Let's Start a Revolution

I've just returned from the 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting (The National) in Philadelphia, and I'm still in the revolutionary spirit. The National itself was a revolution in learning, but I'd like to share with you a few more ways APMA is revolutionizing podiatric medicine.

I'm excited to announce that the Board of Trustees has approved the development of a clinical data registry. This registry is a huge step forward for the profession. It will be able to meet the requirement for reporting via a data registry to various federal programs at no cost to our members. But more importantly, in the face of a new value-based reimbursement system, it will allow us to establish our own value. The registry will also allow individual members to benchmark their practices to improve care—and profitability. We are investigating the possibility of building reporting capabilities into various EHR systems, allowing seamless registry reporting via your EHR. The registry will be built to the highest standards to protect individual patients' health information, as well as individual providers' data.

One person who will be significantly involved in the development of this revolutionary registry is our new Director of Clinical Affairs Dyane Tower, DPM, MPH. Dr. Tower will join the APMA staff this fall. Dr. Tower is a graduate of the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. She was the inaugural APMA Public Health Fellow, has earned two master's degrees, and was this year's recipient of the APMA Rising Star Award. She has been employed by the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for the past two years. We need more outstanding young physicians like Dr. Tower.

To that end, we're revolutionizing the way our profession promotes itself to prospective students. During a meeting in June, APMA assembled representatives from the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM), American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, American College of Foot & Ankle Orthopedics & Medicine, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, American Podiatric Medical Students' Association, and American Society of Podiatric Surgeons, along with representatives of most of the colleges of podiatric medicine and many component societies, to discuss how we promote podiatric medicine as a career. It was a superb and collaborative meeting, and APMA has committed to playing a prominent role in promoting careers in podiatric medicine and surgery. We recently hired Catherine Davidge as our new Marketing and Promotion Manager, and she is working closely with AACPM's new Career Promotion Strategist Mandy Nau on this initiative.

Every day, APMA is revolutionizing on your behalf. Be a part of the revolution—participate on an APMA committee; use our eAdvocacy system; or join us at an event. Together, we can make change for this profession.