Hello Bruce,

You raise a question I have not seen in my 60 years of being involved with podiatry. To best understand my status, after completing a post-doctoral fellowship in autoimmune diseases at Stanford University medical school,  I started teaching at the California College of Podiatric Medicine in 1967. Along the way, I became director of the Basic Sciences Department, associate dean for curriculum affairs, a DPM with two years of postgraduate training, professor in the Podiatric Medical Department, and had a private practice for more than 40 years. I retired from CCPM in 2002 and from my private practice in December 2022.

Throughout my career in podiatry, even when working many hours, I still was physically active and pursued many interests. Since retiring, I continue to scuba dive, hike/walk, swim, visit areas I have not visited before, read several newspapers a day, train and compete in scent work with my 3-year-old English cocker, go to the theater and opera, and try to learn or do more about anything that interests me.

As an 85-year-old, I agree that one must keep the mind physically and mentally active. As much as I loved podiatry and spent many hours per week doing that, it would not have been healthy if that were all I would do. Life is interesting and we must, no matter what work or family obligations we have, continue to develop our interest and activities.

Regards,
—Arlene F Hoffman, DPM, PhD

View original query here.

Looking for an associate to join our busy house-call practice, part time to start, possibly leading to full time. Excellent compensation and bonuses. Must have New York license, malpractice insurance, reliable car. Can help with insurances and privileges. Call 516-633-6364, or email [email protected].

Established podiatry practice in North Carolina is seeking a full-time, board-certified or board-eligible podiatrist for a hospital-based role with a strong emphasis on foot and ankle trauma, wound care, and surgery. Fellowship training is preferred. Competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and an established referral base. Submit your CV to [email protected].

For more information about submitting a classified ad, click the button below, or email [email protected].

Hello Dr Fisher, your dilemma is a common one. The MBI is not a permanent number. CMS reissues it when a card is lost or stolen, when a beneficiary requests a change, and—most significantly of late—when a beneficiary's data is exposed in a breach at a Medicare contractor or claims-processing vendor.  

The representative your patient speaks with is confirming entitlement, which is intact—so the response is, "your card is valid." The number in the patient's wallet is a retired MBI. And "keep billing the number you have" is only true for dates of service before the new MBI took effect.  

The solution is to stop relying on the card and pull the current number yourself. Every MAC offers a free MBI look-up tool inside its secure provider portal. Enter the patient's first name, last name, date of birth, and Social Security Number, and the tool returns the currently active MBI. It works for any Medicare patient, regardless of where they live or which MAC you're enrolled with.

Best Regards,

—Tonia Silva, CPC, CPMA, CPPM

View original query here.

But she’s still practicing podiatry. Read about how Grace Torres-Hodges, DPM, remains on the frontlines of the medical freedom movement, advocating for direct care solutions and serving patients in her podiatry practice.

Source: IW Features

Increasingly, patients are relying on AI chatbots and AI generated summaries from Google and other search engines to answer questions and guide decisions directly within search results, often without ever clicking through to a website.

Not At All — 28 percent

Somewhat — 29 percent

Neutral — 18 percent

More Than a Little — 13 percent

Very — 11 percent

TOTAL RESPONSES: 116

Technology stops a lot, but the most common way attackers get in is by convincing a person to let them, usually through a phishing email. Every staff member with a login is part of your security posture, and the front desk, often the busiest and least technical seat in the practice, is a favorite target. Train the whole team to recognize phishing, suspicious links and requests that do not feel right, and make it safe to report a mistake fast rather than hide it.

Run the training more than once a year; a single onboarding session does not stick. Simulated phishing tests are a useful gut check on where the weak spots are. Pair the training with a simple rule: verify any request to change payment details or move money through a second channel before acting.

Source: Keith A. Reynolds, Physicians Practice

This cyber-event is geared toward podiatric surgical and wound care practices and will be led by key opinion leaders from leading teaching institutions around the U.S., as well as past presidents of APMA and ACFAS. September 26-27, 2026. For more info, click the button below.

Gregory A. Tovmassian, DPM, is being honored for his outstanding service and leadership in the community through a podiatric scholarship at Samuel Merritt University (SMU), thanks to the generosity of Marie and Ronny Coleman, two of Dr. Tovmassian’s patients. Although Dr. Tovmassian passed away in 2023, the Colemans wanted to find a way to acknowledge the exceptional care they received.

Source: Samuel Merritt University

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.

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