PPMA recognizes the contributions of life members to the organization and our profession.

PPMA recently recognized Karen Campbell, DPM, as a Pioneer in Podiatry, an award reserved for life members who give back to advance the profession. We caught up with Dr. Campbell as she shared her heart-warming story of her vast achievements.

Campbell entered PCPM (now TUSPM) in 1983, five years after receiving a Biology degree and working in the Bursar's Office at Wilkes University. She sought a rewarding career with work-life balance and chose the podiatric career path over a medical doctor. She would shortly learn how worthwhile this would be, but first, she had to get through school, to which she lived in a neighboring apartment with roommates and, on weekends, drove home to Northeastern Pennsylvania to be with her devoted husband. Less than 20% of her graduating podiatry school class was female.

Campbell entered into a workforce whose culture included one that women could have it all and yet were still struggling with negative behaviors from male peers that included sexual harassment being commonplace.

Dr. Campbell continued her podiatry career journey by taking a leap of faith when she accessed her home's equity to secure a business loan to open her practice. With her faith, her husband's support, and hard work, they made a go of it, so much so that a second location followed.

Her practice focused on her patients, and she chose to be nonsurgical DPM.

Giving back to patients and the community was almost second nature for Campbell, as she did home visits, nursing home care, and general office podiatry. She appreciated the opportunity to provide podiatry screenings, health fairs, speeches to senior groups, and nursing home services. Campbell welcomed students to shadow her so they could learn how rewarding a career could be for them.

Dr. Campbell has volunteered with PPMA and The Goldfarb Foundation since Bill Goldfarb's days as a Student AV Assistant. She's been providing service for nearly 40 years! Some of our members may recognize her as the smiling face greeting participants at our conferences or as the lady providing the CME scans.

A true giver in the field of podiatry and honoree of the Pioneer in Podiatry Award, Dr. Campbell has found the area of service that best suits her personality and skillset. She encourages those who want to get involved more to find a location that speaks to them, whether it be advocacy, student recruitment, or her passion for providing administrative support. "We gain so much when we give," says Campbell.

Dr. Campbell is now retired from the two practices she operated until the end of her career and sold. She is enjoying this time in her life with her husband of over 50 years, Don, and her daughter, Laura. Members attending the upcoming Region Three Meeting or the Annual Clinical Conference may wish her congratulations for her outstanding achievements in the podiatric profession. We appreciate sharing her contributions to what was a rewarding career of one of our life members.

Are you a life member who wants to share your story with PPMA and its members? Contact our office to learn more.

Dr. Gordon was recently awarded the Pioneer in Podiatry Award at the PPMA Inaugural Dinner in November. This award speaks to Dr. Gordon's mark in the field of podiatry, most notably in sports podiatry. Gordon is certainly a podiatrist of many firsts or one of the first! 

 

The former Track & Field collegiate athlete attended Temple University and changed majors repeatedly before he took that final leap, “landing on his feet” in podiatry.  

 

“Temple’s Track and Field Athlete takes his final leap after almost 50 years contributing to podiatry.” 

 

Gordon’s accomplishments in podiatry include being involved in a groundbreaking study to improve the usage of athletic footwear (football and soccer cleats) during his time in school, becoming the first podiatrist for Temple University athletics in the ’70s at the Temple Sports Medicine Center, and becoming the first podiatrist of staff for the Philadelphia 76’ers professional basketball team.  Gordon was the podiatrist for the University of Penn Sports Medicine Center for a remarkable 41 years! While at Penn, he served as the doctor for the Penn Relays and the Penn Intercollegiate athletes. For the last ten of those years, he served as the Assistant Golf Coach for both the Men’s and Women’s teams. 

 

As a passionate athlete and healthcare professional, Gordon has appreciated helping athletes become 100% after injury. He wanted to allow his patients to live an enriched life returning to their passion for running or their sport of choice! His mission of healing patients, including athletes, empowered him to become President of The American Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Running Fitness Association.  

 

Gordon, a teacher that transitioned to a podiatrist early in his career, has passed the baton to the new owner of Gordon Podiatry, Alicia Canzanese, DPM, ATC. Dr. Gordon has many lessons as a healthcare professional and business owner that he has been able to share with other professionals like Canzanese. After a 50-year run in podiatry, he has made the tough decision to retire. This has allowed him to enjoy life, which includes spending time on the golf course! What a fantastic run he has had in his podiatric career. 

 

Thank you, Dr. Gordon, for your contribution to the field of podiatry!  

