APMA News - May/June 2024 - 7

A Changing of the Guard at PICA:
Honoring Dr. Taubman and
Introducing Dr. Cicchinelli
and Ms. Christian
After 12 years at the helm of PICA as president
and chief medical officer, Ross Taubman, DPM, retired
this spring. Dr. Taubman's remarkable career,
spanning private practice, the presidency of both
the Maryland Podiatric Medical Association (MPMA)
and APMA, and his ultimate move into the world of
medical professional liability insurance, has had a
profound influence on the profession of podiatric
medicine and surgery.
With Dr. Taubman's exit, PICA hired Luke
Cicchinelli, DPM, to serve as chief medical
director, and Margaret Christian, MBA, former
senior vice president of business operations,
who has been with PICA since 2004, assumed
the role of president. Together, Dr. Cicchinelli
and Ms. Christian are leading PICA into this
next chapter with their combined experience
in clinical podiatric medicine and the medical
malpractice industry. Dr. Cicchinelli is a seasoned
podiatric physician and surgeon who has
been in practice for 30 years and has served
as a consultant, speaker, and educator in the
US and internationally. He received his DPM
degree at Temple University School of Podiatric
Medicine and completed three years of residency
training at Emory University Northlake
Regional Medical Center.
APMA News recently spoke with Drs. Taubman
and Cicchinelli, as well as Ms. Christian, to hear
more about the transition and to learn what's
ahead for PICA.
Dr. Taubman, as you exit PICA, what
accomplishments are you most proud of?
Without question the thing I'm proudest of at
PICA and in my career is the relationships I've
made with staff and people in the profession. I
think a lot of people get wrapped up in a " legacy. "
It's really about the people around you,
and I'm only as good as the people around
me. In my time in practice, with the Maryland
Podiatric Medical Association, APMA, and PICA,
I was successful because of people around me.
Relationships mean everything.
Dr. Taubman, what are your plans
for retirement?
I'm blessed to have health and a beautiful family.
I have a wonderful wife, Betsy, who has given
tremendously to the profession. We have been
married 44 years. We have a beautiful son and
daughter-in-law and grandkids.
So, I'm going to spend more time with my family.
Betsy has put up with my life and career and moved
a couple of times for me, and now I'm giving back
to her. We moved to Savannah, GA, and we're
playing golf and pickleball, and I've just signed up to
build houses with Habitat for Humanity.
Dr. Cicchinelli, tell our readers a little
about yourself.
My wife and I met in school, and we're both
podiatric medical physicians, so we're a podiatry
couple and family. We have three great kids. We
remain totally passionate about our profession, and
that's one reason I threw my name into the hat for
this role: It's a way to give back to the profession
by protecting and supporting the profession and
defending our colleagues from allegations against
their reputations and their practices.
Our career has been worldwide with 30 years of
practice-20 years in the US and 10 years overseas,
primarily in Spain and Australia.
We continue to learn and teach in equal parts,
and we continue to see a tremendous need
around the world for lower-extremity care. At its
best, our profession is very frequently the first to
pick up on systemic issues patients have. Podiatry
is a key component of helping patients overall have
a healthy life.
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