Core Values
1. WE PROVIDE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PODIATRIC CARE AVAILABLE.
At ETFA we love our patients. They spend time getting to know each one and both feel very fortunate to be in a profession that allows them to provide so much pain relief! Our doctors are committed to reading the latest medical literature, attending medical conferences and consult one another on interesting cases. They particularly enjoy diabetic foot care, wound care, foot surgery, sports medicine and vascular assessment.
Our doctors train their staff to perform various tasks and tests around the office and cross-trains each staff member to have a better understanding of the wide variety of care we provide at ETFA. We have SEVERAL podiatry offices, provide care in over fifteen area nursing homes and perform surgery in three area hospitals and two surgery centers!
2. WE EDUCATE PATIENTS ON THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A PLAN FOR PREVENTION.
Diagnosis and treatment are not enough. Patients need to be educated on their condition, treatment options and prevention. Too often patients settle for a quick diagnosis from their physician and are handed a prescription on the way out without any explanation as to the severity of their problem, its cause, or how to prevent this from recurring. At ETFA, our Doctors spend much of their time explaining the cause of the condition so patients have a better understanding and, therefore, can make a better decision concerning treatment. Typically, many treatment options are considered and discussed. ETFA Doctors feel a patient educated on their condition makes better decisions and is more compliant to the course of treatment. Written handouts and articles are distributed to promote more study at home if desired and our website (etfaonline.com) is a great resource for information.
3. WE STRIVE TO REDUCE DIABETIC FOOT COMPLICATIONS FOR OUR PATIENTS & OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH EDUCATION AND EARLY INTERVENTION.
ETFA Doctors will take every opportunity to speak to or educate diabetics concerning their foot and medical care. Too many people with diabetes suffer from wounds, infections and amputations that could be prevented with early diagnosis and treatment. Diabetic foot complications put a large burden on our medical system and on the families affected by the disease. If you know a person who has diabetes, please help them get involved in their own medical care and educate themselves on proper nutrition, blood sugar control, foot exams, eye exams, etc. East Texas Foot Associates provides education in the office, on our website (www.etfaonline.com), on our blog, through speaking engagements and community events.
4. WE TREAT ALL PATIENTS WITH COMPASSION AND CARE, INCLUDING THE PATIENTS WE SEE IN NURSING HOMES.
Nursing home residents deserve the same care and compassion as any patient in our practice. ETFA Doctors have always had a heart for elderly patients, particularly those in nursing home facilities. Our goal is to treat our nursing home patients with the same quality care provided in our office. We travel to their facility and see each resident that needs care in their room, providing more privacy and comfort. Getting to know our nursing home patients is a great experience and providing them relief of pain and deformity with respect and dignity is our goal.
5. WE ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR PATIENTS IN THEIR TIME OF NEED, EVEN IF IT IS AFTER HOURS.
We care about our patients and want to be available to them around the clock. Podiatry does not have many “emergencies” and therefore allows us to be fairly open with our contact information. We trust our patients to use wisdom when deciding if they are experiencing an emergency and whether the doctors at ETFA will be able to help them. During regular office hours, the phones are covered (even during lunch) and after hours there is an answering machine that will record messages that are not of an emergent nature. ETFA Doctors provides their cell phone numbers to their patients and it is included on all operative instructions. Also, they are on staff at most area hospitals and can be reached by simply asking staff to contact them.
We also answer email questions from our website and blog if you have a special question or concern that is not an emergency or does not require an office visit.
6. WE RESPECT OUR PATIENT’S PRIVACY IN ALL WAYS.
ETFA makes every effort to comply with HIPPA standards. We feel it is important to gain our patient’s trust by protecting their privacy for them. Patients determine how their information is used and we follow their wishes concerning communication about them in the offices and when communicating with other offices and facilities. Be sure to read our HIPPA compliance documents when visiting our offices.
7. WE PROVIDE A CLEAN, COMFORTABLE & PROFESSIONAL OFFICE ENVIRONMENT.
We provide a clean and comfortable office environment where all instruments are stored and sterilized appropriately. Current magazines, comfortable chairs and warm décor are just the beginning. If you feel you need something, please feel free to ask the staff and we will do our best. We follow industry standards concerning sterilization and instrument packaging while providing our friendly podiatric services. We use an autoclave.
8. WE REMAIN ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF PODIATRY THROUGH EDUCATION AND INNOVATION.
Like all medical specialties, Podiatry is constantly changing. ETFA Doctors work hard to make sure he is up to date on his field and he employs those new techniques, treatments and medications that make sense for his practice and patients. ETFA Doctors are the first in East Texas to perform many foot surgery techniques and is constantly looking for ways to heal wounds more quickly. They are also involved in sharing their ideas for products that they feel would benefit their patients to companies in hopes of improving the patient’s care. ETFA Doctors also actively teaches his staff to make sure they know what is new in podiatry.
9. WE STRIVE TO IMPROVE CONTINUOUSLY AND SEEK INPUT FROM OUR PATIENTS.
Excellent service is our goal. Medical practices are busy places! With reduced reimbursements, increased paperwork and added layers of bureaucracy it can be very difficult to maintain a professional and courteous environment. We strive to do this though building friendly relationships with our patients. You can expect a warm welcome and willingness to make sure you are comfortable in our office. The fresh eyes of our patients often see areas where we could improve. Please do us the honor of telling us where improvement could be achieved and we will work hard to reach the level of care you are requesting. All comments are appreciated. If there is something you need to make your experience more pleasant, please do not hesitate to ask. Also, ETFA is constantly working to reduce waiting times in our office.
10. OUR PRACTICE WILL GROW THROUGH SATISFIED PATIENTS & THEIR REFERRALS.
Excellent medical care and friendly service will grow our practice through patient referrals. We want to provide a medical experience that surpasses expectations. Kind, courteous, on-time, educational, concerned and successful are just a few ways we want our patients to see us. We want our patients to trust ETFA and be so comfortable with their care that they are willing to share us to their friends and families. We promise to take the trust you show us seriously and to strive to improve each time you see us. Your referrals are the highest compliment you can pay us…thank you for choosing East Texas Foot Associates!
