Frank Spinosa, DPM
President American Podiatric Medical Association 2014–2015
316
May/June 2014 Vol 104 No 3 Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Acceptance Address APMA House of Delegates Washington, DC March 16, 2014 Good afternoon delegates, guests, friends! My father and both my grandfathers were seafaring men. Some of you know that I hold a Merchant Marine credential of master for 50 grosston vessels. Those of you who are mariners know that the sea is a delightful, but unforgiving, partner. A routine trip can quickly turn deadly with changes in wind, weather, and sea. This house is graciously permitting me to take the helm of the APMA ship for the next year. I accept this commission with great humility. I foresee clear sailing, calm winds, and following seas. I do not fear adversity. APMA is a powerful vessel. Our crew— staff, board, delegates, and all leaders in this room—is strong and fearless. There is no ill wind or perfect storm that will deter us from our mission. I guarantee that this year’s voyage will complete its journey successfully. This House of Delegates launched the EEP, the Educational Enhancement Program, in 1995. We approved Project 2000. We’ve now almost reached the apogee of Vision 2015. These are just some examples of how our profession has continually strived to improve our education and purpose. We will continue to develop such initiatives to advance our profession as we move forward with our Pathway to Parity.
Vision 2015 Vision 2015 is an ambitious plan that involves every facet of podiatry. This house demanded that we be recognized as physicians, consistent with our education, training, and experience. More than 200 leaders of our profession, many in this room, have participated in Vision 2015. The Vision 2015 objectives require that we demonstrate to the entire health-care community that our education, training, and experience are comparable to those of allopathic and osteopathic physicians and that we accomplish that by expanding our pre- and post-
graduate education; by obtaining state and federal government recognition that podiatrists are physicians; that we market and promote ourselves as physicians; and that we attract high-quality applicants to our colleges and thereby to our profession. That’s what this House of Delegates demanded. We still have evolving issues regarding Medicaid access, national boards, military parity, and student recruitment. These are not insurmountable obstacles, as long as we work together. Opposing factions within our profession would spell defeat. Mutual cooperation will ensure success. Our actions must mirror our hopes, not our fears. The Vision 2015 educational objective included elevating our residencies to uniform 3-year programs. No longer do we have a hodgepodge of programs. Ninety-five percent of our 2-year programs were able to convert to the new 3-year programs because the [Council on Podiatric Medical Education] adjusted the required number of procedures for the new PMSR 3-year programs. PMSR stands for Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residencies. We are not training surgeons only. We value the podiatric physician who debrides a thickened nail as much as he or she who performs ankle surgery. Will I stand here next year and state that all Vision 2015 objectives have been met? Perhaps not. Nevertheless, the progress spurred by Vision 2015 has been phenomenal. I urge this body to sign onto the next logical steps to move our profession forward—the Pathway to Parity. We will never stop advancing.
