Welcome to our office

The Chelsea Foot & Ankle Center was originally established in October 2004, as a third office of City Footcare, PC. In 2005, we officially incorporated as Chelsea Foot and Ankle, P.C. and have been operating independently ever since. Our practice is located in the heart of Manhattan's vibrant Chelsea neighborhood. As such, we are close to major transportation as well as many businesses, shopping and restaurants.

Dr. Ciment and the staff at The Chelsea Foot & Ankle Center are actively involved in continuing medical educational programs. This keeps us current on the newest cutting-edge procedures and technology, allowing us to provide our patients with the highest quality and state of the art podiatric medical and surgical services.

We share our 19th Street office space with Dr. Bisher Akil of NYMD. Dr. Akil’s internal medicine practice encompasses one of the largest and oldest HIV medical care practices in New York City. Accordingly, Dr. Ciment and the staff at The Chelsea Foot & Ankle Center, are very expert in treating HIV-related foot and ankle issues and have emerged as leaders in this area of podiatric medicine.

We also share our office space with Dr. Charles Franchino of Village Chiropractic Associates. Dr. Franchino has been in practice for over 25 years and his skills are well known to his devoted patients. His technique uses just as much force as necessary to realign your spine and compliments each treatment with some form of physical therapy. Recently, Dr. Franchino has added a spinal decompression unit to his practice. Spinal decompression is the latest and most effective treatment of neck and lower back disc conditions. It is also a valuable tool in treating stubborn back conditions that do not respond to traditional chiropractic care. Dr Franchino has been fully trained in the use of this exciting technology. Spinal decompression is a safer, more time efficient and effective way to treat disc herniations. Many of his patients whom he would normally refer to an orthopedist have been spared surgery thanks to this new technology.

If you’d like to make an appointment with Dr. Ciment or any of the other specialists in his office, please CONTACT US.

What is A Podiatrist?

A podiatrist is a specialist who provides medical evaluation and treatment of foot and ankle problems. In addition to undergraduate medical school training, podiatrists attend podiatric medical school for a doctorate degree in podiatry (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine or DPM). Podiatrists take the same courses and hospital rotations during their training as general medical doctors, often side-by-side with them. However, podiatrists are required to take additional courses and hospital rotation that are specific to their area of specialization. Like all other doctors, podiatrists are required to take state and national licensing exams, as well as be licensed by the state in which they practice.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, there are more than 18,000 practicing podiatrists in the United States. Podiatrists are in demand more than ever today because of a rapidly aging and active population. In addition, according to the association, foot disorders are among the most widespread and neglected health problems affecting people in this country.

Dr. Ethan J. Ciment, DPM, AACFAS

Dr. Ethan J. Ciment is a podiatric surgeon in private practice at The Chelsea Foot & Ankle Center, located in the heart of Manhattan's vibrant Chelsea neighborhood. Dr. Ciment was a longtime resident of Chelsea, having moved here initially back in 1993, long before the urban renewal the neighborhood has since enjoyed. He is an attending physician with full staff privileges at both Beth Israel Medical Center and Gramercy Surgery Center. Dr. Ciment graduated from The New York College of Podiatric Medicine where he earned his degree Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM). Dr. Ciment completed two residencies: One in primary podiatric medicine and another in podiatric surgery, both The Mount Sinai/ NYU School of Medicine’s program at Cabrini Medical Center in New York City. He also served as Chief Resident during his surgical residency at Cabrini.

Dr. Ciment treats the entire spectrum of foot and ankle medicine. From common skin and nail disorders to sports-related injuries, elective surgery to more advanced diabetic foot care and reconstructive/ limb-salvage procedures, Dr. Ciment treats all conditions that affect the foot and the ankle. He has extensive experience in lower-extremity wound care, as he trained for two years at The Wound Healing Center at Cabrini Medical Center and he rejoined the staff there in early 2008. Not only does Dr. Ciment have extensive expertise in diabetic foot care, but he is also a leading expert in HIV-related foot and ankle conditions.

Dr. Ciment believes that strong patient education and involvement is the key to providing superior podiatric medical and surgical care.

Medical Education

New York College of Podiatric Medicine

Postgraduate Training

*Primary Podiatric Medical Residency *Podiatric Surgical Residency *Chief Surgical Resident

Professional Affiliations

Associate, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS)
Member, American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA)
Member, New York State Podiatric Medical Association (NYSPMA)
Member, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA)

Institutional Affiliations

Attending Physician, Beth Israel Medical Center
Attending Physician, Gramercy Surgery Center

Meet Our Staff
Michael Suchman
Michael Suchman is our Billing Coordinator. Michael serves as a liason between our patients and their insurance companies who can sometimes make it difficult to understand how to navigate the intricacies of coverage and prior authorizations. When he's not at work, Michael devotes himself to a start-up gourmet cookie and brownie company, Such Cookies, that he runs from home. Michael also privately tutors high school students for the SATs and ACT exams at The Chappaqua Learning Center.

