Dr. Amy Winkleman

HELPING YOU PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD!

Foundation: noun [foun-dey-shuhn] the natural or prepared ground or base on which some structure rests.

In a very real sense, our feet are the foundation of our body. They bear our weight and allow us to move through space. Because they support us, when something goes wrong and our feet become painful, it has a broad, negative effect on our lives. Amy Winkleman, DPM, is part of the ProMedica Coldwater Regional Hospital’s healthcare team, and she brings knowledge, expertise, and commitment to her quest to help relieve her patients’ pain and get them “back on their feet.”.

Born and raised in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Winkleman attended the University of Akron for her undergraduate work where she received two bachelor’s degrees—one in microbiology and one in cytotechnology. Following graduation, she worked at Mt. Sinai Hhospital in Cleveland where she became supervisor of the cytology department just two years out of college. Wanting to move forward in her career and having a deep interest in medicine, Dr. Winkleman shadowed many different specialists and fell in love with podiatry.

“It’s an occupation where, yes, you have emergencies and you’re on call, but it’s not 24/7 like an obOB/gynGYN or a cardiologist. You can have your professional life and your personal life. Plus, diabetes runs very big in my family, so I’ve seen the long-term effects on the lower extremities, and I was an athlete in high school and college so I can relate to the foot and ankle injuries. It just fit,” she explains. “I have no regrets about the path I took to get where I am now because I absolutely love what I do!”

She also loves that she is much closer to home and family than she was before. “I spent almost six years practicing in a small, oceanfront town in Oregon. It was a beautiful place, but that’s a long way from home! I like not being so far from my family and my friends in Ohio.” Another thing that drew her to apply for the position at ProMedica Coldwater was that, at the time, the hospital did not have their own employed podiatric physician, and Dr. Winkleman liked the idea of being able to develop the practice and get the department up and running.

“I learned that there was a real need to have someone like me here, especially for the diabetics. No office setting seemed to be offering wound care,” says Dr. Winkleman, “and that’s an area where I can offer specialized treatment.”

Dr. Winkleman attended medical school at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine (now the Kent State College of Podiatric Medicine) and completed her first year of residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She then did a three-year surgical residency at Genesis Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, Michigan. She has fourteen years’ experience beyond her residency training and has worked in both private practice and as an employed hospital physician. Dr. Winkleman is double board certified, holding credentials from the American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery in foot surgery and the American Board of Podiatric Medicine. She treats patients of all ages, from newborn through the very elderly.

Although Dr. Winkleman clearly has an overall passion for her work, she did mention three areas of particular interest and satisfaction in her practice. “The sports medicine aspect I love, just because of my personal history with sports and injuries. Obviously, taking care of diabetics is very, very important. It’s a nasty disease, and fortunately, I can do a lot to help. And, the third thing is that I love doing surgery. It’s an art. You learn it and do it over and over again, developing your own techniques and methods.”

When asked what foot problems are most common among senior patients, Dr. Winkleman was quick to respond: “Arthritis. That is definitely the problem I encounter most with my older patients. There’s a lot I can do to make life better for them, and there are surgical options

if that becomes necessary.” Along with arthritis, she says that after decades of life, foot deformities like hammer toes and bunions may develop. People may also experience foot pain as they age because the fat pad on the ball of the foot thins, so there’s less cushioning for the bones.

We can help preserve foot health by following some simple guidelines. One thing Dr. Winkleman emphasizes is the need to check your feet regularly. For diabetics or people with neuropathy who don’t have full feeling in their feet, she says daily foot exams are critical. “You can step on something and not even notice. Weeks later, you’re dealing with serious infection.” Another issue is not to treat things yourself that should be handled by a medical professional, such as ingrown toenails. The chance of making things much worse is high. If you see an issue . . . call!

Getting properly-sized shoes definitely contributes to good foot health. The Brannock Device—the familiar gadget used to determine correct size and width—is not used as much as it used to be, and Dr. Winkleman thinks this is an unfortunate change. Also, despite what you may have heard, just trimming toenails straight across is not the best technique because it leaves sharp, pointed corners that can easily contribute to ingrown nails. “I tell my patients to round the corners. If you can’t do it by cutting them, use an emery board to file off those points.”

In addition to Dr. Winkleman, ProMedica Coldwater is fortunate to have the services of Michael Howell, DPM, FACFAS, a contracted provider from the Kalamazoo Foot & Ankle Specialists group who began offering care in Coldwater in 2018. Dr. Howell has completed specialized training in complex hindfoot and forefoot reconstruction, total ankle replacements, and foot and ankle trauma.