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| PM News | |
The Voice of Podiatrists
Serving Over 18,434 Subscribers Daily
June 12, 2020 #6,700  Publisher-Barry Block, DPM, JD
A partner of Podiatry Management https://podiatrym.com
E-mail us by hitting the reply key.
COPYRIGHT 2020- No part of PM News can be reproduced without the
written permission of Barry Block
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| PM NEWS QUICK POLL | |
Last Chance to Vote
Quick Poll
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Have you been tested for the coronavirus?
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| PODIATRISTS IN THE NEWS | |
Walking Barefoot Can Lead to Warts and Athlete's Foot: SD Podiatrist
The temptation to walk through the grass or sand barefoot can be irresistible, but Jennifer Ryder, DPM says that viruses, fungi, and bacteria can take advantage of an unprotected foot. Infection can come in common forms like warts or athlete’s foot, which can usually be treated with over-the-counter medication, but you should seek professional care if it remains after a few weeks of treatment.
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Dr. Jennifer Ryder |
Warts are caused by a virus and can be spread by walking barefoot in an area where others have walked barefoot, like pools, locker rooms, and even through security at the airport. If your shoes ever get wet, it is important to make sure they are completely dry before you put them on again in order to prevent bacterial or fungal growth.
Source: Brady Jones, Desiree Rohrbach, Newscenter 1 (NBC) [6/10/20]
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| PODIATRISTS IN THE COMMUNITY | |
TX Podiatrist Named Senior Medical Advisor for Vascular Institute
The Vascular Institute has announced the appointment of Sam Mendicino, DPM as the Senior Medical Advisor for Vascular Institute. Vascular Institute offers minimally invasive endovascular treatment options for limb salvage.
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Dr. Sam Mendicino |
Dr. Mendicino recently retired from being the residency director for HCA Houston West. He was past president of the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery and was recently awarded the Podiatry Management Lifetime Achievement Award and inducted into the PM Podiatry Hall of Fame, among many other notable achievements.
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| PODIATRISTS IN THE COMMUNITY - PART 2 | |
Car Crashes into MA Podiatrist's Office
An elderly woman drove her car into the podiatry office of Arthur G. Kalil, Jr., DPM on Wednesday morning, according to Yarmouth Fire Captain David Morely. The woman, who was not injured, was on her way to a doctor’s appointment in a Subaru Forester when she drove her car into the middle of the building, Morley said.
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Car Crashes into Cape Cod Podiatrist's Office (Photo: John P. Carroll) |
There was damage to the brickwork around the front window, glass door, and glass window, Morley said. However, there was very little structural damage to the building. The town’s building inspector was called to assess the damage, Morley said.
Source: Beth Treffeisen, Cape Cod Times [6/10/20]
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| PODIATRISTS AND THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC | |
NJ Podiatrist’s Response to Pandemic: Buy a Boat
Gabe Gambardella, DPM didn’t plan to buy a boat. But given the curveball of the coronavirus, the 39-year-old married father of four’s traditional summer plans — filled with Broadway shows, dinners at the Boathouse in Central Park and Mets games — were suddenly off the table. So the foot-and-ankle surgeon purchased his first boat in April: a 38-foot Beneteau yacht with two staterooms, a swim platform, and enough bells and whistles to impress his four daughters, ages 6 to 21.
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Dr. Gabe Gambardella and Family |
“This is our summer escape,” says Gambardella, who lives near the coast in Connecticut’s New Haven County. “I thought, ‘What a great time to have a boat.’ You can have fun on it with your family and you don’t need to be near other people.” After he and his wife completed a safety course for the vessel, Gambardella retained a captain in order to learn more before he navigates around the Long Island Sound’s rocky Thimble Islands and, farther afield, to the popular vacation destination Block Island.
Source: Jane Ridley and Doree Lewak, New York Post [6/10/20]
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| FROM PM's CURRENT ISSUE | |
Several times a week, PM News posts an entire article from a recent issue of our partner, Podiatry Management Magazine. Please note that the views expressed in Podiatry Management Magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of PM News or Barry Block.
