Did We Choose the Wrong Profession?
I don’t know if PM Pulse is publishing its April Fools’ stories a little early this year, but the September 29 issue (scroll to the bottom) certainly made me do a double take. Under the PM Pulse classified ads, there were two job opportunities:
Nurse Practitioner, Los Angeles: Provide routine podiatric services, podiatry care, and diabetic foot and wound care. Compensation: $130,000–$175,000 annually.
Full-Time Chair, Department of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery: Lead faculty, drive academic excellence, and oversee clinical experiences. Compensation: $120,000–$140,000 annually.
So, just to make sure I’m reading this correctly: the NP providing podiatric and diabetic foot care is advertised at a higher salary than the physician leading an entire department of podiatric medicine & surgery?
Maybe there’s some context missing from these two classified ads. But based purely on what’s being advertised, it certainly makes you wonder: Did we choose the wrong profession?
—William Scherer, DPM, MS
Why is the salaried offered to nurse practitioner more than that of a chair podiatrist at the Chicago school? And we wonder what’s wrong with our profession?
—Francois Harton, DPM, FACFAS
To add your own thoughts to this discussion, email [email protected].
Who Is Responsible for Proper Coding?
In mid-August the US attorneys for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Delaware announced that a health care provider agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve liability under the False Claims Act, due to alleged improper billing of an electro-acupuncture device. More recently a Colorado podiatrist found himself in court. He alleged that a device maker (similar to the Pennsylvania and Delaware case) helped create a scheme to bill Medicare using improper codes that they provided to him. Interestingly, the device manufacturer was dropped from the case because the podiatrist failed to provide sufficient details over the alleged fraud.
—Paul Kesselman, DPM
To read this entire post, click the button below. Additional coding and billing questions and responses can be found at www.Codinghelpline.com
Using Incentives to Keep Your Staff
More than a quarter of medical group leaders (28 percent) said staff turnover at their organizations was higher in 2026 than in 2025, according to a May 26 Stat poll by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Among those practices, departures were concentrated among medical assistants, nursing and other clinical support staff, and front-desk and administrative workers.
Source: Medical Economics
Most Modifier 25 Cuts Would Hit Private Practices
A proposed Medicare payment cut tied to Modifier 25 could reallocate approximately $889 million in annual Medicare fee-for-service payments, according to an analysis from Jiro Health. Private practices and solo physicians would account for $724.4 million, or 81.5 percent, of the modeled reductions.
Source: Becker’s ASC Review
From the Magazine
Rethinking Orthotic Therapy
For decades, orthotic therapy has largely functioned as a high-stakes, one-shot endeavor. The traditional workflow—casting, prescribing, sending impressions to a central fabrication lab, and waiting weeks for delivery—forced clinicians into a binary outcome: the device either worked, or it required a costly remake.
Over time, this manufacturing limitation subtly shaped clinical thinking. Practitioners often felt pressured to prescribe what they hoped would be the “ideal” definitive correction from the very first device. More aggressive corrections were frequently attempted up front because revisions were time-consuming, expensive, and operationally disruptive.
David Armstrong Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
David G. Armstrong, DPM, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Neurological Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, received the World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) Lifetime Achievement Award and was named a Fellow of the College of Wound Care Specialists (FCWCS) during WUWHS 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Congratulations to Dr. Armstrong!
Source: Diabetic Foot Online
Do you support podiatry schools offering a six-year BS/DPM degree to high school seniors?
Welcome to Our New Subscribers!
You’re now receiving the podiatry sector’s newest source of timely and reliable information about everything from medical breakthroughs to practice management strategies. Share PM Pulse with your colleagues, and let us know how we can keep improving by emailing:
How Coding Techniques Can Increase Revenue
Practice administrators may be missing out on gold hidden in the medical coding numbers that track physician treatment of patients.
Hidden gold, in the form of increased revenue, is not necessarily hard to dig up if practice leaders can compare codes used, and get coders and doctors to talk to each other.
Source: Physicians Practice
—^—PM Pulse Check—^—
Want to add your thoughts to the discussion? Email [email protected]. All emails should adhere to our standards of professionalism and decorum and may be edited for length and clarity.
Social Media Post of the Day
What a great weekend at the 2026 Balance Health Summit in Las Vegas!
As a proud sponsor of the summit, we loved having the opportunity to connect with so many of our clients and partners, catch up with familiar faces, and be part of a great weekend focused on collaboration, education, and the future of patient care.
Source: Safe Balance
Podcast: Red S Syndrome
Savannah Santiago, DPM and Ben Pearl, DPM, discuss Red S Syndrome in athletes. Savannah, chief resident at St. Vincent Hospital in Indiana described the circumstances that lead to this medical condition, which for many years was lesser known by coaches and physicians.
Get the Conversations Started!
PM Pulse wants to hear from you! Submit your questions, concerns, and opinions to [email protected] to share and receive feedback from your colleagues and peers about all aspects of the podiatry sector. All submissions must meet our standards for professionalism and decorum, and submissions may be edited for length and clarity. Still have questions? Send us an email.
PM Pulse Classified Ads
Southern California Podiatrist Opportunity
Podiatry Management Solutions is seeking a motivated podiatrist to provide regional coverage across Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley and Inland Empire. Join a growing multi-site practice treating personal injury, workers' compensation, Medicare, and HMO patients, with opportunities for office-based procedures, surgery, and expansion into partner facilities. Applicants must hold or be eligible for a California license and be board certified or board eligible. Flexible W-2, PSA, 1099, per-diem, and productivity-based arrangements are available. Compensation varies by experience and structure.
Apply: [email protected]
Southern California Nurse Practitioner Opportunity
Podiatry Management Solutions is seeking a nurse practitioner to provide podiatry and wound care across Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, and the Inland Empire. Responsibilities include diabetic foot and wound care, routine podiatric services, follow-up visits, and pre- and postoperative care in clinics and partner facilities. Candidates need active California RN and NP licenses, national certification, a furnishing number, and DEA registration. Relevant clinical experience is preferred. Flexible W-2, PSA, 1099, per-diem,
and productivity arrangements are available. Compensation ranges from $130,000-$175,000 annually or $600-$850 per day, depending on experience and structure.
Apply: [email protected]
Full-Time Chair—Department of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery
The Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine is seeking a full-time chair for the Department of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery. The chair will lead faculty, drive academic excellence, and oversee clinical experiences in a collaborative environment. Generous benefits! ($120K–$140K)
Contact: [email protected] or apply at https://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/employment/
For more information about submitting a classified ad, click the button below, or email [email protected].
Before You Go:
We want to get your thoughts on our exciting new direction, and we’d love to hear your ideas about the topics, programs, content, and people you’d like to see more of on this page and in Podiatry Management magazine.