The Voice of Podiatrists

Serving Over 12,000 Podiatrists Daily

August 24, 2010 #3,939 Publisher-Barry Block, DPM, JD

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NY Podiatrist Discusses Treatment Option for Bromhidrosis

Strange, horrible things can happen to your feet — such as smelly feet? And more important, how do you treat this condition? Dr. Stuart J. Mogul, a New York City podiatrist, offers the following explanations and treatments:

Dr. Stuart Mogul

Option 1: Foot powder. Putting on socks when your feet are even slightly wet promotes bacteria — the cause of odor. Before you put on your socks, even if you think your feet are dry, sprinkle on a little powder. Option 2: Antiperspirant. Dr. Mogul recommends a roll-on like Drysol, which works just as it would on your armpit. Option 3: Tea. Darjeeling, orange pekoe — any kind you want. The tannins in tea kill bacteria. Just remember to let the tea cool first.

Source: Esquire Magazine [8/20/10]

NY Podiatrist Puts Profession on Hold to Run for State Assembly

In a year when the political climate does not seem to favor incumbents, both in Washington and in Albany, Dr. Harold Paez is hoping to ride the wave of voter dissatisfaction at the status quo into the Assembly this year. Paez, a Rockaway resident and a foot and ankle specialist, is seeking to unseat longtime Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park) in the 23rd Assembly District, running on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Dr. Harold Paez

Paez believes that Pheffer, who has been in office since 1987, represents part of the “Albany dysfunction” that voters are unhappy about. “We have the most dysfunctional legislature in the country,” he said. “We have the highest taxes and can’t pass a budget on time. She is a part of that.” Paez, who is also the vice president of the Rockaway Republican Club, favors term limits for state legislators, and said, if elected, he would not become a perpetual candidate. “I have a profession that I put on hold to run in this race,” he said. Paez works at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx and is on the staff of the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn.

Source: Bryan Yurcan, Queens Chronicle [8/12/10]

NJ Podiatrist Leads Team to Little League Series

Russell Petranto enjoys making his living as a podiatrist, mending feet at Ocean County Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates in Toms River. But his true passion, the one he invests countless hours of his time on, is mending something else: the hitting swings -- or "pushes" as he believes they should be called -- of 13 Little League all-stars from Toms River National. "He loves to hit," said Petranto's son, Russell Petranto who plays second base and leads the team with 16 home runs. "He could hit all day."

Dr. Russell Petranto

The man behind TRN's prolific success at the plate, Petranto has turned a group of youngsters into a nightmare for opposing pitchers, the result of teaching them the fundamentals of hitting at each and every practice this season. "The truth is, I wasn't a great hitter myself," said Petranto, who played high school baseball for the Hun School before eventually completing his post-undergraduate studies at (what is now) the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine.

Source: Mike Mazzeo, The Times of Trenton [8/21/10]

CA Podiatrist Found 10% Liable for Presciption Error 

An Orange County jury says a nursing home patient given a brain-damaging morphine overdose should get more than $3 million from the Santa Ana facility and a podiatrist. Barbara Lefforge entered the St. Edna skilled nursing center in September 2007 to recuperate from tendon repair surgery and less than six hours later she was given the morphine overdose.

Jurors decided Thursday that the 57-year-old Long Beach woman should get $3.1 million as well as punitive damages, which will be set Tuesday. The jury found that St. Edna is 90 percent responsible and podiatrist Wesley Kobayashi is 10 percent responsible. Court records show Kobayashi mistakenly ordered 50 mg of morphine for pain instead of 50 mg of Demerol. But Lefforge’s attorney Ted Wacker says St. Edna's personnel should have caught the mistake.

Source: Sacramento Bee [8/20/10

Editor's Note: PM News is proud to present excerpts from Meet the Masters.

Bret Ribtosky: What should podiatrists do to get athletes to come to their office?

Dr. Stephen Pribut

Stephen Pribut: The plan is to participate, volunteer, join, talk, and meet. You should participate in the sports that you are interested in such as running, tennis, or triathlons. You should volunteer at races and marathons. You should join your local running clubs and join the The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM). You should speak at running clubs, speak at specialty running stores, speak at races when they let you. Finally, you should meet high school coaches, meet the people in the running stores near you, the personnel and owners. 

Dr. Michael Miller

Meet the Masters is broadcast each Tuesday Night at 9 PM (EST). The next segment  will feature wound management specialist Michael Miller, DO. You can register for this event by clicking here

Turn Staff into ‘Radar’ Devices

Your employees are your No. 1 method of gauging patient satisfaction. Ask them to encourage patients to speak up about what is right and wrong with the service you offer. Questions like the following will reveal problems while they still are small enough to solve without jeopardizing the patient relationship.

•  “How satisfied were you with today’s treatment?”
•  “What message would you like me to pass along to the doctor?”
•  “How could we have served you better today?”