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Today's Featured Article |
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| PRACTICE MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY | |
Five Things COVID is Teaching Us About The Patient Experience - Part 3
In the school of hard knocks, the coronavirus is the new headmaster. COVID-19 administered a nearly impossible financial test to physician practices, forcing them to quickly rethink the way they deliver care. With the arduous adjustments behind us, we can begin to make sense of its lessons. Here are five things COVID-19 is teaching us about the patient experience that will extend long past this pandemic:
3. Be convenient. Integrating digital check-in technology with the telehealth platform makes intake and registration faster and easier for patients. These tools allow patients to begin the check-in process—including review of systems, consent forms, and health risk assessments—without the back-and-forth of phone calls and faxes. Cloud-based software also allows for life’s little interruptions without the risk of losing work. Patients can simply pick up where they left off.
Source: Scott Freedman, Physicians Practice [6/3/20]
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| CODINGLINE CORNER |
Query: Coding Injections
What is the best CPT code to use to bill Medicare for injecting steroid for tarsal tunnel or Baxter’s neuritis? In the past, I have used CPT 64450, but always got denied.
Hratch Demirjian, DPM, Covina, CA
Response: Ironically, as of January 1, 2020, the best CPT code to use to bill Medicare for injecting steroid for tarsal tunnel or Baxter’s neuritis is CPT code 64450. Why? Well, things have changed. CPT code 64450 is now defined as: Injection, anesthetic agent(s) and/or steroid; other peripheral nerve or branch.
CPT codes 64400-64489 describe the introduction/injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid into the somatic nervous system for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
CPT codes 64400-64450, 64XX0X describe the injection of an anesthetic agent(s) and/or steroid into a nerve plexus, nerve, or branch. These codes are reported once per nerve plexus, nerve, or branch as described in the descriptor, regardless of the number of injections performed along the nerve plexus, nerve, or branch described by the code.
Therefore, if steroid is being injected into the tarsal tunnel or for Baxter’s neuritis of a Medicare patient, the appropriate CPT code would be 64450, appended by the correct anatomical modifier, either RT or LT as appropriate. If the injection is for tarsal tunnel syndrome, for example, the appropriate ICD-10-CM code to link to the CPT code would be G57.51 (Tarsal tunnel syndrome, right lower extremity) or G57.62 (Tarsal tunnel syndrome, left lower extremity).
Michael G. Warshaw, DPM, CPC, Lady Lake, FL
For information on Codingline subscriptions, click here
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| RESPONSES/COMMENTS (CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC) | |
RE: Risk of DVT, VTE, and Post-Operative Thrombosis on Patients with COVID-19 History
From: Michael M. Rosenblatt, DPM
It is well known that patients who have an active infection are at far greater risk from DVT, VTE, and post-operative thrombosis. I think that podiatrists are very much aware of this issue and routinely prescribe lower-extremity rhythmical compression devices post-operatively for many podiatry surgery patients, especially if they will be bed-ridden for over 24 hours. But there is also a concern for female patients who use tobacco and have exogenous female hormone therapy in active use, as well as obesity.
My concern is that apparently COVID-19 patients also have a similar risk, EVEN after they recover from the active infection. We do not know yet how...
Editor's note: Dr. Rosenblatt's extended-length letter can be read here.
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| RESPONSES/COMMENTS (NON-CLINICAL) - PART 1A | |
From: Roy Perles, DPM
I never liked grinding toenails because of the inhalation risk of nail dust, difficulty sterilizing the burrs, and it's cost prohibitive to use fresh sterile burrs. Nail dust extractors are expensive, especially if you have to buy multiple units. About 15 years ago, my last Dremel drill broke, and that day I just picked up a sterile #15 blade, and with an alcohol-saturated gauze pad essentially "whittled" the sharp edges. I have not grinded a toenail since then.
At 15-25 cents per blade, you're delivering quality safe routine foot care with no risk of cross contamination from the re-use of burrs. There is a learning curve, but with practice, it's just about as fast as grinding. Occasionally, a patient may say, ''my other podiatrist grinded my toenails, why don't you?'' My answer is simple, ''You always get a sterile blade." I would ask the patient if their other doctor used a fresh sterile burr? Most patients replied ''no''. I am surprised that using a sterile scalpel blade for nail grinding has not been mentioned before.
