Paying the Fiddler

We’re back from the 2006 APMA Annual Scientific Meeting in Las Vegas, and now it’s time to reflect on our experiences there and thank everyone who helped to make it the spectacular event that it was.

What happened in Las Vegas in August is already being used in podiatry offices across the country. The quality of the educational program and the exchange of information between the podiatric physicians in attendance were tremendous. I am sure everyone who attended brought back information that they could use to improve the care of their patients.

Providing such high-quality educational programs is a cornerstone of APMA’s strategic plan:

The education and training of podiatrists is of paramount importance to ensure that the field remains vibrant and at the cutting edge in the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle problems. Many organizations—podiatry schools, affiliated and related organizations, certifying boards, and components—are involved in education. As the central organization representing the profession, APMA is well positioned to provide leadership and coordination of the podiatric medical education process. Working closely with all those involved in education, APMA and other stakeholders can together ensure that podiatric medical education meets agreed-upon standards of excellence and positions the profession for continued growth, high-quality service, and appropriate recognition.

—APMA Strategic Plan, April 2006

At this year’s Annual Meeting, we positioned ourselves splendidly to carry out this mission. Among the educational offerings were outstanding presentations from the Northwest Podiatric Foundation, the American College of Foot and Ankle Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management, as well as coding and risk-management programs. The American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine’s presentations on “Controversies and Evidence: Can You Defend How You Practice?” generated much discussion. Some attendees chose to explore the alternative medicine track, with information on acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, and manipulation. An exciting series of lectures from the American Society of Podiatric Medicine on medical research, plantar fibromatosis, and more was also quite popular.

Many thanks to the 2006 APMA Annual Meeting sponsors for their generous support of these programs, as well as the keynote address by Gabe Kaplan, the APMA Reception, the lunches served in the Exhibit Hall, and much, much more. You could feel the love in Las Vegas. The wonderful interaction between our corporate partners and the attendees was great. There was plenty of appreciation on both sides of the exhibits. We have worked hard for many years to achieve these kinds of relationships.

Also, I’d like to thank the American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management, the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, the American Association for Women Podiatrists, the American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine, the American College of Foot and Ankle Pediatrics, the American Society of Podiatric Medicine, the Council of Teaching Hospitals of the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine, the Northwest Podiatric Foundation for Education and Research, and the Podiatry Institute for their affiliation with our program.

Additionally, the meeting this year would not have been possible without the energy and dedication of the APMA’s Annual Meeting Committee, chaired by Trustee Frank Spinosa, DPM, and the invaluable support and contributions of APMA staff.

But we shouldn’t stop here. As fabulous as the 2006 meeting was on so many levels, I have confidence that the 2007 Annual Meeting, taking place August 16 through August 19 in Philadelphia, will be one for the record books. In addition to offering exciting new educational opportunities in 2007, APMA will combine its resources with Region 3 (consisting of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware), which has decided to forego its own annual meeting to help the 2007 APMA Annual Scientific Meeting be the biggest and most successful in APMA history.

Those of you who came to Las Vegas in 2006, don’t miss Philadelphia in 2007. And don’t forget to spread the word to your friends and colleagues that Philly will be even better.