Arthur Helfand DPM, was a legend long before there
was such a field called podiatric medicine and
surgery. Art was a chiropodist by training and if
it wasn’t for Arthur, I would never had applied to
the Giuffre College of Podiatry at St. Luke’s
Hospital. I was in the First class of what became
the Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine. He
along with Jim Bates, DSC assured me that we would
graduate as Podiatrist and a new day was arising
from the ashes of Temple University College of
Chiropody.
Art was smart, a graduate of Central High in
Philly, that had more Mensa people come out of
that high school than most. He was a passionate,
caring human being. Always pushing students to do
better. Through his close relationship with James
Giuffre MD, General surgeon and head honcho of St
Luke's Hospital we had rotations there, Penhurst
State Hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, Community
Hospital. Of course Art nudged James Ganley, DSC
and Lou Newman, DSC to bring the above hospitals
into our program.
Before we had a building we were at the
Philadelphia College of Optometry. When we moved
to the old Skin and Cancer hospital, Arthur
shined. He was clinical director determined to
make us the best we could be.
He truly was a renaissance man. DSC, teaching 18
want to be DP’s. You heard me right, we could not
use the word medicine, so upon graduation we
received our DP degree, Doctor of Podiatry. When
DPM became our degree, we all enjoyed that huge
moment including Art, Arthur Helfand DPM.
He was past President of the APMA, was a member of
the Task Force on Aging of the American Public
Health Association, a member of the Board of
Directors of the Philadelphia Corporation for
Aging, and a member of the Stakeholders Group on
Diabetes for the Pennsylvania Department of
Health. He authored or co-authored over 337
papers, teaching programs, and book chapters, and
has edited 6 texts dealing with podogeriatrics,
rehabilitation of the foot and podiatric public
health.
For a short man, as many of you reading this; was
a compassionate, kind force that helped bring
Podiatric Medicine to where it is today.
Well done Arthur, rest in peace. May your memory
be a blessing to Myra, your adult “kids” and to
those of us you befriended and mentored..
Tilden Sokoloff, MD, DPM
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