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September 04, 2008 #3,339 Editor-Barry Block, DPM, JD

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AZ Podiatrist Prepares for Mercy Mission to Mongolia

Mongolia is a very cold place. Winters are extreme and the capital city of Ulanbatar is the coldest in the world. To survive, many of the homeless live in the healing ducts below the nation's cities, including many orphans who huddle together to keep warm in temperatures that often plunge to -40 F at night. When internationally-renowned photojournalist David Edwards of Flagstaff visited Central Asia in 1992, covering poverty on assignment for Black Star, he met some of these orphans in Mongolia and was moved to help them. Edwards formed the Flagstaff International Relief Effort (FIRE) and served its executive director from 2000 to April 2004, when Meredith Potts, a former FIRE assistant director and studio manager at Edwards' studio, assumed the duties of director.

Dr. Kelly Reber

In mid-September, Potts will be traveling to Mongolia to get things ready for the arrival at the end of that month of a team of medical personnel from Flagstaff. The trip will be in collaboration with Dr. Kelly Reber and Dr. John Durham of the Norther Arizona Volunteer Medical and Surgical Team of Flagstaff. Reber is a podiatrist and Durham is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hands. This team of medical professionals has been conducting medical missions around the world for 15 years.

"In all of Mongolia, there's one orthopedic hospital," said Reber, who joined the FIRE board of directors this year. "There are patients in the outer regions who travel seven to eight days in a car with an orthopedic injury. The only training hospital we found is fairly poorly equipped. Our goal is to go over with supplies and train them in the use of screws and plates, and we'll do some surgeries with them." Reber will be making the journey with his wife Janice, an oncology nurse here.

Source: Betsey Bruner, Arizona Daily Sun, [8/31/08]

NYCPM Well-Represented at ACFAOM Conference in Florida

Faculty and students from the New York College of Podiatric Medicine attended the first Annual Clinical Conference of the American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics & Medicine (ACFAOM) in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Among those participating were Anthony Iorio, DPM, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Community Health and Medicine, and Assistant Dean for Continuing Medical Education; Alon Kol (’09); Shane Baker (’10); Michael Moi (’10); and Jeff Robertson (’09).

NYCPM faculty and students attending the first Annual ACFAOM Clinical Conference were (left to right) Dr. Anthony Iorio and students Alon Kol ('09); Shane Baker ('10); and Michael Moi ('10).

The NYCPM attendees presented three abstracts at the Conference: “Application of Apligraf Skin Graft Substitute along with Autologous Platelet Derived Growth Factors in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcer” (Shane Baker, BS, Anthony R. Iorio, DPM, MPH); “Applications of Unite Skin Graft Substitute with MTF Autologous Platelet Growth Factors in Treating Foot Ulcers” (Michael Moi, MS, BS, Anthony R. Iorio, DPM, MPH); and “A New System for Ultrasonic Bone Assessment” (Alon Kol, Brad Levitt, Jeff Robertson, and Mark Kosinski, DPM). The abstracts will be published in the November issue of "The Foot", the official ACFAOM peer review journal. Each abstract presented by the students received a generous grant of $1,000 from ACFAOM to help defray the cost of the students’ attendance at the Conference.

Amerx Becomes Exclusive Sponsor of VA Residency Education

Amerx Health Care Corporation has become the exclusive sponsor of the Department of Veterans Affairs Podiatric Residency Education through PRESENT e-Learning Systems. This important sponsorship will provide access for every podiatric resident in the VA Healthcare system to PRESENT for Podiatric Residency Education’s extensive curriculum of 140 lectures, recent news items, and useful practice management information.

Jeffrey M. Robbins, DPM, Director, Podiatry Service, VA Central Office, Washington DC, states “the PRESENT program has been a valuable part of the VA's educational program and we are grateful to the Amerigel folks for its sponsorship.” In addition, Dr. Michael Shore, DPM, Director of Medical Education for PRESENT, states, “this tremendous sponsorship not only guarantees the future of our profession, but honors every person who served in the military who required podiatric care.”

Justice W. Anderson, President of Amerx Health Care said “we are committed to providing the podiatry profession with advanced education and we look forward to growing our partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Whistle-Blowers Help DOJ Recover $9.3B

Whistle-blowers have helped the Department of Justice recover at least $9.3 billion from healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies that allegedly defrauded states and the federal government, according to a report published recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports. DOJ in the 1990s began to use whistle-blowers in efforts to fight health care fraud, and whistle-blowers currently initiate 90% of such cases for the department. In such cases, whistle-blowers file sealed complaints in federal court, and DOJ investigates the allegations and can join the lawsuits. Whistle-blowers receive between 15% and 25% of the amount recovered by DOJ in such cases.

