Podiatric Docs are Now Teamsters

In 2011, a group of 1,000 doctors of podiatric medicine who are members of the California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA) are also now members of the Teamsters.

Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) are the premier medical providers specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions and ailments of the foot and ankle. The breadth of treatment that DPMs provide is comprehensive: they see patients in outpatient offices and clinics as well as inpatient hospital settings; they prescribe prescription medications and admit patients to hospitals when necessary; their treatment capabilities cover the full range of conservative measures to reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. They work side-by-side with medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine, functioning as their colleagues on equal footing in the medical community.

The training of DPMs is substantial: after college and four years of podiatric medical school, there is three years of residency training in foot and ankle medicine and surgeries. Many will pursue more specific fellowship training afterward. Uniquely, podiatrists develop a specific understanding of the biomechanics of foot and ankle function and human gait, and apply this understanding to the treatments rendered. This enables patients to return to optimal function in ways that not only improve their foot and ankle symptoms, but their activity and health in general. Think of how we depend on our feet to keep us active and fit!

The CPMA believes that their relationship with the Teamsters provides several advantages, and is consistent with its mission “...to promote, advance and protect the profession of podiatric medicine, to preserve the rights of the patients it serves and to seek continuous improvement in the quality of patient treatment and care.” The CPMA seeks to ensure that all Californians have access to the services our members provide (currently this is not the case due to elimination of our services from the Medi-Cal program, and due to some restrictive health care plans that exclude our members). We also seek to ensure that our members’ services are included in plans for health care reform, and that health care legislation in Sacramento serves to improve, rather than restrict, Californians’ access to specialized foot and ankle care.

To learn more about podiatric medicine, and to find a Teamster podiatrist near you, please visit the California Podiatric Medical Association website at www.calpma.org.