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Podiatrists press for ankle-surgery authority; orthopedists raise quality concerns
Summary
Podiatrists and their supporters urged the Joint Committee to update podiatry scope of practice in Massachusetts to explicitly allow certain ankle procedures and reduce 'medical deserts,' while orthopedists opposed expanding scope above the ankle, citing outcome differences and training distinctions.
Podiatrists, hospital credentialing representatives and patient advocates told the Joint Committee on Public Health that Massachusetts should expand its statutory definition of podiatry to explicitly allow certain procedures on the ankle and to align practice authority with training, while orthopedic surgeons urged caution and opposed scope expansion above the ankle.
"Massachusetts is now 1 of only 2 states in the nation that does not explicitly allow podiatrists to perform procedures on the ankle," said Dr. Tyler Silverman, a podiatrist and…
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