 

The new owner of Gordon Podiatry, Alicia Canzanse presents Dr. Gordon with this award. She shares his passion for sports medicine, getting involved in podiatry at PPMA and other organizations, and demonstrating leadership! 

  

Gerald Gronborg, DPM (Jerry) lives in Bedford with his wife of 33 years, Leigh Anne.

Leigh Anne and Jerry have three grown children, Kai, Kara, Conner, and a lovely daughter-in-law, Sydni. 

Education

He is a 1989 graduate of  OCPM.  He did his residency at UPMC Bedford. Jerry has been in practice in South Central PA since finishing his residency in 1992. 

He was first introduced to podiatry when attending high school. He got a job working for a podiatrist doing yard maintenance. Jerry worked for him for several years. It was a joy and gave him an excellent introduction to the field. During his undergraduate studies at Gannon University, he had the opportunity to shadow several podiatrists and decided it was the career path for him!

Practicing Podiatry

Over my many years in practice, he has seen his practice evolve from one that was surgery-centered to one that is a wound care center. Jerry enjoys the challenge of taking on problematic wounds and the satisfaction of helping a patient by saving their limb and healing their wounds. Wounds are much more complex than surgery but far more rewarding. He works in a multidisciplinary group practice with interventional cardiologists, making limb salvaging their specialty.

Student Recruitment

Jerry’s a massive proponent of the podiatry profession.” No one does what we do nearly as well, and we can never stop letting people know that fact,” he proudly states. 

He has been very active in student recruitment over the years by lecturing to preprofessional student groups at colleges and shadowing many high school and college students in his office. Some have gone on to become podiatrists and other medical professionals.

PPMA Membership and Benefits

Jerry first became a member of PPMA as a resident and has been a member ever since. He has been active in the organization, starting as a Delegate from the Central Division to the House of Delegates. Jerry was subsequently elected to The Board of PPMA, eventually serving as President-Elect from 2017-to 2018. Jerry continues as an active consultant to the board and is the APMAPAC coordinator for PA. He also serves as President of the Central Division. He’s a board-certified wound specialist. 

Member benefits are numerous, including a discount on CPME conferences and malpractice insurance. “It is most important to remember that both PPMA and APMA represent us,” he states. They are the organizations that look after our profession on many different levels. Jerry encourages podiatrists to become members and donate to our PACs to ensure fair and equal treatment by hospitals, insurers, and institutions. 

Community Service

Jerry is very involved in his community. He sits on the local Eagle Scout Board of Review. Jerry’s also active in his church, serving as a Cantor, choir member, and Deacon. As you can imagine, he has very little free time but if you want something done, ask a busy person. 

Mansi Patel, DPM

Practice: Paoli and Center City FootCare Centers

Location: Philadelphia, PA 

Website: https://www.paolifootcarecenter.com/podiatry-staff.html

Instagram: mansi.patel.dpm 

What made you choose podiatry as a profession?

It's a diverse field, in which you have the flexibility of choosing what you want to do and how you want to practice. 

What can we do to encourage young persons to pursue a career in podiatry?

We can encourage them to shadow offices and residency programs. Perhaps we can even visit undergraduate campuses to make them to increase awareness.

Who has been a strong mentor or supporter of your career/journey?

I’ve had many supporters. My family has been there for me. They always reminded me that it's all worth it, no matter how tough it is. 

What do you like to do outside of work?

Soak in all the moments with my one-year-old daughter. I enjoy dancing, wedding coordination, DIY projects, and traveling.

How have you helped patients improve their health?

I educate my patients as much as I can. I always explain things to patients in terms they can easily understand. Additionally, I encourage them to do their own research outside of the office from trustable sources that include videos.

How did you select the area in which you are providing care?

My husband did his residency in Philadelphia and is currently in fellowship. I joined him after medical school when I got a residency a little outside of Philadelphia in South Jersey. The city of Philadelphia has been our home for 5 years now. 

How can we encourage patients to practice wellness and preventative care while remaining safe (COVID)?

- Education! Education! Education! I can't say that enough. We can always send out informational fliers, emails, videos etc. to remind them that if they can't physically attend the doctor's office, it doesn't mean they shouldn't take care of themselves. 

Is there any advice that you would like to share with our members that have been a game changer in improving the care you provide, communicating with patients, increasing revenues/decreasing expenses that would be helpful for others to learn?

- Join local and professional physician Facebook Groups. It is the best way to share and get information. Listen to the white coat investor podcasts. Share your knowledge with your colleagues. Ask them questions! You learn a lot from other people's experiences, so always think of them as a resource. 

Where did you go to school?

- New York College of Podiatric Medicine