Michael is available daily from 9:30-5 to handle billing and claims issues for all of our patients. To speak with Michael, please call him at
(212) 929-2629 Extension #12 or you can email him at michael@ChelseaFootandAnkle.com.

Common Foot & Ankle Problems

FACTS ABOUT SHOES

Poorly fitting shoes can cause bunions, corns, calluses, hammertoes, and other disabling and/or painful foot problems. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, one in six persons or 43.1 million people in the U.S. have foot problems. Thirty-six percent regard their foot problems as serious enough to warrant medical attention.

The cost of foot surgery to correct foot problems from tight-fitting shoes is $2 billion a year, according to the AAOS. If time off from work for the surgery and recovery is included, the cost is $3.5 billion.

General Tips on Selecting The Right Shoe for You

Some serious foot disorders, and even more common conditions, can be linked to one avoidable thing: Low quality or poorly-fitting shoes. Any podiatrist will tell you that a higher-quality, properly fitting shoe pays for itself in terms of better long-term foot health.

When shopping for shoes, always make sure to not force your feet in order to conform to the shape of a pair of shoes. Rather, the shoe should always be roomy enough to fit your foot.

The Different Parts of A Shoe

A shoe has many different components. If you understand basic shoe construction, you can make a more informed and better decision for yourself.

The sole consists of an insole and an outsole. The insole is inside the shoe; the outsole contacts the ground. The softer the material used for the sole, the greater the shoe`s ability to absorb shock.

The heel is the bottom part of the rear of the shoe that provides elevation. The higher the heel, the greater the pressure on the front of the foot. Longterm use of higher heels may also result in contracture/ shortening of the Achilles Tendon.

The toe box is the tip of the shoe that provides space for the toes. Toe boxes are either rounded or pointed and will determine the amount of space provided for the toes.

The vamp is the upper middle part of the shoe where the laces are commonly placed. Nowadays, you will sometimes see Velcro used instead of laces.

The last is the part of the shoe that curves in slightly near the arch of the foot to conform to the average foot shape. This reflects the curvature that helps you to tell the right shoe from the left one.

The material from which a shoe is made can affect fit and comfort. Softer materials decrease the amount of pressure the shoe places on the foot. Stiff materials can cause blisters and calluses.

A counter may be used to stiffen the material around the heel and give support to the foot.

The most important quality to look for in shoes is durability. A durably constructed shoe will protect your feet and keep them comfortable. Shoes that do not fit properly can cause bunions, corns, calluses, hammertoes and other disabling foot disorders.

The fitting

Here are some tips to help reduce the risk of foot problems. Use this guide when you shop for shoes:

* Fit new shoes to the larger of your feet. Almost everyone has one foot larger than the other.
* Have both feet measured every time you purchase shoes. Your foot size increases and changes as you get older, even throughout adulthood.
* If the shoes feel too tight, don`t buy them! There should never be a "break-in period" with new shoes that results in discomfort and blistering. This usually means that the shoe is “breaking-in” your foot!
* The majority of high heeled-shoes have a pointed or narrow toe box that crowds the toes and forces them into an unnatural triangular shape. As heel height increases, the pressure under the ball of the foot may double, placing greater pressure on the forefoot as it is forced into the pointed toe box. THIS IS VERY HARMFUL.
* Always fit your shoes to your heel as well as your toes.
* DON’T GET HUNG UP ON A NUMBER: Like dress sizes and pants sizes, shoe sizes vary widely from brand to brand. Judge each shoe individually based on how it fits on your foot - not by the based on the size they say it is.
* There should be a half-inch of space from the end of your longest toe to the end of the shoe.
* Try on both shoes.
* Try on new shoes at the end of the day. Your feet normally swell and become larger after standing or sitting during the day.
* Walk around the store in the shoes to make sure they fit well and feel comfortable before buying them.
* With the shoe, you should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes within the toe box. If you can’t, IT’S TOO TIGHT AND YOU SHOULD GO UP A SIZE.
* NOBODY, reagardless of height, age or sex, should EVER wear a shoe with a heel higher than 2 1/4 inches.