APMA Why am I sure that our profession will succeed and advance? Because APMA has developed into the most powerful membership organization in health care. You’ve noticed that all of the Vision 2015 objectives somehow intersect with every stakehold-
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association Vol 104 No 3 May/June 2014
317
er in our profession, as well as every department of APMA. Your APMA is an incredible machine, running on higher horsepower than ever. I’d like to tell you how each of our APMA departments have a direct impact on the advancement of our profession. Our Scientific Affairs department has raised our annual meeting standards to rival any medical conference anywhere. We’ve been attracting several thousand total attendees in recent years. The Scientific Affairs department includes the Seal Program, which awards the Seal of Acceptance or Approval to podiatry-related products. It also manages our fellowship programs, the Residency Education Resource Center, the research grant program, produces topical webinars, and oversees the Podiatric Health Section of the American Public Health Association. Wow! Our Membership Services department has upgraded our member database to make our recordkeeping facile and efficient. The Membership department transitions students who opt in to full member status. The Communications department, which includes Public Relations, is constantly reinventing and updating our message as podiatric physicians. Typically more than 150 DPMs are interviewed by the public media each year thanks to the hard work of this department. Within the Communications Department are our professional marketing programs, the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, and all of our other professionally created print and online publications. Our Legislative Advocacy department promotes podiatry in every federal legislative activity. It coordinates continuous interaction with elected officials to keep our profession and our needs on the front burner. Since you all use the Legislative Advocacy site, you already know how user-friendly and functional it is. Our Health Policy and Practice department probably needs half a dozen subdivisions. It assists our members with appropriate coding for maximum appropriate reimbursement. Health Policy and Practice committee members represent us in the CPT, RUC, CMS, and private insurance arenas. The Center for Professional Advocacy is constantly promoting podiatry within the health-care expanse. Our Finance department has, and will continue to, collect, invest, and disburse APMA funds in the most judicious and fiscally advantageous methods possible to make our precious dues monies stretch further and give us the best return on our investments. Our dues must come back to us in
318
multiples of practice advantages. Your lives as podiatric physicians should be comfortable and enjoyable—a chicken in every pot and a patient in every exam room. In 1980, there was no corporate sponsorship for our annual scientific meeting, and we had $26,000 in exhibitor revenue. Last year, the Development department received more than $900,000 in corporate sponsorship, and we had nearly $700,000 in exhibitor revenue. Need I say more?
APMA is Working The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ‘‘working’’ as ‘‘to prove successful or effective. To accomplish.’’ It also defines ‘‘working’’ as ‘‘physical or mental effort, toil, or labor, to produce a result.’’ Ladies and gentlemen, APMA is working. Let me share with you our future goals at APMA:
We will continue to elevate the content of our annual scientific meeting—not to the detriment of other podiatric seminars, but to complement them.
No other professional health-care organization can boast of an 80-percent membership rate. We will strive to increase that percentage by offering more membership value than ever.
APMA is a membership association. APMA will keep its members on the cutting edge of practice with regard to clinical tools as well as ethical reimbursement tools. We have a webinar on ICD21 already in development. (Yes, I’m kidding— relax.)
In the coming years, we will endeavor to get our message out to every man, woman, and child that podiatric physicians are the premier foot and ankle surgeons, bar none.
Vision 2015 dictates that podiatric physicians will achieve similitude with our MD and DO brethren by our education, training, and experience. This achievement will be clear to the entire health-care community and to the public. If we discover regulatory obstacles, we will pursue appropriate state and federal legislation wherever and whenever we must.
APMA has had incredible success in the past few years building relationships with many of our health-care partners. The growth of our relations with the American Osteopathic Association, the American Medical Association, the Society for Vascular Surgeons, and others, is evident in the
May/June 2014 Vol 104 No 3 Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
support they’ve given us for our Vision 2015 initiatives, such as Medicaid access legislation and residency development. I declare to you that we will strengthen those relationships on both professional and personal levels, to afford APMA the full benefit of these essential alliances.
Two pillars of our profession are education and our youth. We need to recruit a greater number of qualified applicants to our schools, and we are nothing unless the best educational experience is provided for each student. I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a decade teaching radiology at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine. It may be a cliche´, but I certainly received more than I gave. I was also able to train 5 preceptees in the ’90s, hosted dozens of externs in my office, educated residents, and I’ve had the honor to serve as an oral examiner for [the American Board of Podiatric Surgery] for many years. My fellow podiatrists, we have all reaped the benefits of excellent education and training. The most rewarding experience, however, is to give back. If you have any opportunity to be involved in the training of our students, residents, or young physicians, do so. At the very least, support our APMA Young Physicians’ Program. Call APMA to find out how you can help.
There are always challenges facing APMA. The Sunshine Act’s complexities may inhibit some corporate sponsors from continuing their unrestricted educational grants. The residency development issue is gradually dissipating, but we cannot forget those recent graduates who are still without a residency and may be unable to practice. These and other challenges must not be overlooked because they are inconvenient to deal with. We and all stakeholders in our profession will tackle these controversies head on and collectively will find positive solutions. I ask you to join me in my great enthusiasm for the coming year! I am excited about our prospects to give our members a reason to be rallied about going to work every day, and to bring back optimism to our profession! I ask your pardon for all my defects. I don’t want to be your leader. I want to be your coworker. As a monarchy, we perish. As an army, we win. We win not by obliterating enemies. We win by persuading any opposition of the righteousness of our mission.
