The Voice of Podiatrists

Serving Over 15,817 Podiatrists Daily

June 05, 2014 #5,077 Publisher-Barry Block, DPM, JD

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We’ve just posted the June 2014 CME titled:

June 2014 CME

You can Earn 50 CPME-Approved CME Contact Hours Online

Regular Foot Exams Could Save Diabetics $20K a Year

People with diabetes should know that taking care of their feet is crucial. The problems caused by losing sensation or circulation in the feet and legs -- both well-known complications of the disease -- can be severe. But it's not just a matter of avoiding ulcers or amputations, medical experts say. It's also a matter of dollars and cents.  

Dr. Alex Kor

So how much can you save by taking care of your feet? Try a cool $20,000 a year, according to Johns Hopkins podiatrist and diabetes expert Dr. Alex Kor. That means visiting your healthcare provider for regular foot checkups and possibly having a podiatrist trim your toenails if you can't do so safely on your own.

Source:   Clay Wirestone, Diabetes Health [6/3/14]

KSUCPM Celebrates Second Annual Commencement

Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine celebrated its second annual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 16, 2014. The Class of 2014 graduated 97 students. The ceremony was held in the University Auditorium in Kent, OH. Allan M. Boike, DPM served as the Ceremony Speaker at the event. Dr. Boike currently serves as the director of the Podiatric Medical and Surgical Residency Training Programs and section head of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery in the Foot and Ankle Center of the Orthopaedic and Rheumatology Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. Beginning July 1, 2014, Dr. Boike will begin the role of dean of Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine.

Dr. Allan M. Boike

Bryan D. Caldwell, DPM, Interim Dean, stated, “I wish to congratulate the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine Class of 2014. It is a very special day for our new colleagues. I expect great accomplishments from this group of outstanding new podiatric physicians.”

CA Podiatrist Comes in Third in Primary and Fails to Qualify for General Election

Despite a gallant effort and a well-funded campaign, Dr. Lee Rogers (D) was unable to secure enough votes in last night's primary election to qualify for the fall election.

Primary Election Results for CA 25th Congressional Seat

Under California's election rules, only the top two candidiates from the primary election (regardless of party) go on to vie against each other in the general election. 

Source: LA Times

NYCPM Partners with Nextremity Solutions to Present Google Glass Cadaver Event

Nextremity Solutions^(R) recently partnered with the New York College of Podiatric Medicine to host a live cadaver surgery session featuring the Nextra^(R) Hammertoe Correction System. This unique event was a live broadcast utilizing Google Glass, a wearable camera technology which allows viewers of the broadcast to see exactly what the wearer sees.

Dr. Michael Trepal guides Dr. Giannin Perez on the use of the Nextra® Hammertoe Correction.

Michael J. Trepal, DPM, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the New York College of Podiatric Medicine guided Giannin Perez DPM, MS through the Nextra(R) surgical procedure. "It was exciting to broadcast live, for educational purposes, a surgical procedure where a state-of-the-art digital implant was inserted and recorded using state-of-the-art Google Glass technology. This opens the door for many educational and patient care opportunities," said Dr. Trepal.

• offer more education that is patient-centered, allowing the patients to demonstrate what they know;
• increase awareness of the need for adequate resources, particularly sufficient time for providers to thoroughly evaluate clinical problems;
• form ad-hoc teams of doctors and nurses to work together more cohesively in the care of diabetic patients;
• change the paradigm so that providers think less about who is to blame and more about how to prevent catastrophes caused by the system in which they work;
• change the tort system so that hospitals and providers can focus on making the system better, and not on avoiding frivolous and illogical lawsuits; 
• make our system of care as focused on quality as it is on cost containment.

Dr. Kinberg said: "You are correct in realizing this is a federal CMS rule. To change the statutory requirements and language, you would need to speak to your congresspersons and senators. And good luck with that. "

I run a cancer organization, and we have had some success with changing CMS rules. We helped get major changes in coverage a few times and haven't failed yet, although we are in a big battle now that looks tough. The key is to get patients involved. CMS doesn't care about making the doctors or the drug companies happy. They do care about the patients. I have seen a few cases where doctors and drug companies requested changes and got nowhere until the patient groups got involved.

A change such as allowing NPs to complete the paperwork instead of MDs would save CMS money - or at least not cost anything - and that should be an easy change. And Dr. Kinberg is incorrect in the process. To get such a change, the fastest way is to go through the correct process. Any individual can start the process, but it would be best if it came from the APMA and the NP association. There would then be an open public comment period. This is the time to get the patients involved. The patients would submit comments, and also ask their congresspeople and senators to get involved.

Perhaps it is time to set up a database of patients who are willing to write letters and make phone calls to help make Medicare coverage for podiatry better for the patients. APMA  could set up such a database and ask APMA members to post flyers in their waiting rooms asking patients to participate. Even if each podiatrist only had one patient sign up, we would be a force to reckon with. If it works, then we can try something big like clear up the mycotic nail and routine foot care situation. 

Al Musella, DPM, Hewlett, NY, musella@aol.com

It is with great sadness that I learned in PM News of the passing of podiatry’s great friend, Peter Sheehan, MD, at the unfair age of 60. What a great loss. There is a beautiful biography on him in his hometown newspaper, the Rumsford FairHaven Patch. Peter was one of the greatest teachers in the field of diabetes and public health. His father George was the Editor of Runner’s World in the later '70s, when running and sports medicine were among the hot areas of podiatry, and his public advocacy for podiatry was unparalleled.

Peter followed in his illustrious father’s footsteps in advocating strongly for the participation of podiatrists in the multi-disciplinary diabetes care team, and was a very popular and high quality speaker at countless podiatry conferences. On a personal note, I had the opportunity to hang out at many an event with Peter, and never failed to find him a warm and compelling human being. What a great loss to us all. He will be greatly missed.

Alan Sherman, DPM, Boca Raton, FL

RE: Outrageous Shoe of the Day

Perfect for the WNBA?

Source: Trendhunter.com 

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