Chair's Message
Chair's Message
Submitted by Chris Robertozzi, DPM
Obesity, HIV, hepatitis, Diabetes Mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, the uninsured and smoking are just the tip of the iceberg. We deal with many of these and other issues that affect our community in the office on a daily basis. Prior to surgery, we may recommend that patients stop smoking so they will heal more quickly. Another patient with Diabetes Mellitus, peripheral vascular disease and gangrene will receive counseling from us prior to our sending them out for a vascular consult before we amputate the gangrenous pedal area. Of course this is a significant part of what podiatry is all about, but there is a bigger picture. That is public health. Interestingly enough, that is not what most of us consider public health. Rather, we view it as taking care of our patients.
An altruistic idealist is the type of individual that comes to mind when the word public health is mentioned. That certainly is true. In the ten years I have been involved APHA, I have found this group has one common goal. Their objective is to make this a healthier world in which to live. There is no financial objective on their agenda. You really can’t protest against that.
Podiatry has always claimed that we keep America walking, which keeps America healthier. The Clinical Practice Advisory Committee of APMA is funding IPS to do a study that is collecting data to prove that by walking on a regular basis you remain healthier. There is better control of your blood glucose if you’re diabetic. Those who suffer from hypertension will have better blood pressure readings. In both cases, it can be accomplished with a decrease in medication. As a participating investigator in that study, looking at my data, I can testify that it is true in as short a time as two months. Once all the data is collated from the practices around the country, I’m sure it will substantiate what the APMA has been saying for years. This study will give us the evidence we need so that we can better assist our patients in their overall health. It will also allo