APMA News - July/August 2017 - 20

APMA Member Testifies before
Congress on VA Provider Equity Act
On May 2, Steven L. Goldman, DPM, president of the American Board of Podiatric Medicine, testified along with APMA Trustee
Seth Rubenstein, DPM, and APMA member Jeffrey Robbins, DPM,
about the status of podiatrists within the Veterans Health Administration. They offered their testimony at a hearing held by the House
Veterans Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Health, chaired by
APMA member Rep. Brad Wenstrup, DPM (R-OH).
APMA has enjoyed the opportunity to testify about this important
subject and its VA Provider Equity Act in the past. In 2015, Nichol

Salvo, DPM, then-director of the APMA Young Physicians' Program,
provided testimony in support of the legislation before the same committee. In order to ensure passage of this important bill, APMA needs
support from every member. Visit www.apma.org/eAdvocacy
today to send a letter to your legislators. It takes only minutes, and all
of the information you need is available on the eAdvocacy website.
The full transcript of Dr. Goldman's testimony appears below.
Editor's Note: Dr. Goldman's testimony has been edited for
APMA style.

Dr. Chairman, Ranking Member, distinguished members
part of the multidisciplinary team serving the needs of a seemof Congress, and guests,
ingly ever-growing diabetic population. We take call, provide
At the outset I would like to express my appreciation for
inpatient and outpatient care, respond to emergencies, prescribe
the honor to address this committee today. In discussing this
medications, and independently perform surgery of the foot and
topic, I do so as a private citizen and not as the chief of Podiatry
ankle. Fundamentally, we perform a vital role in the continuum
and director of a podiatry residency training program at a Veterof health care equal to other physicians, often for a patient popans Affairs Medical Center. I do so not as the former interim
ulation whose only choice for health care is the VA. More often
chief of Surgery or the site directhan not, those patients present
tor for Surgical Services at a secwith more multiple comorbidities
Podiatrists
in
the
private
ond VA facility, and I do so not as
than the average population. In
a retired lieutenant colonel in
the Veterans [Health] Administrasector have witnessed
the United States Air Force Retion (VHA), podiatry is often the
salaries
commensurate
with
the
serve who served as a podiatrist
first specialty consulted for foot
and also as Surgical Operations
and ankle care services, and we
profession's growing skills.
Squadron commander for the
provide more of these services
By contrast, salaries in the VHA
last four years of my 20-year Air
than any other specialty.
have
not
kept
pace,
and
the
Force career. I am testifying as a
Podiatrists in the private sector
private citizen, one who graduathave
witnessed salaries commengap grows larger every day.
ed almost 35 years ago and was
surate with the profession's growan associate professor at the New
ing skills. By contrast, salaries in
York College of Podiatric Medicine for nearly 15 years, during
the VHA have not kept pace, and the gap grows larger every day.
which time I witnessed firsthand the metamorphosis of my proPodiatrists in 42 percent of the regions across the country have
fession. I am currently the president of the American Board of
reached legislatively capped rates of pay under VHA. What that
Podiatric Medicine, and in this position I represent thousands of
practically means is that a podiatrist at the absolute top end of
podiatrists around the country, many of whom are employed by
the pay charts will earn exactly the same as a much less senior
the federal government. As a veteran, I am now also a consumer
podiatrist, and with no hope of ever being further remunerated
of the medical services of the system about which you have incommensurate with the added time of service or experience. Povited me here today to testify.
diatrists are defined as physicians under Title XVIII of the Social
I have witnessed the best of our profession as it has grown
Security Act §1861(r)(3) [42 U.S.C. 1395x]. The VA definition
over the past 35 years since I graduated in 1982. I am in awe of
of podiatry is a vestige of [the] 41-year-old, antiquated, 1976 VA
how far we have come. Today, all graduating podiatrists are
Omnibus Bill, and is sorely outdated. Consequently, podiatry
three-year residency-trained in podiatric medicine and surgery,
salaries under the VHA are locked into the same 41-year-old pay
and we are integral parts of the collaborative health-care delivery
scale. As a result, it is becoming increasingly harder to fill posisystem, providing essential services alongside our distinguished
tions and keep people with vital skills under VHA. I think we
allopathic and osteopathic specialists. Today's podiatrists mancan all agree that all of us, but particularly our veterans, deserve
age the complex nature of foot and ankle deformities and are
the very best of care. When looking at the bell curve for salaries
20 APMA News July/August 2017

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