10/13/2025
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
IL Podiatrist Comments on Updated Health Data Interoperability Solution
Regenstrief Institute and SNOMED International have released LOINC Ontology 2.0, an updated version of their interoperability solution designed to streamline the exchange and use of health data across the globe. The update is intended to make it easier for health information system implementers to deploy and manage a broader range of concepts from both Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine.
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Dr. Marjorie Rallins |
“Many laboratories need order codes that are more abstract than result codes,” says Marjorie Rallins, DPM, MS, executive director of health data standards at Regenstrief. “With these new Orderable Grouper concepts, we’re giving the community a better way to align laboratory ordering practices with the rich specificity of LOINC. The LOINC Ontology is novel and transformative in providing clinical observation content in an integrated format that accelerates interoperability and supports stakeholders with meeting clinical and regulatory requirements.”
Source: CLP Information Technology [10/07/25]
09/27/2025
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
CA Podiatrist Channels Human Resilience Through Rural Architecture
California-based painter and surgeon Don Hershman, DPM brings his boldest and most personal body of work to date to New York City this fall with I AM A BARN, a deeply evocative solo exhibition opening at Artifact Projects. Don Hershman leads a dual life of accomplished podiatric surgeon and fine art painter. As a child, Don Hershman was profoundly influenced by his field trips to the world-class museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Dr. Don Hershman |
During podiatric medical school and surgical residency, he continued to draw, enabling him to better conceptualize the intricate spatial relationships between anatomical structures. As with a scalpel, he began to perfect his command of the pencil and paintbrush.
Source: NBC-4 TV [9/24/25]
08/27/2025
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Where Scalpel Meets Song: VA Podiatrist
David T. Weiss, DPM spends his days as a podiatric surgeon, where precision, patience, and problem-solving guide every move. But when the clinic lights dim, he steps onto a different stage—music. For Dr. Weiss, surgery and songwriting share the same core: rhythm, balance, and creating harmony out of chaos. One vocation restores movement; the other restores spirit—and together they form his version of work–life balance.
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Dr. David Weiss |
When Dr. Weiss was in podiatric medical school in Miami, I played in a band called Alliance with colleagues James Taylor, DPM, and Eric Teeman, DPM. Over the years, music has taken him from late-night jam sessions to sharing stages with Collective Soul, The Allman Brothers, The Killers, and The Goo Goo Dolls. Today, his original music has found new life on Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora. Medicine and music might seem like opposing worlds, but they complement one another—whether repairing a tendon or performing a song, the purpose remains the same: healing through connection.
12/09/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
IA Podiatrist Retires as Carroll Community Chorus Director
With a smooth, momentous passing of the Carroll Community Chorus director’s baton from David Martin, DPM to Rose Cameron, the chorus is putting the final touches on its annual Christmas concert. Dr. Martin has been the face of Carroll Community Chorus since 1990, recruiting singers, selecting the concert music, leading the weekly rehearsals, publicizing the event, and more.
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Dr. David Martin |
Dr. Martin, who was a podiatrist in Carroll, 1982 until he retired in 2012, had sung in the chorus for a number of years when it was directed by John Erickson. The program went into hiatus for a few years before Martin was urged to try to revive it. Martin says he said he would if he could find a core of singers who were interested. Membership went from 32 the first year to 28 the second year, but took off from there, and the chorus had 84 singers one year.
Source: Larry Devine, Carroll Times Herald [12/4/24]
11/12/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
CT Podiatrist is Founder of Manchester Jazz Festival
The 9th annual Manchester Jazz Fest will be held on Saturday, December 7 at historic Cheney Hall, Connecticut's oldest operating theater dating back to 1867. The quaint venue seats fewer than 300 people, making the evening an especially unique, cozy, and intimate indoor winter jazz fest experience.
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Dr. Ken Wichman |
Ken Wichman, DPM, founder, is a native and lifetime resident of Manchester. After graduating from the Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago, he practiced podiatry until 2014. He is now semi-retired focusing on home-bound patients. Dr. Wichman has a love of music and the community.
Source: Drew Crandall, Manchester Patch [11/9/24]
11/05/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
AZ Podiatrist Fixes Cybertruck Issue with $13 DIY Part
A Cybertruck owner became so frustrated at Tesla’s inability to deal with a problem with his electric truck that he took matters into his own hands and fixed it with a do-it-yourself (DIY) part. Jay Larson, DPM, an Arizona-based podiatrist, posted on his MyCybertruckLife X account about how he was moved to act after being disappointed with a Tesla’s dealers attempts to fix a wind noise issue on his pickup.
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Dr. Jay Larson, Tesla Cybertruck |
The truck, which has been perfectly quiet when he first bought it, began making a high-pitching whistling noise after its bulletproof windshield was replaced due to a factory defect. A run of 9mm weather stripping eventually provided a solution at the low cost of $13.
