It is never normal for a child to experience pain in his or her feet. Foot pain that lasts more than a few days and limits a child’s ability to walk should be examined by a podiatrist. Many adult foot ailments originate in childhood and may be present at birth. Common foot issues that are experienced by children are pediatric flat foot, Sever’s disease, ingrown toenails, and plantar warts.

A child’s foot grows rapidly during the first year. Consequently, foot specialists consider the first year to be the most crucial point in the foot development process. There are ways you can help ensure that your child’s feet develop properly. One way is to carefully look at your baby’s feet. If you notice any deformities, you should immediately seek professional care. You should also loosely cover your child’s foot since tight coverings may prevent movement and inhibit normal development. Another tip is to change the baby’s positioning throughout the day. If your baby lies down in one spot for too long, it may put an excess amount of strain on the feet and legs.

It is best that you try not to force a child to start walking. Children will begin to walk when they are both physically and emotionally capable to do so. You should also avoid comparing your child’s walking progress with other children because the age range for independent walking varies. When your child’s feet begin to develop, you may need to change both their shoe and sock size every few months to allow room for their feet to grow.

Kids are sometimes prone to splinters, cuts, and severe injuries because they tend to walk around barefoot. This also makes them more susceptible to developing plantar warts, a condition caused by a virus that invades the sole of the foot through breaks in the skin. These ailments can be avoided by making sure your child wears shoes in unsanitary environments. You should also wash any minor cuts or scrapes on your child’s feet.

Kids are also prone to developing Sever’s disease, which is the inflammation of the growth plate in the heel. Typically, the result of overuse, Sever’s disease often develops in active children who are experiencing a growth spurt. When a child experiences a growth spurt, the heel bone will often grow faster than the other muscles, tendons, and ligaments in his or her lower extremities.  This causes Sever’s disease.

As a parent, you should ensure that your child’s feet are developing properly and are being properly maintained. Consequently, it is important that you perform routine inspections on his or her feet to detect any injuries or deformities in their early stages. Early detection and treatment will help to ensure that your child does not develop any serious foot conditions.

This notice describes how your medical information may be used or disclosed and how you can gain access to it. Please read this notice carefully.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is a federal program that requires strict confidentiality for all your personal health information. That includes all your medical and dental information used or disclosed by us in any form, whether electronic, written or verbal. The Act gives you significant rights to understand and control how your health information is used. The Act also provides penalties for the misuse of Protected Health Information (PHI).

PHI is any information about you, including demographic data that identifies you and your past, present or future physical or mental health condition, as well as related healthcare services. This Privacy Policy describes how we may use or disclose your PHI to provide treatment, payment or healthcare operations or other purposes that are permitted or required by law. This policy also describes your rights to access and control your PHI.

Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information

Your PHI may be used or disclosed by our physician, office staff or others involved in your care and treatment, whether providing healthcare services to you, paying your healthcare bills, supporting the operation of our practice or any other lawful use.

Treatment:

We will use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate or manage your healthcare and related services. This includes the coordination or management of your healthcare by a third party. For example, your PHI may be given to a physician you have been referred to in order to ensure that he or she has the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.

Healthcare Operations:

We may use or disclose your PHI to support our business activities. These activities may include quality assessment, employee review and conducting or arranging other business activities. We may also use a sign-in sheet at the registration desk where you will be asked to sign your name and indicate your physician. We may call you by name in our reception area when your physician is ready to see you. We may use or disclose your PHI, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment. We may phone your home and leave a message (on an answering machine or with the person answering the phone) to remind you of an upcoming appointment, the need to schedule a new appointment or to call our office. We may also mail a postcard reminder or letter to your home address. Please tell us if you prefer that we call or contact you at another phone number or location.

We may use or disclose your PHI under the following circumstances without your authorization. These include, as required by law:

• public health issues
• communicable diseases
• health oversight
• abuse or neglect
• Food and Drug Administration requirements
• legal proceedings
• law enforcement
• coroners, funeral directors and organ donation
• medical research
• criminal activity; prison inmates
• military activity and national security
• Workers’ Compensation

Required Uses and Disclosures:

The law requires us to disclose to you when we are investigated by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to determine our compliance with HIPAA. Other permitted and required uses and disclosures will be made only with your consent, authorization or opportunity to object unless required by law. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time except to the extent that your physician or the physician’s practice has taken action in reliance on the use or disclosure indicated in your authorization.

Payment:

Your PHI will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for healthcare services. For example, obtaining approval for a hospital stay may require that your relevant PHI be disclosed to your health insurance plan to obtain approval for a hospital admission or a health-related procedure.

Your Rights

You have the right to inspect and copy your PHI. Under federal law, however, you may not inspect or copy the following records:

• psychotherapy notes
• information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use in civil, criminal or administrative actions or proceedings
• PHI that is subject to law prohibiting access to said PHI

You have the right to request a restriction of your health information. This means you may ask us not to use or disclose any part of your PHI for the purposes of treatment, payment or healthcare operations. You may also request nondisclosure of any part of your PHI to family members or friends who may be involved in your care or for notification purposes described in these Privacy Practices. Your request must state the specific restriction and to whom you want the restriction to apply.

Your physician is not required to agree to your requested restriction. If your physician believes it is in your best interests to permit use and disclosure of your PHI, your PHI will not be restricted. You then have the right to use another healthcare professional.

You have the right to request to receive confidential communications from us by alternative means or at an alternative location. You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice from us, upon request, even if you have agreed to accept this Notice alternatively (e.g., electronically).

You have the right to have your physician amend your PHI. If we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us and we may prepare a rebuttal to your statement and provide you with a copy of any such rebuttal. You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures we have made, if any, of your PHI.

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and will inform you of any changes. You then have the right to object or withdraw as provided in this Notice.

Complaints

You may complain to us or to the Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated by us. You may file a complaint by notifying our privacy officer at our office and main telephone number. We will not retaliate against you for exercising your right to file a complaint.

This Notice was published and is effective on or before 6/1/2010.

South Shore Foot Care
475 Chestnut Street Suite A
Cedarhurst, New York 11516
(516) 374-3668

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South Shore Foot Care and Hedgehog Medical Websites expressly disclaims all warranties and responsibilities of any kind, whether express or implied, for the accuracy or reliability of the content of any information contained in this Web Site, and for the suitability, results, effectiveness or fitness for any particular purpose of the services, procedures, advice or treatments referred to herein, such content and suitability, etc., being the sole responsibility of parties other than South Shore Foot Care and Hedgehog Medical Websites, and the reliance upon or use of same by you is at your own independent discretion and risk.