Source:  Adapted from Quality Depends on You: 7 Simple Things You Can Do for Your Company and Your Career, Dartnell via Communication Briefings

Query: TelePodiatry

I would like to know if anyone has tried TelePodiatry within the Veterans Administration hospital system. How does it work for you?  Is it user-friendly? Do you find it helpful? 

Estelle Albright, DPM, Indianapolis, IN

RE: The Residency Shortage (Gregg Young, DPM)
From: Lawrence Oloff, DPM

I read with dismay Dr. Young’s post that we have more graduates than residency slots this year. More disturbing is that this is anticipated to get worse in subsequent years. There clearly needs to be better planning to create a scenario where the number of graduates closely parallels the number of residency positions. When I read statements like, “ we actually need an additional 100 graduates per year to replace the graduates from the ‘70s and 80’’s”, I feel that the parties responsible for overseeing such issues as class size and residency genesis are not steering our ship in the right direction.

I think the alarms should go off right now and that a meeting of the minds should occur to correct this imbalance, not only by residency genesis but also by capping the number of graduates until such time that all graduates have a residency position. The success of podiatry as a profession is not determined by the number of practicing podiatrists, but rather by the quality of the practicing podiatrists. In my opinion, that quality is as much a product of the post-graduate training experience as it is the undergraduate training experience.

I am not sure who is at blame here, and I certainly have no intention of casting stones. I am just uncomfortable with what I read. There has been so much emphasis on absorption of podiatric medical education into allopathic health science centers in recent years. That education will be meaningless without a residency to complete the educational product.

Lawrence Oloff, DPM, Menlo Park, CA, lmop11@comcast.net

RE: The Residency Shortage (Robert Steinberg, DPM)
From: Name Withheld (VA)

I've been trying to get another residency started in our area for two years now and have hit brick wall after brick wall. There is currently a residency in my city, but it is wholly under-utilized and the medical school/hospital that funds it only funds one position for three years. Not one position per year, but one position TOTAL for the whole three years.

This is due to both a lack of motivation on the part of the administration within the residency and some political forces within the medical school/hospital system itself. I have sought many avenues to either take over the current residency or start another one, with no success whatsoever. The CPME suggested I just wait it out, until something "happens" within the residency, and then take over, but that is not going to happen within the next 10 years.

There are those of us out there who are motivated to become involved in the process, but who have their hands tied by tradition and poor management within existing programs. Any advice?

Name Withheld (VA)

RE: CERT Audit, June 2010
From: Paul Kesselman DPM

A recent CERT Audit conducted in Region A during June 2010 revealed the following errors:

• Received - Certification of the treating physician with notation of 'peripheral neuropathy with evidence of callus formation'; Progress notes supporting that beneficiary is an insulin-dependent diabetic (notes only indicate a 'past medical history: peripheral neuropathy'); note dated.
•  5/6/09: ROS: Neurological: no paresthesias, no numbness; and Exam - General Appearance: NAD; note dated 8/13/09 ROS: musculoskeletal: no leg cramps, no leg/foot pain, Neurologic: no paresthesias. The exam by the supplier clinician indicates no areas of calluses, pulses present, temperature normal, neuropathy symptoms: tingling/numbness bilateral.
•  Missing - Treating physicians' clinical records supporting physician determination that beneficiary has peripheral neuropathy with evidence of callus formation.

Having reviewed the above, it is apparent that the managing physician’s notes clearly contradict the Certification Statement. Furthermore, the supplier's notes do not support any indication of callus formation.

Paul Kesselman DPM, Woodside, NY, pkesselman@pol.net

RE: Cure for Bald Feet?
Charles Morelli, DPM 
 
Whenever I have a patient who is a candidate for the off-label use of oral cimetidine for warts, I always explain what off-label use is by telling the story of how Rogaine is now used for hair growth. It had been (and still is) a drug used for hypertension. After telling this story to the father of my patient, he agreed to the treatment. Both he and his daughter left the office happy that neither surgery nor any other treatment for her many warts was going to take place.
 
Later that day, I received a phone call from mom.  She could not understand why her husband was rubbing Rogaine on her daughter's foot and requested an immediate explanation. Once I stopped laughing, Mom then confirmed that her husband doesn't always listen, and she proceeded to smack him in the head. I guess I'll have to be more careful in the future.

Charles Morelli, DPM, Mamaroneck, NY

ASSOCIATE POSITIONS – MARYLAND

Are you motivated, personable and enjoy working with the elderly? We are offering full or part-time positions in Maryland. Our group, Podiatry Management Services, provides care to the elderly in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, Senior Homes, Adult Daycare and other similar facilities. Please e-mail your c.v. to drhprosen@verizon.net or fax to 410-486-2049 or call Dr. Herbert Rosen at 410-580-0255.

