Good ideas and my reply to Dr. Paul Kesselman:

You wrote, “There are many other stories like this out there, and I could write and talk about them for hours. Bottom line: blame only yourself.”

Let’s see: can I blame myself? I was on first-name basis with the medical director and we had lots of good conversations during the past 30 years. The casual contractor position is at a not-for-profit facility with limited senior staff. I could not become a director of Nursing because I don’t have an RN degree. The medical director was also a physician working at that facility and there were two other MDs and a physiotherapist. Perhaps you could have called me the director of Podiatry Services. 

BTW, any DFUs were treated by the nursing staff, and severe septic foot conditions were sent to the local hospital. I didn’t treat them and sometimes didn’t see the resident with the septic foot condition. Staff saw it during intake and the resident was sent to the hospital by non-emergency ambulance transport. 

At two other similar facilities, I was replaced by staff who had taken a nursing foot care course. At the first facility they called themselves the Foot Care Team and at the second, during COVID-19, a nurse took a foot care course and after a trial period, the residents had no complaints about her treatments—and so I was shown the exit. 

In my case, being a conservative, cautious podiatry services provider has proven to be a challenge.

—Name Withheld

The initial thread is available at this link. To add your thoughts, email [email protected].

I could not help but comment on this article. I have been in practice for 40 years, and I thoroughly enjoy being a DPM. I never waited for opportunities to come to me; instead, I always operated as an equal to any other medical degree.

In my career, I was elected chairman of the Department of Surgery for four consecutive terms at a major California hospital, South Coast Global Medical Center. In that role, I managed over 50 surgeons, including podiatric, orthopedic, plastic, and general surgeons. Currently I am still chief of Surgery at this hospital.

I also became a clinical professor in the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center—the historic institution where HbA1c was invented 50 years ago, and human insulin and active research for the cure of type I diabetes.

In oncology, I frequently see patients whose vital cancer treatments must be placed on hold due to severe diabetic foot infections. As a podiatrist, I have full authority to manage these infections and clear the patients before their cancer treatment can safely resume. Therefore, podiatry is highly considered at this institution.

I have never felt that my degree limited me, and I have enjoyed the full benefits of a rewarding career in podiatry. A DPM degree is never a dead end.

Recently, ahead of my retirement, I published an article in Health Affairs Scholar—Underinvesting in prevention: the costly blind spot in US diabetes care—to advocate for our profession. I encourage you to read it; it will make you proud to be a podiatrist. The article has already been read by CMS officials, insurance CEOs, and health policy researchers. My hope is that, in my lifetime, podiatric evaluations for patients with diabetes will soon be considered just as essential and standard as mammography and colonoscopies.

—Paul Han, DPM

The initial thread is available at this link. To add your thoughts, email [email protected].

As AI becomes more common in healthcare, podiatry might have some catching up to do. Artificial intelligence has been part of medicine for decades. What is different today is how quickly it is moving into everyday life and clinical practice…

So, where does podiatry fit in?

—Ron Favali

To read the entire article, click the button below. To submit a question or response, email [email protected].

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 [email protected]

The National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners is looking for licensed and practicing podiatric physicians to participate in its Practice Analysis survey in April 2027 for the American Podiatric Medical Licensing Exams (APMLE).

The Practice Analysis serves as the foundation for identifying the content and competencies that should be included on the APMLE Part I, APMLE Part II, and APMLE Part III. It identifies the knowledge, skills, and tasks that are relevant to the current practice of podiatric medicine, and its findings inform the content of the exams.

A large group of licensed and practicing podiatric physicians must complete validation surveys to rate how often they perform specific tasks and how important those tasks are for safe patient care. By participating and completing the survey in April, licensed and practicing podiatric physicians will be sharing their knowledge and expertise on this incredibly important process—and helping advance the podiatric profession.

Survey respondents can learn more and sign up here.

Private equity (PE) firms are actively consolidating the highly fragmented podiatry services market in the U.S. Since more than 96 percent of U.S. podiatry practices are small operations with fewer than five doctors, they make good targets.

By targeting small, independent practices, the PE firms can form large “supergroups” under Management Services Organizations (MSOs). This strategy centralizes administrative, billing, and IT tasks to improve scale and efficiency.

Selling to a PE firm or investors usually means an upfront cash payout, removal of burdensome administrative tasks, and the potential for a second payout (most PE firms and investors are usually in it for a short term).

CMS recently announced the release of Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance feedback and final scores for the 2025 performance year. Clinicians who believe their final score was calculated incorrectly may now request a targeted review. 

The targeted review period will close 30 days after CMS releases the 2027 MIPS payment adjustments associated with 2025 performance. These are expected later in October. APMA encourages members to review their scores and gather supporting documentation if they identify potential errors. Targeted review decisions are final and are not eligible for further review.

Source: APMA

Every few Tuesdays throughout the school year, Samuel Merritt University College of Podiatric Medicine (SMU CPM) students volunteer at free community clinics hosted by UC Berkeley pre-med students, providing basic podiatric care, footwear, and wound-care support to under-resourced and unhoused patients in Berkeley, CA. These “Suitcase Clinics” give Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) students supervised, hands-on experience before rotations, teaching them to navigate a patient visit with standard practices like listening, asking questions, examining, and ultimately treating through tasks like diabetic foot exams, toenail trims, callus debridement, and wound care.

Source: Samuel Merritt University

The Medical Economics Practice Academy—Thursday, November 19, 1:00-5:00 ET—is a virtual learning experience built specifically for physicians who want to build stronger practices and stronger personal careers. 

The program delivers practical, real-world education you can apply immediately, covering the strategies, tools and insights physicians need to strengthen patient collections, improve the financial experience, and build long-term personal wealth. From revenue cycle performance and patient payment workflows to lifestyle management, investing discipline and career optionality, sessions tackle the financial pressures that shape both the practice and the physician behind it. Click the button below for more information or to register.

Source: Medical Economics

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.

Priced below appraisal. Established hospital-campus practice with strong referrals and 25,000 patient records. Fully equipped with digital X-ray and EMR. Staff staying on. Open four days, with demand for five. Retiring physician will assist with transition. A rare turnkey opportunity. Confidential inquiries: [email protected]

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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.