09/29/2022    Allen Jacobs, DPM

AACPM Statement on Board Certification (Lawrence Oloff, DPM)

The derisive commentary of Dr. Lee Rogers with
regard to the AACPM was the classic straw man
argument so often used by politicians rather than
academics. I find myself in agreement with Dr.
Oloff. The comment was insulting to our
profession.

Many of the old podiatrists such as Dr. Oloff,
have watched the incredible growth of this
profession and concurrently, the increasing
acceptance and incorporation of podiatry in
medicine. Young practitioners cannot possibly
imagine the time past when a podiatrist could not
prescribe medications, administer an injection,
perform surgery or provide services in a hospital.
There was such a time. Or be paid by third parties
for their services.

The current state of podiatry came to fruition by
the building of education, responsibility, and
accountability. We are now trusted to perform
significant surgical procedures, participate in
limb salvage and wound care with potentially
devastating consequences to trusting patients with
failure. We think nothing of prescribing or
administering any therapy or medication required
for management of pathology which we treat. We are
accepted by and receive referral of patients from
the health care community.

All of this was accomplished in no small manner by
demonstrating excellence in patient care and
treatment outcomes. We are trusted to determine
the school curricula and post graduate training
necessary to provide the public with safe and
effective care. We are also trusted to determine
the requirements for certification in the
provision of surgical services. There is a
responsibility which attends this to maintain
credibility and to assure the public that it may
remain confident in their care by a podiatrist.

In my opinion the profession must define those
surgical services which a non-ABFAS certified
podiatrist may provide. There are many non-ABFAS
certified people that I know who are very
surgically capable. Once agreed upon, a true
standard for ABPM CAQ should be established,
rather than a “come join us we are easy” standard.
ABFAS must participate in setting this standard.
Having established a delineation of accepted
privileges in surgery and a legitimate method to
assure the capability of those holding an ABPM
surgical CAQ, ABFAS and podiatrists in positions
credentialing applicants shall support such
applicants.

If we fail to do so, I fear our profession will
not be trusted to provide safe and effective care,
and our growth and autonomy will be threatened. We
have enough problems and challenges in today’s
health care system. Increasingly NPs, PAs, PCPs,
AAFAS, non DPM “would care specialists “, PTs,
have been encroaching upon services which we have
traditionally provided. There is an old song
“nobody does it better “. We must succeed by doing
just that. Providing a CAQ with minimal
requirements will not serve to do it better.

The accomplished members of the board of ABPM must
consider their ultimate responsibility to the
public and secondarily to our profession providing
ABPM members with a useless CAQ as it now stands
serves no one.

Allen Jacobs, DPM, St. Louis, MO

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