For the report, Aaron Kesselheim of Brigham and Women's Hospital and David Studdert of the University of Melbourne reviewed DOJ records from 379 health care fraud cases between 1996 and 2005, although they had information for only three-fourths of those cases. According to the report, the number of health care fraud cases has decreased in recent years, but the amount that DOJ recovered in those cases increased from $10 million in 2002 to $50 million in 2005. Kesselheim and Studdert cited the need to conduct additional research on whistle-blower lawsuits to determine which types of cases are more likely to lead to recoveries to allow DOJ to expedite such cases (Kevin Freking, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 9/1).

Source: AP/San Francisco Chronicle via American Health Line [9/1/08]

A Formula For Marketing

Consider this marketing formula to help your marketing efforts SOAR:

• Solicit your patients ideas and suggestions.
• Open the communications flow.
• Act on what you hear, good or bad.
• Reward the behavior of staff who hear and share your patients' comments.

Source: Adapted from George Walther, cited in the Delaware Valley Eagle.

RE: HR 6631 and Open Door Forum on MIPPA
From: Paul Kesselman, DPM

CMS today conducted an Open Door Forum on the issue of accreditation for physicians. CMS has announced that all physician category suppliers (including podiatrists, optometrists, etc.), are exempt from the accreditation requirements. This is so long as the DME devices are part of the patient’s treatment plan. A physician who owns a DME company (e.g., a supply store) may or may not be exempt depending on the specific circumstances.

If some type of physician accreditation requirement is required in the future, CMS expects this to take some time to implement. Administrative changes and the required public comment period will certainly prolong any implementation.

Further comments on standards and which paraprofessionals may supply orthotic and prosthetic devices will be presented some time next year.

Kudo’s to Faye Frankfort, Harry Goldsmith, the APMA, AMA, AAOS, and AOA staffs, as well as many other individuals for their tireless efforts these last few weeks.

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

RE: Digital Answering Machine (Barrett E. Sachs, DPM)
From: Barry Block, DPM, JD

According to Consumer Search, the General Electric GE 29869GE2 (est. $35) based on reviews, is the best choice if you want good voice quality, four separate mailboxes and a long, 40 minute recording time. The GE has a voice time/day stamp, an LED light which displays a number of messages, a scan feature which allows you to play the first five seconds of a message (helpful for finding the message you want in a crowded mailbox) and a battery backup so you don't lose messages in a power outage. Reviewers find that the GE gets better scores than most for voice quality.

Barry Block, DPM, JD, Forest Hills, NY bblock@podiatrym.com

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@comcast.net, fax to 410-486-2049, call Dr. Herbert Rosen 410-580-0255

MINNESOTA - IMMEDIATE OPENING

PRACTICE FOR SALE – CALIFORNIA

Practice is available immediately for sale in sunny Capitola, CA. The office space is available for lease or month-to-month for $750/month. The practice has a loyal patient base which is mostly home visits and skilled nursing facilities in Santa Cruz county. The practice can be moved to another location or merged with an existing practice. Asking price $35,000.00. dtarsky@gmail.com

IMMEDIATE POSITION AVAILABLE TN/GA

We're in search of a motivated, well-trained DPM who is great with patients. Our well-established multi-doctor, multi-office practice is located in Southeast Tennessee/North Georgia. Must have Tennessee or Georgia license. Please reply via email to ikraus@sprynet.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION – ILLINOIS

Quality Podiatry Group provides quality services to residents at long term care facilities. We are currently offering full-time or part-time positions for motivated ethical podiatrists. Immediate openings available. If interested fax curriculum vitae to 312 225-9366 or e-mail feetwork@aol.com

ASSOCIATE POSITION AVAILABLE- NEW YORK

Full-time associate position in our well-established Midtown Manhattan and Forest Hills practices. Well-rounded practice with hospital based surgery and all phases of podiatric care. We are seeking PSR 24/36 trained podiatrist with good surgical background. Compensation to also include malpractice expenses. Forward CV to slurie@papapc.net or Fax to # 212-753-3521

ASSOCIATE POSITION - BOSTON, MA

Associate wanted, Full-time or part-time, for busy long time, well established, and well rounded practice. Good mix of general podiatry and surgery. Office will generate approximately 100+ surgical cases per year. Must have surgical background for this practice, ABPS Qualified minimum needed to obtain hospital privileges. Associate position is open for partnership or purchase. Contact robert.nunberg@comcast.net

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