We will use the power of truth and transparency— the truth that our education, training, and experience are second to none!
Thanks Dr. Alfred Joseph, a New York podiatrist, was elected the first APMA president in 1912. I humbly stand before you as the seventh APMA president who calls New York home. I must thank the New York delegates, past and present, who supported me these past 34 years. To those others of you in this room who have mentored me, collaborated with me, debated with me: Thank you for helping me become a better servant of APMA. To the past presidents, thank you for teaching me to guard this association. The current board stands on your shoulders. (But you still have to sit in the back of the room!) To the APMA staff—the best there is. You all make the leaders of this profession look good. We would never have achieved our accomplishments without you. Please don’t ever think your hard work goes unnoticed. Let me be crystal clear. You are the lifeblood of our association. To Glenn Gastwirth, DPM, APMA executive director and CEO, and Jay Levrio, PhD, APMA deputy executive director and COO, the Lennon and McCartney of podiatry (I’m not saying who’s who): Your complementary management style has propelled our association to the fore of health-care nonprofit organizations. To my Board of Trustees: It’s been a true privilege and honor to be associated with the hardestworking group of dedicated individuals I’ve ever met. This board goes the extra mile. We can have robust debates regarding business, but still respect each other as caring individuals. This board has experienced some trying times this year, but it has been able to supersede adversity and continue serving APMA in the highest order. In the words of Aristotle, ‘‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.’’ This is certainly true of our board. FRANK SPINOSA, DPM President
Editor’s Note: Dr. Spinosa also extended personal thanks to his family and friends before leaving the podium.
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association Vol 104 No 3 May/June 2014
319
President American Podiatric Medical Association 2014–2015
316
May/June 2014 Vol 104 No 3 Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Acceptance Address APMA House of Delegates Washington, DC March 16, 2014 Good afternoon delegates, guests, friends! My father and both my grandfathers were seafaring men. Some of you know that I hold a Merchant Marine credential of master for 50 grosston vessels. Those of you who are mariners know that the sea is a delightful, but unforgiving, partner. A routine trip can quickly turn deadly with changes in wind, weather, and sea. This house is graciously permitting me to take the helm of the APMA ship for the next year. I accept this commission with great humility. I foresee clear sailing, calm winds, and following seas. I do not fear adversity. APMA is a powerful vessel. Our crew— staff, board, delegates, and all leaders in this room—is strong and fearless. There is no ill wind or perfect storm that will deter us from our mission. I guarantee that this year’s voyage will complete its journey successfully. This House of Delegates launched the EEP, the Educational Enhancement Program, in 1995. We approved Project 2000. We’ve now almost reached the apogee of Vision 2015. These are just some examples of how our profession has continually strived to improve our education and purpose. We will continue to develop such initiatives to advance our profession as we move forward with our Pathway to Parity.
