a slightly higher heel than the average men’s shoe, which is not a problem for women. Some people wear them all the time. Others wear them to relieve pain. They are repairable and adjustable. The tension on the heel can be increased or decreased in any plane.

Robert S. Schwartz, C. Ped., Eneslow Footwear, rss@eneslow.com

RE: MD Everywhere (Jeffrey Gewirtz, DPM)
From: Greg Khaimov, DPM, Marc L Bendeth, DPM

I have been using MD Everywhere in my practice for only 2 months, and I have to say that they have a great product. Another doctor that I know has been using them for over 1.5 yrs, and states that collections have increased as compared to previous years. As you see patients, you bill them through palm pilot or pocket PC, and at the end of day "hotsync" all the billing info to them. No more superbills! Your claims are processed immediately, "scrubbed" if there are any mistakes, returned to back for corrections (if needed, and usually the next day), and best of all you dont do any footwork after the claim is out! The turnaround time is fast, and you get reimbursed by insurance companies as soon as 2-3 weeks.

They fight the claims for you, and deal with patient questions as well. Everything is integrated (appointment scheduler, billing software, etc), and the software is web based-- which means you can access it from anywhere, as long as you have internet access. If you are planning to go with EMR, they can integrate various companies with their software (Medinotes, etc). I used another billing company in the past, and the best decision that I made was to go with MdEverywhere. (I have no financial interest in the company).

Greg Khaimov, DPM, Ft. Lee, NJ, gregkhaimov@yahoo.com

I'm sure that the above management software is fine, but perhaps Dr. Gerwitz should contact Ken Katz at ICS Software (516 766-2129) (ICSsoftware.net). They have served the podiatry and medical profession for more than 20 years. They have EMR integrated with their software. I have been with them for more than 10 years. They provide fast, excellent support. Always on top of everything! I've never been more satisfied. I have no financial ties to ICS.

Marc L Bendeth, DPM, Hewlett, NY, mbendeth@optonline.net

RE: ACFAS Members Vote to Reject APMA Membership Requirement (Patrick J. Nunan, DPM)
From: Lee C. Rogers, DPM, J. John Hoy, DPM

Dr. Nunan brings up an interesting point in his letter suggesting ACFAOM be the uniting college for the profession. A simple name and mission change could unite our small profession under one APMA-affiliated college. It is true, most - if not all - of us practice medicine and surgery to some degree. Why not unify our professional continuing education under one umbrella that encompasses all aspects of podiatric medicine? My suggestion would be a name with less letters (as opposed to adding more), like American College of Podiatric Medicine (ACPM) or something of the like. If the APMA and ACFAOM leadership is reading this, I hope they begin dialogue. Might this not be an avenue to assist with Vision 2015 of having a single certifying board?

Lee C. Rogers, DPM, Des Moines, IA, lee.c.rogers@gmail.com

The results of the ACFAS/APMA election hints at great internalized classism within the profession. There is quite a bit of oppression on our profession from orthopedic surgery and other physicians, not to mention third-party payors and entities such as Medicaid. It will be important for the whole of the profession, surgical or not, to continue to affirm our worth and intrinsic goodness, see the worth and goodness of our oppressors, resist the oppression, build strong alliances, and not oppress others.

J. John Hoy, DPM, Seattle, WA, nwfootdoc@juno.com

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