Should you be billing non-operative fracture management — or just sticking with office visits + X-rays? And what’s the real story when switching EMRs like Athena to ModMed?
In this episode of Podiatry Practice Mastery, Dr. Don Pelto shares:
- Why his practice delayed using the non-operative fracture management code (and the pros/cons once they adopted it)
- Practical insights on handling the 90-day global period, patient complaints, and profitability
- Tips for surviving an EMR transition (Athena → ModMed) — including training, templates, and billing features
- Clinical pearls from real patients: pediatric ankle pain, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, ingrown toenails, warts, fractures, and wound care
- Practice growth strategies: how to identify your most valuable patient (MVP), capture hidden revenue with devices, and track lifetime value (LTV) + cost of acquisition (CAC)
👉 For podiatrists serious about scaling to the million-dollar mark in personal production, this episode blends billing, operations, and clinical wisdom.
Keywords: podiatry fracture management, podiatry EMR switch, ModMed podiatry tips, podiatry practice growth, podiatry billing codes
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📝 Show Notes with Timestamps (~18 min episode)
- [00:00] Intro – Questions from colleagues on billing and EMR transitions
- [01:15] Non-operative fracture management: why we delayed using it
- [03:10] Pros + cons of fracture management (profitability vs 90-day global)
- [05:30] How ModMed helps with global tracking vs Athena
- [07:10] EMR switch tips: training, templates, and billing support
- [09:30] Most valuable patient case: 15-year-old swimmer with chronic ankle pain
- [11:40] Shockwave, plantar fascia, bunion + hammertoe pearls
- [13:20] Using DME + cam boots to capture hidden revenue
- [14:40] Wart treatment sheets and why I pre-book multiple visits
- [16:00] Tracking LTV + CAC: new spreadsheet tools for practice growth
- [17:30] Closing thoughts + invitation to the 6-month challenge