Vision 2015 Vision 2015 is an ambitious plan that involves every facet of podiatry. This house demanded that we be recognized as physicians, consistent with our education, training, and experience. More than 200 leaders of our profession, many in this room, have participated in Vision 2015. The Vision 2015 objectives require that we demonstrate to the entire health-care community that our education, training, and experience are comparable to those of allopathic and osteopathic physicians and that we accomplish that by expanding our pre- and post-
graduate education; by obtaining state and federal government recognition that podiatrists are physicians; that we market and promote ourselves as physicians; and that we attract high-quality applicants to our colleges and thereby to our profession. That’s what this House of Delegates demanded. We still have evolving issues regarding Medicaid access, national boards, military parity, and student recruitment. These are not insurmountable obstacles, as long as we work together. Opposing factions within our profession would spell defeat. Mutual cooperation will ensure success. Our actions must mirror our hopes, not our fears. The Vision 2015 educational objective included elevating our residencies to uniform 3-year programs. No longer do we have a hodgepodge of programs. Ninety-five percent of our 2-year programs were able to convert to the new 3-year programs because the [Council on Podiatric Medical Education] adjusted the required number of procedures for the new PMSR 3-year programs. PMSR stands for Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residencies. We are not training surgeons only. We value the podiatric physician who debrides a thickened nail as much as he or she who performs ankle surgery. Will I stand here next year and state that all Vision 2015 objectives have been met? Perhaps not. Nevertheless, the progress spurred by Vision 2015 has been phenomenal. I urge this body to sign onto the next logical steps to move our profession forward—the Pathway to Parity. We will never stop advancing.
APMA Why am I sure that our profession will succeed and advance? Because APMA has developed into the most powerful membership organization in health care. You’ve noticed that all of the Vision 2015 objectives somehow intersect with every stakehold-
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association Vol 104 No 3 May/June 2014
317
er in our profession, as well as every department of APMA. Your APMA is an incredible machine, running on higher horsepower than ever. I’d like to tell you how each of our APMA departments have a direct impact on the advancement of our profession. Our Scientific Affairs department has raised our annual meeting standards to rival any medical conference anywhere. We’ve been attracting several thousand total attendees in recent years. The Scientific Affairs department includes the Seal Program, which awards the Seal of Acceptance or Approval to podiatry-related products. It also manages our fellowship programs, the Residency Education Resource Center, the research grant program, produces topical webinars, and oversees the Podiatric Health Section of the American Public Health Association. Wow! Our Membership Services department has upgraded our member database to make our recordkeeping facile and efficient. The Membership department transitions students who opt in to full member status. The Communications department, which includes Public Relations, is constantly reinventing and updating our message as podiatric physicians. Typically more than 150 DPMs are interviewed by the public media each year thanks to the hard work of this department. Within the Communications Department are our professional marketing programs, the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, and all of our other professionally created print and online publications. Our Legislative Advocacy department promotes podiatry in every federal legislative activity. It coordinates continuous interaction with elected officials to keep our profession and our needs on the front burner. Since you all use the Legislative Advocacy site, you already know how user-friendly and functional it is. Our Health Policy and Practice department probably needs half a dozen subdivisions. It assists our members with appropriate coding for maximum appropriate reimbursement. Health Policy and Practice committee members represent us in the CPT, RUC, CMS, and private insurance arenas. The Center for Professional Advocacy is constantly promoting podiatry within the health-care expanse. Our Finance department has, and will continue to, collect, invest, and disburse APMA funds in the most judicious and fiscally advantageous methods possible to make our precious dues monies stretch further and give us the best return on our investments. Our dues must come back to us in
318
multiples of practice advantages. Your lives as podiatric physicians should be comfortable and enjoyable—a chicken in every pot and a patient in every exam room. In 1980, there was no corporate sponsorship for our annual scientific meeting, and we had $26,000 in exhibitor revenue. Last year, the Development department received more than $900,000 in corporate sponsorship, and we had nearly $700,000 in exhibitor revenue. Need I say more?
APMA is Working The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ‘‘working’’ as ‘‘to prove successful or effective. To accomplish.’’ It also defines ‘‘working’’ as ‘‘physical or mental effort, toil, or labor, to produce a result.’’ Ladies and gentlemen, APMA is working. Let me share with you our future goals at APMA:
We will continue to elevate the content of our annual scientific meeting—not to the detriment of other podiatric seminars, but to complement them.
No other professional health-care organization can boast of an 80-percent membership rate. We will strive to increase that percentage by offering more membership value than ever.
APMA is a membership association. APMA will keep its members on the cutting edge of practice with regard to clinical tools as well as ethical reimbursement tools. We have a webinar on ICD21 already in development. (Yes, I’m kidding— relax.)