Source: Chris Chilton, Car Scoops [11/3/24]
10/25/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
OH Podiatrist’s Winning Photo to be Featured on Wildlife Legacy Stamp
A colorful photograph of a hummingbird clearwing moth, an essential pollinator, will be featured on the 2025 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The winning photo was taken by Roger Friedman, DPM, of Westlake, Ohio. Dr. Friedman photographed the moth in northeast Ohio’s Lake County.
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Dr. Roger Friedman and winning photo. |
Dr. Friedman’s moth photo was chosen as the winner of the 16th annual legacy stamp photo contest based on originality, composition, technical excellence, and overall beauty. The contest had 84 entries, and submissions were required to feature a pollinator.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
10/15/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
MI Podiatrist and Wife Open Spa & Lounge
Martini Spa & Lounge is a collaboration created by Darryl Martins, DPM and his wife Annie, a registered nurse. Dr. Martins has been practicing in Michigan since 2010 and over the years has noticed many patients coming to see him after a "bad pedicure". So they require antibiotics but other times require invasive treatment for diabetes or PAD that needs amputation. After seeing a pattern, Dr. Martins attempted to figure out a healthier but exciting alternative to the quiet spa setting to reduce infections and amputations.
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(L-R) Annie and Dr. Darryl Martins |
In the winter of 2019, Martini Spa & Lounge was born. The goal is to bring a cleaner, healthier service with the addition of medical experience and protocols. The addition of seasonal Martinis, wines, beers, and dessert beverages creates the perfect social environment, not the uptight and quiet spa experience.
Source: Jackie Koch, Tecumseh Herald [10/9/24]
09/20/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
OH Podiatrist Enjoys Outdoor Recreation
Carolyn Henry-Hurst, DPM has challenged herself to try paddling, sailing, paddling, backpacking, and even more daring outdoor adventures over the years. At first, she tried Outdoor Rec programs to test them before bringing her urban students to participate. Then she kept coming back for more.
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Dr. Carolyn Henry-Hurst |
After growing up in the Virgin Islands, she says she “followed a man to Ohio” and they were married in 1986. She and her husband both taught in the Cleveland schools before retirement. She also earned her podiatry degree, became an ordained pastor, and has home-schooled her children and grandchildren.
Source: Estelle Rodis-Brown, Northeat Ohio Boomer [September/October 2024]
08/06/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
CA Podiatrist is Grammy Nominated Song Writer
When David Sharpe, DPM began writing and performing children’s songs to keep his grandchildren entertained, the retired podiatrist with a passion for music never imagined it would turn into a second career, let alone lead to a Grammy Award nomination.
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Dr. David Sharpe |
In 2012, with his The PapaHugs Band, Dr. Sharpe received a Best Children’s Album of the Year nod for their third compilation, “Are We There Yet?”. As an independent producer without a huge label to back him, the odds were even more stacked against capturing one of the five nominations in the category that drew 300 entries.
Source: Georgann Yara, Scottsdale City Lifestyle [8/2/24]
07/19/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Aviation License Plate Designed by FL Podiatrist Approved
Described by the creators as “telling the story of general aviation (GA),” the approved license plate features a colorful collection of GA airplanes flying in clear blue skies. Local pilots Joseph Hurtuk; Richard Golightly; and Ian Goldbaum, DPM a podiatric physician and surgeon, came up with the idea and designed the plate, and Nicola Zordan joined the team to help promote it.
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(L-R) Richard Golightly, Dr. Ian Goldbaum, and Joseph Hurtuk. (Photo: Eric Flaig). |
They want to assist Floridians who are seeking careers in aviation and provide recognition for the robust aviation community in the state—as Florida ranks in the top three states for GA activity and the industry contributes significantly to the economy. Proceeds from the sale of these plates will support aviation scholarships.
Source: Lillian Geil, AOPA News [7/15/24]
07/10/2024
INTERNATIONAL PODIATRISTS AND OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Former UK Podiatrist Hosts First Solo Art Exhibition
Felt artist Noelle Ferris opens her latest exhibition this week in The Grey Heron in Bandon. "I am a self-taught felt artist, a lover of wool and art, but my journey here has not been very straightforward. When I left school, I did a degree in podiatry and worked as a podiatrist in the UK and Ireland for 13 years."
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Noelle Ferris |
"When I was a podiatrist, I used felt (albeit semi-compressed felt) to deflect pressure from troublesome areas in patients’ feet. However, now I create felt paintings out of sheep’s wool to take a load off people’s minds," says Ferris.
