Mid Plains Podiatry, PC Where Your Feet Matter

By Angella A. Arndt

Do you suffer from foot pain? Have a foot or ankle injury? Endure thick, damaged, or discolored toenails? If you’d like to improve your foot health, call the team at Mid Plains Podiatry! Elizabeth Klawitter, DPM, FAAFAS; Nathan Penney, DPM; and their dedicated team provide full-service lower extremity care,

from toenail repair to ankle replacement. Dr. Elizabeth Klawitter, an Omaha native, graduated from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Podiatric Medicine, in Des Moines, Iowa, and completed her residency at the Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, Michigan. She worked for her father, Dr. Paul Klawitter, a well-known Omaha podiatrist, for 10 years. She left the field to work in radio advertising for several years but found that she wanted to return to podiatry. “I missed working with patients and helping them improve their health,” she says.

At age 14, Dr. Nathan Penney suffered a bad knee injury that required surgery. After his experience, he knew that he wanted to be a doctor. His grandmother had been treated by a podiatrist who had helped her, so she suggested that her grandson consider podiatry. A native Nebraskan, Dr. Penney graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He attended medical school at Barry University in Miami, Florida, before completing his residency in foot and ankle surgery at the Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. He was in private practice in Tampa, Florida, for several years before returning home to Nebraska. Drs. Elizabeth Klawitter and Nathan Penney

Dr. Klawitter and Dr. Penney have been in practice together since 2017. “It was serendipitous,” Dr. Penney recalls. “I missed home and wanted to move back to Nebraska. A mutual acquaintance arranged a meeting, and we hit it off. The rest is history.” Quality patient care is vitally important to Drs. Klawitter and Penney. “Both of us got into this profession to help people and improve their quality of life,” Dr. Penney shares. Dr. Klawitter agrees, adding, “We want our patients to walk out of our office better than when they came in.” At Mid Plains Podiatry, patients can receive treatment for a comprehensive list of foot and ankle problems. These problems include bunions, nail fungus, athlete’s foot, ingrown nails, ganglions, gout, hammer toe, heel pain, plantar fasciitis, neuromas, peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, pressure ulcers, flat feet, tarsal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and warts. The office carries a wide variety of products for the feet, including creams and lotions, gel socks to soothe and moisturize rough and dry feet, pedicure kits, orthotics, diabetic socks, support stockings, pain-relieving gels, and glass nail file products.

nails. It is a treatment for toenails with fungus, defects, or trauma. Medical therapies for damaged nails may take months to work and do not restore the nail’s appearance during treatment. According to Dr. Penney, “We are the only practice in Omaha that performs nail restoration.” The damaged nail is trimmed and filed. A medicalgrade resin is applied and cured, and the staff then molds, shapes, and smooths the resin. This treatment improves the appearance of the nails while allowing them to regrow. The result is a naturallooking nail.

Dr. Klawitter specializes in minimally invasive surgery. This type of surgery does not require pins, screws, plates, or sutures. “This type of surgery is aesthetically pleasing, with less scarring,” Dr. Klawitter notes. “You usually can’t tell that something has been done because the scar is usually very small.” Some procedures performed by the doctors may be done in the office’s surgical suite under local anesthetia, while others are most often performed in a surgical center with IV sedation (also known as twilight sleep). Nail restoration offers an innovative solution for damaged

Drs. Klawitter and Penney contribute the growth of their practice to referrals from both patients and physicians. “We believe in attentive, individualized care for each patient. We want to get to the root of the problem; we care about the overall person,” Dr. Penney shares. Dr. Klawitter adds, “I have patients who have been coming to me for over 15 years and have referred family and friends. Our patients understand what’s going on. They thank us for explaining things and are well-informed when they leave our office.” When they are not treating patients, Drs. Klawitter and Penney share their expertise at medical seminars. Dr. Klawitter teaches minimally invasive surgery techniques for the Academy of Minimally Invasive Foot & Ankle Surgery. Dr. Penney has had several articles published and teaches surgical techniques using new technology and instrumentation. Mid Plains Podiatry, PC, is located at 3346 North 108th Street, in Omaha. They are open Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They offer evening hours every Wednesday and Thursday for their patients’ convenience. Call 402-315-4344 to make an appointment or find them online at midplainspodiatry.com. WE

Call 402-315-4344 3346 N. 108th St. www.midplainspodiatry.com