Cover Feature
Hillsdale Hospital Podiatry Care
Dr. Komal Patel F By Elyse Apel
or Dr. Komal Patel, podiatry isn’t just a specialty — it’s a calling rooted in compassion. Every day, Dr. Patel says she is driven by the simple but powerful desire of wanting to help people walk pain free. “It is so satisfying to see my patients walk out of my office pain free,” she explains. Since June, Dr. Patel has been working as a podiatrist at Hillsdale Hospital, which is the first time the hospital has offered podiatry care to the community. Her services include office visits, surgical podiatric care, and wound care to promote foot health for Hillsdale County. In general, podiatry is the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle conditions. Some of the conditions that Dr. Patel sees include ingrown toenails, toe and foot deformities, foot and ankle injuries, lower leg and foot ulcers, and diabetic foot conditions. “In my office, we focus on our patients’ feet and everything that is related to their feet,” Dr. Patel says. “It’s like a one-stop shop for your feet.” Hillsdale Hospital is now prepared to offer a wide variety of high-quality treatments, including but not limited to custom orthotics, medication, injections, physical therapy or even surgical intervention. Dr. Patel also offers some same-day innovative procedures that can be life changing for patients by quickly and effectively reducing pain. While Dr. Patel always knew she wanted to go into medicine, it took some time before she settled on podiatry. “I spent some time getting a master’s in biology. During that time, I discovered podiatry. It was all very interesting to me and soon it just clicked,” she says. Originally from Pennsylvania, Dr. Patel completed all of her education and medical training in her home state. She specialized in foot and ankle pathologies, receiving her Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine from Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine and later completing residency at St. Luke’s University Health Network. Dr. Patel says that good communication with patients is one of the key values in her practice as a medical provider.
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“Being honest with my patients is very important to me. I don’t go around in circles with them. Instead, I tell them honestly and they really appreciate that,” she says. “The patient always comes first, so communication with them and their medical team is very important.”