What to Expect from Your Friendly Podiatrists

We understand that visiting our podiatry offices in Ebensburg or Johnstown for the first time—or really visiting any medical office, for that matter—can come with certain hesitations:

• How will I be treated while I’m there?
• Is this office really the best option I have?
• Do the doctors really know what they’re doing?

We know that these types of questions come to mind, even if they are largely left unasked. It is only human nature to consider a situation you have not been in before, and we do not find it offensive in the least!

In fact, we often consider the same types of questions from our side of the exam table. What will you think about your treatment? How do we best put you at ease, fulfill your foot and ankle needs, and help you leave our office feeling you made the best choice for your podiatric care?

Our success depends on the trust of people throughout Blair and Cambria counties, after all. Without you, we would have no practice at all—plain and simple!

So how do we build trust with our patients? We can only do so by using our podiatric expertise and providing the best experience we can. Fortunately, both Dr. Carlos Barra and Dr. Maureen Ratchford are up to the task.

Exceptional Expertise for the Feet and Ankles

Just because we live in a “small town” area does not mean our patients should not expect to receive the latest and best in podiatric care. Both Drs. Barra and Ratchford have received extensive training in their field, and continue to refresh their knowledge as new techniques, technologies, and procedures become available.

Dr. Barra earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, then completed a full podiatry residency through Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh. This is where he received extensive training in many forms of foot and ankle surgery, but his knowledge in conservative treatments is always going to be utilized first.

Dr. Ratchford also earned her DPM degree at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. She completed her residency through the University Hospitals Health System: Richmond Heights Hospital. While an expert in conservative methods of treatment, she is also highly skilled in reconstructive and diabetic limb salvage surgeries.

While our doctors have expertise in a variety of traditional treatments, we also seek out advanced, leading-edge options that may benefit our patients. These include Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser therapy for accelerating recovery of soft tissue injuries, HyProCure stents for permanent solutions to fallen arches, and ultrasound diagnostics for tracking the progression of soft tissue injuries and delivering medication exactly where it is needed.

Making the Patient Part of the Plan

What’s one of the surest (and sadly, most common) ways to make a patient feel uncomfortable during an appointment? Make them feel alienated by their own doctor.

What do we mean by this? The patient isn’t able to get a word in edgewise! They try to describe their problems only to be cut off or ignored. The doctor takes full control of the appointment, dropping a prescription or treatment on the patient and leaving it at that.

That is not just poor patient-doctor interaction; it’s a lousy way to provide the right treatment, too! Foot and ankle conditions can stem from a variety of causes, which is why we have knowledge in so many different treatment methods. The cause of heel pain in one person may not be the same as another, and the same type of treatment is likely not ideal for both.

To ensure we provide the best care and advice for our patients, it is crucial that we listen to them as part of an examination. This not only involves hearing them out about their experiences, but in many cases knowing what demands their feet and ankles are placed under as part of work and activities. A good treatment should not only help a problem and its symptoms, but it should also complement a patient’s lifestyle. We try to do so whenever possible.

Our Reputation Drives Us

At Premier Podiatry Group, providing the best care for our patients is simply the right thing to do, but it’s also a fundamental reason we stay in business.

We rely on patient word of mouth and reviews to help others make the choice to have their foot and ankle needs addressed by our staff. We would not expect prospective patients to come to us without doing a little research!

If you have had an appointment with us in the past, we would be grateful if you left us a review. You do not have to be extensive or descriptive (and please do not reveal private details about your medical history!). All we ask is that you be honest. We do read our reviews and incorporate them moving forward.

And, of course, if you would like to make an appointment with us, please call (814) 472-2660 to request one at either our Ebensburg or Johnstown office.