11/25/2020    

PODIATRISTS AND THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

For PA Podiatrist, There is No Pivot During the Pandemic

 

Margie Plon, DPM has weathered the storm of COVID-19, but for the first time in nearly 40 years of practice, the Elkins Park podiatrist cannot do any long-term planning because she doesn’t know how the pandemic is going to play out. Dr. Plon is dealing with two sets of headwinds. First and foremost is that she has less patient volume than she did pre-Covid - and it's not due to lack of demand. The issue is due to safety protocols; she is not allowing patients access to her waiting room.

 

Dr. Margie Plon

 

There  has also been an increase in the cost of supplies. Plon says she is paying three to five times more than she did pre-Covid for necessities such as gloves, masks, and wipes, as supplies are more limited. So, if she orders 10 boxes of gloves, she might only be able to get five. "And I can't pass that additional cost to my patients," Plon said. "There is no pivoting with my practice. I can't switch to something else."

 

Source: Jeff Blumenthal, Philadelphia Business Journal [11/23/20]