If you have a foot or ankle injury DO NOT GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OR URGENT CARE CENTER!!!!!

If you sprain an ankle, rip off a toenail or have an infection or wound on your foot or ankle you should avoid the emergency room and urgent care centers.  I can think of nothing worse than walking into the hospital or urgent care center with a foot problem and walking out with COVID-19.  Hospitals do not want to see you right now!  They are taking care of very sick people that can make you sick. This does not mean your foot or ankle problem is not important or should not be tended to, especially if you have an infection or fracture. We take care of these things in our office and often can avoid the hospital.  We are taking all precautions to protect our patients by instituting curbside check in as well as virtual visits for those who have questions and concerns but are not able to make it into the office.

Our current role as foot and ankle surgeons I believe is more important now than ever before.  If we can keep healthy people out of the path of illness in places like the emergency room and urgent care centers we are providing a true service to our community. Now is not the time for specialists to be closing their offices.  Right now there are many things changing rapidly in the healthcare landscape right in front of our eyes on a daily basis.  But the most underlying theme is if you are not sick do not got to places where sick people are located. 

There are many routine type visits that can be re-scheduled but emergent foot and ankle problems should not be ignored especially in our diabetic patients.  Consider every 30 seconds someone world wide loses a limb due to a diabetic non traumatic amputation from a diabetic foot infection.  If you are diabetic and have foot and ankle concerns you should consider calling the office and setting up even a virtual appointment. Dr. Henne and Dr. McGowan may be able to guide you via a virtual appointment of what is the next step.  We can guide you if you need antibiotics, a procedure that we can schedule in office, ect. 

If you are considering making an appointment at our office or a telemedicine visit over the next couple of weeks, visit our website for more information and a telemedicine consent at: https://centeranklefootcare.com/coronavirus.html


Take care and remember we can all help control COVID-19:

• wash your hands
• carry hand gel
• avoid crowds and unnecessary travel 
• re-schedule elective procedures
• avoid urgent care centers and emergency rooms
• stay home if you can
• take advantage of telemedicine appointments

Again, as always from our family to yours, stay healthy!!!

Coronavirus and your foot health

Taking care of yourself remotely in light of the Coronavirus

Dr. Henne and myself, Dr. McGowan, are dedicated foot and ankle surgeons.  Telemedicine is now an option for all patients that either have a genuine valid fear of becoming sick and for those whose immune systems may put them at higher risk in a waiting room situation.  Your doctors offices should be working on more proactive steps like curbside check in reducing your interaction in a waiting room setting. This decreases your chances of being in close contact with those that may not even know they are sick or contagious. We are podiatrist that practice in Florida but according to the new legislation that may be passed today we will able to help patient across state lines.  If your podiatrist cancels your appointment but you have questions we would be happy to help you!

Much of what we do in our profession, we actually need to see the patient because palpating and sometimes X-rays are very necessary as well as in office procedures that can't be performed over the phone.  However, there are many foot and ankle problems that patients may be able to have a conversation via phone, email interaction or Skype session with one of our doctors to help. We can prescribe and even write for X-rays to be performed in a location closest to your home and that can be by appointment only. 

We would love to help your feet feel better and keep you safe all at the same time. We are completely set up for Telemedicine in our practice.  You are more than welcome to call our office and set up an appointment with our office staff at 352-242-2502 to make an appointment.  Or visit our website at centeranklefootcare.com and request an appointment or you can email anklefootcare1@gmail.com to request an appointment. Dr. Henne and I will also, as of tomorrow, have after hour and weekend appointments for Telemedicine. 

We wish everyone health and wellness as we continue to do what we love, to help people feel better and keep people moving!

Best of luck and good health wishes from our family to yours!

The Doctors of The Center for Ankle and Foot Care