In the coming years, we will endeavor to get our message out to every man, woman, and child that podiatric physicians are the premier foot and ankle surgeons, bar none.
Vision 2015 dictates that podiatric physicians will achieve similitude with our MD and DO brethren by our education, training, and experience. This achievement will be clear to the entire health-care community and to the public. If we discover regulatory obstacles, we will pursue appropriate state and federal legislation wherever and whenever we must.
APMA has had incredible success in the past few years building relationships with many of our health-care partners. The growth of our relations with the American Osteopathic Association, the American Medical Association, the Society for Vascular Surgeons, and others, is evident in the
May/June 2014 Vol 104 No 3 Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
support they’ve given us for our Vision 2015 initiatives, such as Medicaid access legislation and residency development. I declare to you that we will strengthen those relationships on both professional and personal levels, to afford APMA the full benefit of these essential alliances.
Two pillars of our profession are education and our youth. We need to recruit a greater number of qualified applicants to our schools, and we are nothing unless the best educational experience is provided for each student. I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a decade teaching radiology at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine. It may be a cliche´, but I certainly received more than I gave. I was also able to train 5 preceptees in the ’90s, hosted dozens of externs in my office, educated residents, and I’ve had the honor to serve as an oral examiner for [the American Board of Podiatric Surgery] for many years. My fellow podiatrists, we have all reaped the benefits of excellent education and training. The most rewarding experience, however, is to give back. If you have any opportunity to be involved in the training of our students, residents, or young physicians, do so. At the very least, support our APMA Young Physicians’ Program. Call APMA to find out how you can help.
There are always challenges facing APMA. The Sunshine Act’s complexities may inhibit some corporate sponsors from continuing their unrestricted educational grants. The residency development issue is gradually dissipating, but we cannot forget those recent graduates who are still without a residency and may be unable to practice. These and other challenges must not be overlooked because they are inconvenient to deal with. We and all stakeholders in our profession will tackle these controversies head on and collectively will find positive solutions. I ask you to join me in my great enthusiasm for the coming year! I am excited about our prospects to give our members a reason to be rallied about going to work every day, and to bring back optimism to our profession! I ask your pardon for all my defects. I don’t want to be your leader. I want to be your coworker. As a monarchy, we perish. As an army, we win. We win not by obliterating enemies. We win by persuading any opposition of the righteousness of our mission.
We will use the power of truth and transparency— the truth that our education, training, and experience are second to none!
Thanks Dr. Alfred Joseph, a New York podiatrist, was elected the first APMA president in 1912. I humbly stand before you as the seventh APMA president who calls New York home. I must thank the New York delegates, past and present, who supported me these past 34 years. To those others of you in this room who have mentored me, collaborated with me, debated with me: Thank you for helping me become a better servant of APMA. To the past presidents, thank you for teaching me to guard this association. The current board stands on your shoulders. (But you still have to sit in the back of the room!) To the APMA staff—the best there is. You all make the leaders of this profession look good. We would never have achieved our accomplishments without you. Please don’t ever think your hard work goes unnoticed. Let me be crystal clear. You are the lifeblood of our association. To Glenn Gastwirth, DPM, APMA executive director and CEO, and Jay Levrio, PhD, APMA deputy executive director and COO, the Lennon and McCartney of podiatry (I’m not saying who’s who): Your complementary management style has propelled our association to the fore of health-care nonprofit organizations. To my Board of Trustees: It’s been a true privilege and honor to be associated with the hardestworking group of dedicated individuals I’ve ever met. This board goes the extra mile. We can have robust debates regarding business, but still respect each other as caring individuals. This board has experienced some trying times this year, but it has been able to supersede adversity and continue serving APMA in the highest order. In the words of Aristotle, ‘‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.’’ This is certainly true of our board. FRANK SPINOSA, DPM President
Editor’s Note: Dr. Spinosa also extended personal thanks to his family and friends before leaving the podium.
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association Vol 104 No 3 May/June 2014
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