Category Archives: News

Seeking Immediate Medical Assistance vs Waiting for the COVID Vaccine

The news of a COVID-19 vaccine has thrilled the nation. People hope to resume their daily routines within a couple of months without potentially exposing themselves to COVID. This also means you now have to make a tough choice regarding your healthcare.

Will you seek immediate attention for a medical condition or will you wait for COVID to become less severe? Please keep in mind every situation is unique and only a qualified medical professional can make a final assessment. We, at Dr. Smith’s office, would like to provide a few thoughts on this topic from a podiatric perspective.

Pain Levels

The first step is to evaluate your pain level. Does the pain interrupt your daily life and normal activities or is it manageable in the short run? Are there alternative treatments to lower the pain? In any case, pain can be a serious indicator of an injury, so please call the office, explain your condition and ask for steps on moving forward. Self-medication often causes more harm than not and a simple phone call may give you the direction you need.

At-risk Patients

When calling the office, please consider telling us more about your COVID risk level. Patients with asthma, high blood pressure or obesity are more likely to suffer from more serious COVID complications. High-risk patients may be better advised to reschedule follow-up appointments or minor treatments. Knowing risk factors will also help us evaluate the risk of not seeking immediate treatment. Our goal is to weigh the benefits and risks of both actions against each other to come up with the most beneficial solution for you.

Chronic Conditions

The same applies to chronic conditions. Some patients have regular follow-up visits to evaluate progress of their treatment. In some cases, this evaluation may be done over the phone and could save you a trip to our office.

New Symptoms

You may experience new symptoms without exactly knowing whether these relate to a chronic condition, a known condition or to a completely new issue. Certain medications also have side effects, so check the label and give us a call with any questions before making an appointment.

Support Network

This element is often overlooked. Do you live with family who can help you out? Are you living in an assisted care facility with medical capacities? Are you living on your own without any direct support network? We recommend writing down a list of people close to you in case your situation worsens. These individuals may help you make the appropriate decision and call our office for more input. Make sure to communicate problems with loved ones, because a delayed diagnosis may cause non-reversible long-term damage and would outweigh the risk of a potential COVID infection.

Level of Exposure

Ask yourself if you have been exposed to individuals with COVID-19. The best protection for everyone is to wear masks and avoid large gatherings. Watching out for each other reduces exposure for all of us, so please make sure you are not accidentally exposing others when visiting the office.

In general, listen to your body and evaluate your situation with a trusted family member or friend. Keep in mind our office staff is doing everything in our power to keep the office hygienic and safe for you. When in doubt, please give us a call before making an appointment. Be transparent with your situation and ask for advice. We will be able to tell you if it makes more sense to make an immediate appointment or wait until the COVID exposure risk is lower. Your health is our number 1 priority, so please do not hesitate to reach out at any time.

Insurance Card Updates – Presented by our own Sarah Mueller

There have been some slight changes when it comes to the use of insurance cards, so we want to update you right away! Acting as our guide is Sarah Mueller. Sarah is a Quad City native who has been a terrific part of our office for three years now. She loves what she does, so she has been kind enough to explain these recent developments.

Medicare and many other providers have updated their insurance cards to make them more secure for patients. Because of this change, we are asking all of our patients to bring in their updated insurance card, as well as their most recent list of medications with dosages to their appointments. This allows us to bring you the best care possible, seamlessly and easily. We are not alone in this update, many medical offices across the country are participating in this new practice.

Sarah reassures us that if you don’t have your new card or an updated list on hand, they are easy to organize! For a new card, simply contact your insurance provider or employer if your insurance is through them, and ask them. Some patients will have received them already and some might still be waiting for them to arrive, so your provider will be able to tell you where you are in this process. For a recent list of medications with dosages, you can contact your primary care physician, or in some cases your pharmacy, and they can provide you with that information. Do not worry if you forget your medication list at your next appointment, in most cases we are able to call your physician and acquire it that way, but this takes more time.

Don’t worry about billing! All of the same documentation will be used as before, and by providing your new card, we can ensure you will see no lapses in coverage, billing or care. Our goal in this update is to continue to provide you with top-tier foot care and pain treatment in the most secure way possible. By bringing your new insurance card and up-to-date medication list, you are helping us ensure we are giving you the most effective course of treatment and putting the spring back in your step as quickly as possible! Of course, if you ever have any questions, feel free to drop by the office or give us a call at (309) 762-7919.

Welcome, Dr. Brian D. Buckrop!

Please help us welcome Dr. Buckrop to the team! He is working with Dr. Smith hand in hand to serve patients under the same roof.

You might have heard about his father, Dr. Mark Buckrop, who has been serving the Quad Cities as a podiatrist for 40 years. Brian D. Buckrop, DPM continues his legacy and has been treating Quad Citizens for over 35 years now, both in his private practice and as staff at Unity Point Health at the Moline and East Moline campuses.

Dr. Buckrop is a graduate from the Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine and is a Board Certified Foot Surgery specialist licensed to practice in both Illinois and Iowa. He is also a member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, Illinois Podiatric Medical Association and American Podiatric Medical Association. Some of his specialty areas include:

  • Minimally Invasive Surgery
  • In-Office Surgery
  • Hospital Surgery
  • Custom Orthotics

Brian and his wife Susan live in Moline and have 2 children. They spend their free time together listening to music, walking, doing yard work, boating and traveling.

Congratulations on your retirement, Lynne!

Office managers are an important aspect of our office as they lead, manage tasks, prioritize time and hold a familiar face that many people outside and within our office encounter on a daily basis. It is essential to have a strong, yet warm person to take this position to sustain direction and collaboration throughout and Lynne has shown us just that. 

Lynne plans on volunteering and continuing to spend quality time with her grandchildren and family in East Moline and Normal, Illinois.  Lynne is a Quad Cities native and has three children with her husband Paul Kendall. Lynne has many wonderful grandchildren as well. 

We wish you the very best Lynne!