Podiatry Service

The MGH Podiatry Service clinical staff is comprised of nine podiatrists and a certified pedor-thist/orthotic technician. Under the direction of Dr. Robert J. Scardina, members provide com-prehensive ambulatory foot care (including dia¬betic, arthritic, sports, geriatric and general), elective and non-elective foot surgery, and orthotic services in the Yawkey Building (Suite 3F). Staff members also provide ambulatory foot care at all three MGH-affiliated Health Centers (Revere, Chelsea and Charlestown) and non-MGH venues (South End Community Health Center and Lynn Community Health Center), as well as in-patient consultation services at the MGH and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Our community outreach program, in affiliation with Boston Health Care for the Homeless, enters its 23rd year, providing foot care at the Pine Street Inn. Facing an ever-increasing demand for our services, we hope to establish a diabetic foot practice at the MGH Vas¬cular Center soon, and develop satellite practices at the Mass General/North Shore Center for Outpa¬tient Care in Danvers and Mass General West in Waltham – all as part of our Quality Improvement Program.

The MGH Podiatry Residency Program includes a comprehensive and diverse three-year curriculum with longitudinal training experiences in clinical podiatry and foot & ankle surgery, more than 20 non-podiatry medical and surgical block (monthly) rotations, and extensive traditional as well as on-line didactic activities. PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents receive training in foot and ankle surgery from over 25 faculty members (mostly podiatric, but also orthopaedic, plastic and general surgeons) at the MGH as well as several regional training-affiliate hospitals. As of March 2013, our residency program converted to the new national model (Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency), receiving full approval status from the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) until 2017. We also anticipate the addition of one entry-level position in July 2014.

The 10th Annual MGH Podiatry Service Winter Lecture, “Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science,” was held in January 2013. The guest speaker was Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum and Professor of Anatomy & Anthropology at Idaho State University. Podiatrists, physicians, physical therapists, and orthotic technicians from the MGH and other area hospitals attended the presentation.

“Respectful of our past, hopeful for our future and keenly aware of our responsibility to the MGH community, our Service continues on its missions of excellence in patient care and graduate podiatric training, as we move closer to realizing our full potential,” notes Dr. Scardina.