Roy Perles, DPM, Cambria Hgts, NY
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| RESPONSES/COMMENTS (NON-CLINICAL) - PART 1B | |
From: Richard M. Maleski, DPM, RPh
Although I am now retired, while I was still practicing, I was gradually reducing the number of nail patients that needed grinding. I had many patients use either Vicks VapoRub or BenGay Rub on their nails a few days before their appointment. These inexpensive and readily available products work extremely well to soften the nails. They contain menthol and /or methyl salicylate; both are salicylates, and thus both are keratolytic. I practiced in a low income area and I was never comfortable with office dispensing of higher priced products, and very often PA Medicaid didn't cover urea products. Practically everyone could afford Vicks VapoRub. We all know that these products aren't useful as antifungal agents as many people believe, but they work remarkably well to soften the nails. That, in addition to sharpened nail nippers, will reduce the need to grind most of the nail patients.
Richard M. Maleski, DPM, RPh, Arnold, PA
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| RESPONSES/COMMENTS (NEWS STORIES) | |
From: Carl Solomon, DPM
I think it's time to tone down our criticism of products based upon unsupported anecdotal opinions, conventional wisdom, and downright “podiatric myth”. When we make comments to the media, people are paying attention. The ramifications of the president of a major podiatry association characterizing a particular boot as having “…a number of risks to foot health…” is almost certain to have a detrimental effect on a commercial business.
When offered the opportunity to address the media, there’s a tendency to parrot the conventional wisdom that says flip-flops damage your feet, Crocs have no support, this brand is good, that brand is bad, walking barefoot will destroy your feet…etc. Let’s stop this podia-babble unless we can back it up with scientific studies, and also be cognizant of how our comments are affecting entities trying to make a living.
Carl Solomon, DPM, Dallas TX
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| RESPONSES/COMMENTS (PM NEWS ARTICLES) | |
From: Rich Bouche, DPM
Concerning Kenneth Rehm’s response on 6/11/20 to my original Setting the Record Straight post, I would like to thank him for his post, though I have few comments concerning his post which may be helpful to Dr. Rehm and readers of PM News as we all move forward.
In the second paragraph of his email, Dr. Rehm lists five physicians (Drs. Sheehan, Gilbert, Pagliano, Barnes, and Subotnick), who he ultimately refers to as “forefathers” of podiatric sports medicine later in his email. He rationalizes the use of the term "forefathers” for all the physicians listed because...
Editor's note: Dr. Bouche's extended-length letter can be read here.
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| YOU CAN'T MAKE THESE THINGS UP | |
RE: Outrageous Shoes of the Day
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These shoes made of seeds are truly for the birds! |
Source: Arnold van Bezooyen via Virtual Shoe Museum
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MEETING NOTICES
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| CLASSIFIED ADS - ASSOCIATE POSITIONS AND FELLOWSHIPS |
HOME FOOT CARE, INC.- MOBILE PODIATRISTS - GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA
PRACTICE AFFECTED BY COVID-19? Need extra income? Mobile podiatrists needed immediately! Full or part time available to see homebound patients in the following areas: San Bernardino/Riverside, Lancaster/Palmdale, Ventura/Oxnard, Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley. Choose your own days/hours, excellent monthly compensation, cloud based EHR, dedicated support staff. (we do not service nursing homes, or large assisted living facilities) . If interested, email CV to: homefootcare@hotmail.com Check us out @ www.footdocs2u.com
FULL-TIME or PART-TIME PODIATRIST - DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA
PSR 24-36 Trained Multi-dimensional, Multi-office group treating a wide range of patients to include: forefoot, rearfoot, diabetic wound care, sports medicine and work-related injuries. Modern offices and equipment. A great opportunity for driven personable individual. Please e-mail Cover letter, CV, Letter of references Email: cnunez1940@gmail.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION – CLEVELAND SW SUBURBS
Excellent opportunity to join a 30 year old well-established busy two office location practice seeking a PSR-36 Board Qualified/Certified with ABPS. All phases of podiatry from surgery to wound care. Staff privileges at 3 local hospitals. Modern offices recently remodeled and equipped with certified EMR, digital x-rays and all aspects of DME. Significant opportunity for growth and development. Please forward CV to medical123@aol.com
