APMA News - January/February 2025 - 14

with more credit given to us for our part in keeping
America healthy. The result of this recognition
will create more practice opportunities for our
members and more enthusiasm among students
considering a career in podiatry. For these reasons
and more, I am pleased to announce my intention
to run for the APMA Board of Trustees.
I have attended the APMA House of Delegates
for many years as a delegate and as chief delegate
from New York when I served as president
of the New York State Podiatric Medical
Association [NYSPMA]. During this time, I have
had the opportunity to observe how our national
organization functions as well as seeing firsthand
the many challenges that we face. Chief among
these would be student recruitment, development
of residency positions, and an agreed-upon
identity for our profession. It has been my
experience that APMA, with all good intentions,
has been more reactive than proactive regarding
these problems. It is my belief that APMA must
act with all deliberate speed on these challenges
lest we face an uncertain future. My intention, if
elected, would be to move toward solutions for
these problems immediately with all the resources
available to APMA.
My qualifications for this position are evidenced
by my service to NYSPMA. I have been
elected (and reelected) to serve as a trustee on
the NYSPMA board, occupying all officer seats
and ultimately serving as as president of that organization
from 2020-22. New York is a very diverse
state, and I was able to gain support across
our membership: young and old, male and
female, and from all races and creeds. During
my time on the board, I chaired committees
such as Bylaws, Insurance, Public Education &
Information, and a new committee that I helped
to develop, the Public & Population Health Task
Force. The Public & Population Health Task Force
was our primary initiative to advance our profession.
We found that podiatry was underappreciated
by legislators, regulators, medical directors,
and policymakers. We set out to change that
perception. The work done by this committee
was instrumental in proving the value of podiatry
in a rapidly changing health-care environment
to major governmental bodies such as the
New York State Department of Health and the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
We built strong relationships with legislators
and insurance companies. Our approach was
simple-by aligning our interests with the public
health interests of legislators and policymakers,
we could strengthen podiatric medicine. Some
of our accomplishments included passage of a
scope-of-practice bill, regaining access to our
state's Medicaid program, solving policy-level
issues with payers, and meeting with CMS to
discourage its attempt to eliminate evaluation
and management codes for podiatry. Each of
these successes had one thing in common-the
education of stakeholders on the value of care
by podiatry backed up by clear and compelling
data. It is my belief that this approach is required
nationally now.
This is an uneasy time for our profession. Our
members are worried that they will not have as
many employment opportunities as our allopathic
and osteopathic colleagues. Concern about
reimbursement rates is on all of our minds. We
watch as foot and ankle orthopedists are attacking
our profession and nurses want to expand
their role in foot care. And if these concerns
were not enough, we still struggle with our own
board certification processes. But I believe we
can meet all of these challenges. It will require
leadership providing new perspectives and approaches.
I am running for the Board of Trustees
because I believe I have ideas to offer as well
as the energy and experience to work for us all
toward a better and more secure future.
I humbly ask for your consideration for this
position. If elected, I will dedicate myself fully to
the aforementioned goals.
William S. Long, DPM
Candidate for Re-election to the Board of Trustees
I am writing to formally announce
my intent to run for re-election
to the APMA Board of Trustees. I
have had the privilege of serving
on the board for the past six years,
including four years as the chair of the Legislative
Committee. During my tenure, I have worked
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
diligently alongside APMA staff, fellow podiatrists,
and industry to advance our profession and
strengthen our position within the broader healthcare
community.
As Legislative chair, I have been fortunate to
play a significant role in advancing policy victories
that contribute to the growth and recognition of
APMA News - January/February 2025

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