Doctors of Podiatric Medicine Ready to Serve During National Health Emergency

Due in part to the lobbying efforts highlighted below, the US Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has updated its guidance and now explicitly includes podiatric physicians in its definition of essential critical infrastructure workers  during the COVID-19 emergency.  Here is the relevant text.    

“Health-care providers including, but not limited to, physicians (MD/DO/DPM); dentists; psychologists; midlevel practitioners; nurses; assistants and aids; infection control and quality assurance personnel; phlebotomists; pharmacists; physical, respiratory, speech and occupational therapists and assistants; social workers; optometrists; speech pathologists; chiropractors; diagnostic and therapeutic technicians; and radiology technologists.”

Read the full CISA memorandum and guidance. 

ABFAS joined with other podiatric associations in sending a letter of support urging the country’s governors to temporarily relax scope-of-practice standards for doctors of podiatric medicine immediately, allowing podiatrists to help on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis.

The American Podiatric Medical Association, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, American Board of Podiatric Medicine, and the American College of Podiatric Medicine were the other joint signatories to the letter asking the governors to support podiatric physicians’ and surgeons’ voluntary contributions to their level of education, training, experience, and expertise during this difficult time.

You can read the letter here.