Before and After Photos

Contact Our Office

Chelsea Foot and Ankle Center
155 W. 19th Street
4th Floor
New York, NY 10011

T: 212.929.2629

F: 347.577.9457

E: info@chelseafootandankle.com

Insurance

Dr. Ciment and The Chelsea Foot and Ankle Center are a third-party free practice.

What is “Third-Party-Free”?

It means that we don’t work for any insurance company. We work only for you, the patient.

Third-Party-Free means that we do not participate as an in-network provider with ANY third party (Medicare, Medicaid, HMOs, Workers Comp, Motor Vehicle No Fault, insurers etc). However, most major commercial/private insurance plans will offer out-of-network benefits. Patients with these kinds of commercial plans may see Dr. Ciment at The Chelsea Foot and Ankle Center utilizing the out-of-network portion of their plan. As is the case with most out-of-network plans, deductible and coinsurance may apply. (To find out if your plan includes coverage for out-of-network providers, please contact our office)

Because we have no contract with any third party payer, we have no conflict of interest with our patients. We are not subject to the coercion, restrictions, rationing and meddling in your medical care by bureaucrats - for the purpose of improving their profits or limiting care to meet cost-containment objectives (often at the expense of the individual patient). We are able to practice ethical medicine, based on our best medical judgment (in accordance with the Oath of Hippocrates) as opposed to practicing medicine according to the "substituted judgment" of a third party.

What are some of the benefits of seeing a Third-Party-Free physician?

1) First and foremost is accountability. Since a Third-Party-Free physician is not dependent on any third party for payment, Third-Party-Free physicians are accountable solely to their patients. The doctor works directly for you and for no one else - i.e. the doctor's medical decisions are not influenced by Medicare or HMOs. This maintain a doctor’s objectivity and promotes a sense of trust in the patient-doctor relationship. Third parties often require that a doctor adopt a conflict of interest with his patients. Certain third party insurance plans have even provided perverse financial incentives that work against the best interests of patients. For example, they offer doctors more profit for providing less care or ordering less testing. Third-Party-Free doctors have no such conflict of interest. Our only priority is the health and welfare of YOU—OUR PATIENT.

2) Freedom to choose physicians and treatments which you believe are right for you. We believe that patients are smart enough to make their own choices about their medical care, with the advice of their doctor. When you choose a Third-Party-Free physician, you and your doctor make all of the decisions, as opposed to a medically untrained and unqualified Medicare or HMO bureaucrat making a decision about what tests and procedures you can and cannot have.

3) No referrals are necessary to see a Third-Party-Free physician. Many third parties require complex referral forms and "permission" to see specialists. Patients are often subjected to unnecessary hassles and delays in getting to see the doctors and specialists they want due to the unnecessarily complex "Gatekeeper" system imposed by many third party plans. Often this requires you to go back and have unnecessary appointments with your family medical doctor just to get a referral to see the specialist you need. While a referral from your primary care physician is always welcome, we believe patients are smart enough to choose the specialists and other physicians they want to treat them.

4) Improved access to medical care. As the government ratchets down physician fees in the Medicare program to levels that will no longer sustain medical practices in higher cost-of-living markets, like New York City, Medicare patients will have increasing problems getting timely access to care. At first, this will translate to longer waiting times to see your primary care doctor or specialist. In some cases, it will mean that some doctors may no longer accept any new Medicare patients. A Third-Party-Free practice offers no barriers to timely access to medical care - we are happy to see you in our office on a timely basis. Likewise, because of financial disincentives provided by HMOs, many patients are forced to incur long waiting times to get in to see a specialist. A Third-Party-Free practice offers timely access to care for HMO patients that is often not possible "in network."

5) Complete Privacy. Because we are a non-covered entity under the new HIPAA law, all medical records in our office are kept private and confidential. Unlike other practices that are covered by HIPAA, our patient records are not subject to increased risk of disclosure to a multitude of snooping government bureaucrats, law enforcement, "approved researchers," and others as allowed under the HIPAA law. We do not share your private, confidential medical information with ANYONE without your written permission, and we do not enter your private information into any electronic government or insurance database (where it may not be secure). We believe that patients value their medical privacy, and in the Hippocratic tradition, we intend to make sure that your records are kept completely secure and totally private.

6) Non-Interference in the Patient-Doctor Relationship. The patient-doctor relationship is the single most important aspect of the practice of medicine. We believe that the highest quality of medical care is achieved when patients and doctors interact with one another directly, without Third-Party-Payors in between. In our office, we do not allow ANY bureaucrat to come between patient and doctor. We firmly believe that all medical decisions should be made by physicians and their patients, not by bureaucrats. We also believe that patients are smart enough and should be empowered to make their own medical decisions with the advice of their physician.