Press

09/16/2008
Pinetop foot doctor makes house calls
By: Sean Dieterich , The Independent

 Podiatrist James Bodmer helps a resident with a foot problem. Bodmer, a practicing podiatrist in the East Valley since 1977, recently moved his practice to Pinetop. Bodmer is a firm believer in house calls and will go to his patients' homes. The doctor is in ... your home. As long as that doctor is James Bodmer.

Bodmer is a podiatrist with over 30 years of experience, all of it in Arizona. Recently, he moved his practice up to Pinetop. Which is fitting, since his practice is always on the move.

Bodmer is a firm believer of the house call, and so he'll visit his patients at home or at work to help them with their foot problems.

"We come to you, which is a new concept," he said. Bodmer graduated from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland in 1977. He completed his residency training in Mesa and set up practices in east Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler. Bodmer is a board-certified surgeon and was appointed by former Gov. Rose Mofford to a five-year term on the Arizona Board of Podiatry Examiners. Bodmer said he got into podiatry because of the knowledge of other fields that came with it.

"Podiatry includes fields such as dermatology, orthopedics, rheumatology, diabetic foot care, sports medicine," he said. "It's a specialized area, but with a broad scope to it." Back in 2006, Bodmer sold his practices in Gilbert and Chandler, but he soon came back to it, reviving the concept of house calls. He started his on-the-road practice in the Gold Canyon area, east of Apache Junction, before coming to Pinetop.

For Bodmer and his wife Gail, setting up in Pinetop was not a hard decision. The two have been visiting since 1977 and have owned a home in the area for 15 years.

"This is a new thing," he said. "We're spending a lot more time up here in Pinetop." Bodmer starting practicing in Pinetop in June. He found he and his wife were not the only ones who came up to enjoy the outdoors and the weather, as some of his patients from the Valley were also visiting the area.

"We have a lot of friends up here," he said. For multiple reasons Bodmer decided to base his practice primarily on taking house calls, some of which benefit the patient and some that benefit him. The most obvious benefit for the patient, he said, is the patient can get help according to their own schedule. And just because it's a house call, he said, does not mean the patient does not get exceptional care.

"We can pretty much do everything in their homes that we can do in an office," he said. Gail added the concept of the house call allows them to get to know their patient better. Also, with high gas prices, giving the patient one less car trip is a benefit to them.

Conducting home visits is a benefit to Bodmer as well, in that he does not have to set up an office for his practice. "We don't have to worry about a lot of overhead with setting up an office," he said.

Bodmer added if the patient is uncomfortable with him coming to their home, they can also set up a appointment in Bodmer's house.

If the patient needs laboratory work performed, Bodmer has access to Sonora Labs at 2450 Show Low Lake Road. He can also perform X-rays at Summit Healthcare's outpatient center. Bodmer also performs surgery at Sunrise Ambulatory Surgical Center at 5448 S. Hwy 260 in Lakeside.

Bodmer accepts most kinds of insurance. For more information or to set up an appointment, call his office at (928) 367-4485 or cell phone at (480) 363-3066.

*Reach the reporter at seand@wmicentral.com