ASSOCIATION POSITION IMMEDIATELY - CENTRAL PA
Looking for a location that provides a turn-key busy schedule from Day 1. Immediate opening in Central PA a multi-physician, multi-location practice wants you to focus on quality patient care. Equipment and supplies are provided. Revenue sharing compensation model. Positive attitude and compassion for all. Send your cv to jgutshall@pafootcare.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION - COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA
Immediate availability. Looking for ABFAS board certified or qualified podiatrist to join established, well-rounded practice. The ideal person should enjoy all aspects of practice including routine care, general podiatry, wound care and surgery. Salary, bonus and benefits. Send CV to drbarnes@cbfootcare.com
ASSOCIATE POSITION - KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE AREA
Very busy and growing practice with multiple locations and doctors in booming Knoxville, Tennessee area seeks high energy and personable physician. Modern, office-based practice with readily available privileges at all local hospitals and surgery centers. Immediate volume to fill your schedule with a variety of patients ranging from complex surgical cases to routine foot care. Extremely competitive salary plus very generous bonus structure and benefits. Please send cover letter and CV to ddavidphawk@yahoo.com.
FULL TIME PODIATRIST- NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
We are a fast-growing podiatry practice in North Jersey with multiple locations and Doctors. We are currently looking for a full-time motivated and caring Doctor to join our busy practice. Some benefits include: competitive six-figure salary, generous bonus structure, health insurance (including vision & dental), paid vacation time off, paid malpractice insurance and CME time off. Great prospects for experienced Doctors as well as new Associates. This is an excellent opportunity to expand your Podiatric medical and surgical experience in an office-based practice! If interested, please submit your CV to DrSamofal@PodiatryCenterNJ.com
PM NEWS CLASSIFIED ADS REACH OVER 18,000 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 18,000 subscribers. For details, click here or write to: bblock@prodigy.net or call (718) 897-9700 for details. For commercial or display ads contact David Kagan at davidekagan@gmail.com or call (215) 808-0770
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| CLASSIFIED ADS - PRACTICES FOR SALE OR WANTED, EQUIPMENT FOR SALE |
PRACTICE FOR SALE - NORTHERN MISSOURI
24 year old, reputable, profitable podiatric practice for sale. Great school and family oriented community. Only podiatry practice in a large area. County seat with modern hospital. Turn-key and a bargain guaranteed. Must sell and move out-of-state to aid aging parents. Serious inquiries only please. 660-651-0264 keithb@cvalley.net
PRACTICE FOR SALE – NASSAU COUNTY NY
Well established part time 16 year old solo practice located in a great suburban neighborhood 1 mile from Mt Sinai South Nassau Hospital. Low overhead non-surgical turn-key practice with potential for expansion. Email: mfrisciadpm@aol.com
PRACTICE FOR SALE - SANTA BARBARA, CA
Well known 50 year old general, orthopedic and limited surgical podiatric practice. Revenues would increase with surgical expansion. Most desirable for one interested in the quality of life offered in Santa Barbara. $149,000. Contact santabarbarafootclinic@yahoo.com or call (805) 689-2084
PRACTICE FOR SALE – CHICAGO SUBURBS
Highly respected successful, solo podiatry practice for sale in upper middle class northern suburbs of Chicago. Affiliated with 2 major hospital physician programs with a surgical center available in office complex. Must be board eligible or board-certified. If you are a people person without a doctor’s complex, this turnkey practice is for you. With added social media, practice revenues could go up 10-20%. $ 900,000 Gross last several years working 4 half days a week. Traknet EMR, digital x-ray, computerized orthotics, with in-house PT. No Medicaid and no nursing homes. Will sacrifice for $500,000. Only serious inquiries contact k.peeler@comcast.net
PM NEWS CLASSIFIED ADS REACH OVER 18,000 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 18,000 subscribers. For details, click here or write to: bblock@prodigy.net or call (718) 897-9700 for details
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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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