PODIATRY POSITION AVAILABLE – WISCONSIN

Affinity Medical Group, an integrated health care organization in East Central Wisconsin, is seeking a BC/BE Podiatrist for our Appleton location. This is a General Podiatric practice opportunity including routine care, sports medicine, and surgery. The Appleton area offers a unique quality of life, combining a family centered, university community with all season recreation, a nationally acclaimed educational system, and a diverse and growing economy and population. For information, contact or send your CV, to: Sara Roth, Affinity Medical Group, Physician Recruitment, Phone: 800-722-9989; Fax: 920-727-4350; E-mail: sroth@affinityhealth.org Visit our website at: www.affinityhealth.org EOE.

IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE- ASSOCIATE POSITION -CT (FAIRFIELD AND NORTH HAVEN)

Great opportunity. Join one of the largest podiatric groups in Connecticut. Well-established and progressive offices. Electronic medical records, digital x-ray, diagnostic ultrasound, Padnet vascular studies, nerve conduction studies, pinpoint and CO2 lasers, electrical stimulation and ultrasound therapies. Seeking a well-trained, personable, and highly motivated individual. Please send resume and current photo to dr.kassaris@yahoo.com

ASSOCIATE POSITIONS – MULTIPLE LOCATIONS 
 
Looking for podiatrists to join group to work in nursing facilities in: Texas (Ft. Worth, Dallas, Houston), Philadelphia, Northwest Pennsylvania, Delaware, Upstate New York, Massachusetts (Brockton). Please respond to: doconcall02@aol.com

MANHATTAN - FULL-TIME POSITION

Available for a Board certified/qualified podiatrist (PSR-24, PM&S-36 ). Located in Downtown Manhattan in a multi-specialty  Orthopaedic office. We have a high-volume practice that treats routine care, trauma, sports-related injuries, hospital consults, and ER Consults. Contact fscudese@seaportortho.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION - SW FLORIDA

Golf, Boating and Beaches - Great opportunity to join a well established Podiatry Practice. Excellent mix office/surgery, motivated experienced staff. Seeking full time Associate PSR 12-36. Excellent salary & benefits, early buy-in for the right hard-working, personable candidate. Email resume to capecoralpodiatry@live.com or fax to 239-573-9201

ASSOCIATE POSITION - FREDERICK, MARYLAND

Fredericks premier group practice is located only 45 minutes from both DC and Baltimore. Immediate opening for a minimum PSR 36 Podiatrist for full time position. We have it all: EMR, digital x-ray, ultrasound, ASC, etc. Excellent salary with bonus structure and benefits. Please email resume to docsbnb@aol.com

FULL-TIME ASSOCIATE NEEDED FREDERICK/HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND

Reconstructive Foot & Ankle Institute, LLC needs full-time DPM at least PMS 36 to join premier group in Frederick/Hagerstown, MD. ASC, EMR, DR-digital radiography and ultrasound, Vascular/nerve testing, DME, retail store, strong hospital affiliations, salary, bonus and benefits. Respond to drmichaels@rfainstitute.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION – NEW YORK

Busy, well-established for 35 years, multi-site practice in upstate New York looking for licensed podiatrist who is ready for a thriving practice. Must be highly motivated, personable and great with patients. Competitive salary and benefit package. Send CV or letter of interest to associateinfoot@yahoo.com 

PRACTICE FOR SALE – MASSACHUSETTS

Solo Practice Grossing over $700K yearly 4 days a week. Mostly surgical with heavy emphasis on peripheral nerve patients and pediatrics. General bread and butter podiatry as well. No Medicaid very little Medicare. Very modern office. 30 minutes north of Boston. Modern new equipment (digital x-ray, ultrasound, computer network, etc.). Great referral network. Website included. Option to buy the condo 3500sq ft. Have PICA practice evaluation to show you. Call 978-944-7789 for details.

PRACTICE & STATE LICENSED ASC FOR SALE (MARYLAND, DC SUBURB)

Full-time 38 yr old podiatry practice with state licensed surgical center. Fully equipped with digital x-ray, diagnostic ultrasound, 2 orthotic scanners, computer network, and well-equipped surgical suite. Retiring owner will stay on as needed for transition. Email dpmpracticeforsale@yahoo.com

PRACTICE FOR SALE - DALLAS, TX

Prestigious North Dallas location; 24 year old practice; excellent mix of hospital surgery, office surgery, orthotics, general podiatry, web site, electronic claim submission. Retiring owner will stay for transition. Owner financing available. dallasfootdr@yahoo.com

MEDICAL SPACE AVAILABLE- MANHATTAN

Multispecialty Medical Building with 24/7 doorman. Prime Luxury Building and Location, Gramercy, Stuyvesant, Peter Cooper Area. 305 Second Avenue (17th-18th). Prior tenants past 23 years; podiatrist, dentist (plumbing/electric intact), internist. Ideal for podiatry, co-share with dentist, MD, etc. (flexible lease terms). E-Mail; jbdrun@aol.com Phone; 480-951-2480.

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