HANNA ANKLE AND FOOT 3901 Dutchmans Lane, Suite 104 Louisville, KY 502-365-1899 riseupankle.com
Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided
According to Dr. Timothy Hanna, owner of Hanna Ankle and Foot, there are two kinds of doctors in the world. The first kind keeps a strict schedule, and is always on time. This likely means that when they enter an exam room to see a patient they have a stopwatch, and when the allotted number of minutes are up, they walk out to see the next patient. The second kind of doctor makes sure all of their patients’ questions are answered, even if it means spending more time than expected. Hanna understands that all patients have different expectations for physician visits, which is why he is clear about being the second type of doctor. “If someone breaks their ankle, they can’t work,” Hanna says. “They can’t take care of their kids. They can’t drive. Their whole life is completely flipped upside down. Sometimes those conversations take more time.” Hanna treats his patients with kindness and respect, making sure he properly communicates each step of the treatment process. “If a patient misunderstands something I say, it could negatively affect their recovery,” he says. “For instance, if I tell a patient to start putting weight on their foot and do range-of-motion exercises over the next four weeks, if they come back to my office still on crutches because they thought I’d said not to put weight on it, they would have built up scar tissue, developed muscle atrophy, etcetera, which will lead to suboptimal results.”
Hanna has even recruited his French bulldog, Gus, to act as nurse and playmate. Hanna recently had a patient who was complaining about a long wait. Gus kept her company, and after ten minutes of petting and snuggling the puppy, she told Hanna, “I’m glad to see you, but Gus has already made me feel so much better.”
instance, Hanna had a patient who battled plantar fasciitis for three years, and was unable to get relief because she was too scared to get a steroid injection. One day the staff set Gus on her lap. With her focus shifted to something puffy rather than pointy, Hanna administered the shots with ease.
Gus also helps out with patients who are apprehensive about certain therapies. For
Hanna, who has been practicing in Louisville since 2014, opened Hanna Ankle
22 / NOVEMBER 2020
