The Voice of Podiatrists

Serving Over 9,800 Podiatrists Daily

October 16, 2007 #3,067 Editor-Barry Block, DPM, JD

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Buying the Best Athletic Shoe is Often Problematic: BC Podiatrist

By what mystical or divine means can a common consumer find nice-looking shoes that don't hurt? "Feet are so idiosyncratic," says Vancouver podiatrist Sue Turner. "Sometimes a foot looks fine, but when you step down it splays out, an arch collapses, or all of a sudden this bony prominence sticks out."

Dr. Sue Turner

You could put on a well-made, apparently well-fitted running shoe and end up with forefoot pain, Turner says. Switch to a virtually identical shoe with a slightly lower heel and a less bouncy sole, and suddenly, everything's fine. Go figure.

Canvas flats currently marketed as cool shoes to hang around in, are similar. "They are made to look like athletic shoes or ones you can be active in," Turner says. "The problem is, you can't." A wedge shoe distributes weight more evenly, but limited sole flexibility means more chance of a rolled ankle. Platforms pretty much force you to walk flatfooted.

Source: Jenny Lee, Vancouver Sun [10/13/07]

WA Podiatrist Raises Money to Build Guatemalan Orphanage

Will Boegel figured he couldn't be shocked anymore. He and his wife, Diane, volunteered on medical missions to Vietnam, Egypt and Mexico, performing surgeries under primitive conditions. They'd seen poverty and hunger. Then, for his 50th birthday in January, the Bothell, WA couple went to Guatemala City, where 40,000 people live in the city dump.

Dr. Will Boegel

"Little kids 6 years and up spend all night on the streets huffing paint thinner," said the Kirkland, WA podiatrist. "They're homeless. The paint thinner keeps them warm and cuts their appetite. It fries their brains, and they end up dead or in prison." "I could have gone to Hawaii to lie on the beach,” Boegel said. "I'll never be the same again." Neither will the couple's bank account. They're founding Opal House, an orphanage.

Raising the $400,000 needed to buy the farm and start getting children off the streets has been the hardest part. "We're up to $205,000," Boegel said. "I take care of feet; I don't do professional fundraising. This is a long-term mission we've been called to. We just know it will happen."

Source: Sherry Grindeland, Seattle Times [10/13/07]

Indiana Podiatric Medical Association Announces Officers

The Indiana Podiatric Medical Association has announced its new officers:

Dr. Darin Serletic

Dr. Darin R. Serletic (president and delegate)
Dr. Randall A. Cooper (president-elect)
Dr. Andrew J. Rader (first vice president)
Dr. Jane A. Koch (second vice president)
Dr. Derek A. Besing (secretary-treasurer)
Dr. Richard A. Stanley (Central trustee)
Dr. Patrick A. DeHeer (South trustee)
Dr. Marc S. Bruell and Dr. Patricia A. Moore (APMA delegates)
Dr. Randall A. Cooper (APMA alternate delegate).

Source: Indianapolis Star [10/13/07]

Query: Board Certification Requirements for Hospital Staff

The main hospital in our area currently has bylaws which state that a podiatrist must be board eligible or board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery within six years after graduating. We have a few podiatrists who are not certified by APBS, but are certified by the American Medical Specialties Board. These podiatrists have been on staff for over five years and their work has been exemplary. The credentials committee is considering whether to dismiss them from the medical staff or whether to accept certification from alternative boards. The credentials committee is asking me, as podiatry section leader, for my advice.

What do I tell the credentials committee? What are other hospitals around the country using as their criteria for medical staff privileges? What other boards should be accepted for staff privileges?

Doug Milch, DPM, Asheville, NC

RE: Transdermal Verapamil 15% Gel for Plantar Fibromatosis (Kenneth Jacoby, DPM)
From: Cynthia Ferrelli, DPM

I had one patient use it & she did quite well. The lesions were b/l a) 3 x 2 cm b) 2 x 2 cm. They resolved about 80-85% over 9 months time. She was happy. I give patients the script and tell them to call the two compounding pharmacies in my area that make it, and to ask them if their insurance will cover it. This way, the patient can decide.

Cynthia Ferrelli, DPM, Williamviile, NY, drfoot1@adelphia.net

Editor’s Note: This topic is now closed

Pulsating Bilateral Great Toe Pain (Gary Hoberman, DPM)

It sounds like the patient is wearing ill-fitting shoes when she's on the elliptical. Have her try the exercise with sandals or some other footgear that does not exert pressure on her great toes.

Richard Mann, DPM, Delray Beach, FL, rhm123@gmail.com

RE: Physician Gifts: New York Times Examines Minnesota Limit
From: Nicholas D'Angelo, DPM

"New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram (D) said, "When you see a doctor, you should have confidence that the advice you get is based on what's best for you and not on some financial incentives or gifts that the doctor is getting."

I wonder how come there is no concern that when you see a doctor, the advice you get is not based on HMO limitations and restrictions.

Nicholas D'Angelo, DPM, Brooklyn, NY, skitoast@aol.com

RE: Wound Care Debridement Codes (Jeffrey Crowhurst, DPM)
From: Lloyd Smith, DPM

The development of the wound care codes is consistent with CPT Assistant. They were designed to allow non-physicians to be able to bill for "debridement" services. They were not designed to be used by physicians as defined by Medicare (which includes DPMs). CPT, however, is only a coding guideline and does not set payment policy which is determined by carriers. WPS has a different policy. It may violate CPT guidelines and be wrong, but it is reality.

Lloyd Smith, DPM, Newton Center, MA, lloydpod@yahoo.com

SALES REPS WANTED

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