Source: Echo Live [7/8/24]
05/14/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Former UK Podiatrist Now Sells Tacos
A podiatrist who swapped orthotics for tacos has said he is delighted to making a home for himself and his thriving business in Ipswich. Many residents of Chantry may by now have stumbled across Tacos El Catrin, a mobile restaurant specializing in Mexican delicacies, which can be found parked in Sprites Lane, near the back of the Co-op store.
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Aleem Najak |
Surprisingly, Aleem Najak said that it was his move to Ipswich which made his dream of setting up his own street food business possible. Najak lived in the Bay Area of northern California some 10 years ago, where he developed a love of Mexican cuisine.
Source: Abygail Fossett, Ipswich Star [5/12/24]
01/16/2024
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
CA Podiatrist Has 2,000 Sq Ft. Train Set
Inspired by childhood memories and a passion for locomotive history, Michael C. Andrews, DPM has assembled a fascinating model train depicting a large portion of California’s northern Central Valley. This nearly 2,000-square-foot model prominently features both Yuba City and Maryville, highlighting Binney Junction, and preserving a snapshot of the Yuba-Sutter region as it stood in the decades between 1940 and 1960.
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Dr. Michael Andrews |
Andrews, more often referred to as “Doc”, is a retired podiatrist who currently resides in south Yuba City. He first started collecting trains as a young child while his father worked as a manager for a mobile glass company. During that time, Andrews fondly remembers taking Sunday trips with his dad to the rail yards of the Sacramento Valley Station. “It was all steam then and you’d look out over the yards and see all the trains with a lot of smoke and steam,” said Andrews. “So that was my first interest in trains, which was really due to my dad.”
Source: Shamaya Sutton, The Appeal Democrat [1/12/24]
12/12/2023
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
CA Podiatrist's Art to Be Featured in Miami
Prize-winning artist Don Hershman, DPM will continue to carry out his successful assemblage of exhibitions with a new showcase premiering during Art Basel Miami 2023 at both Red Dot Miami and Context Art Miami.
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Dr. Don Hershman |
Dr. Hershman leads a dual life of accomplished podiatric surgeon and fine art painter. As a child, Don Hershman was profoundly influenced by his field trips to the world-class museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He fantasized about becoming an artist, drawing incessantly, creating sketchbooks, and experimenting with color well into high school. When it came time to choose a career, he felt compelled to lock in a secure path that pointed toward medicine.
Source: Norah Lawlor, Consumer Products World [12/7/23]
12/05/2023
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
OR Podiatrist and Wife are Proprietors of Olea Vineyards
Olea Vineyards, located in the valley’s southeast corner, created an experience aiming to revolutionize wine tasting by combining the best of the wine world (think the deep reds of a syrah or a cabernet sauvignon and the crisp flavors of a pinot blanc) with the laid-back lifestyle Oregon is known for.
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Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Melillo |
The owners, Thomas Melillo, DPM, a podiatrist, and his wife Melinda take pride in hand-working the land and hand-crafting the wine, then pairing the result with great music, great food, and a pair of friendly winery dogs for an experience that lets visitors get what they should out of a wine tasting.
Source: Eugenia Lazaris, Trazee Travel [12/1/23]
11/24/2023
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
MO Podiatrist is Classic Car Collector
Board certified podiatrist John Riley IV, DPM has been treating foot and ankle ailments for three decades. And Riley, who was once ranked as a USA Triathlon All American athlete, is equipped with insight specifically for podiatric sports medicine. He treats amateurs and professionals, including dancers and ballerinas in the Kansas City Ballet.
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Dr. John Riley and his '57 Chevrolet convertible |
Dr. Riley has won two Best of Show awards for vintage cars he customized and brought back to life in his spare time. He’s often seen driving a ’57 Chevrolet convertible. The car, white with chrome trim and flashy tail fins, is one of six models he has restored. “Its interior is red and white. It’s just gorgeous,” he said. “I guess classic cars are something to see, like works of art. I stop at a gas station: 2 minutes putting the gas in and 30 minutes answering questions about the car."
Source: Martha McCarty, The Kansas City Star [11/22/23]
09/25/2023
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (OUTSIDE INTERESTS)
From: Gene Spector, DPM, Ira R. Cohen, DPM
Congratulations on the show Don.
Gene Spector, DPM, San Francisco, CA
Congratulations to my classmate and friend Don. I have very fond memories of the years we spent together in San Francisco in the late '70s. We parted ways our senior year in 1979 as I went to LAC-USC in Southern California.
Don, you should continue to use your talents to grow from strength to strength.
Ira R. Cohen, DPM, Boca Raton, FL
09/22/2023
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
CA Podiatrist Artist Premiers “The Art of Code Switching” Exhibition in NYC
Fresh off the heels of his last sold-out show in New York, ‘Donald and Victor: Under the Influence,’ visionary artist Don Hershman, DPM is set to turn his passion once again into purpose with his newest exhibition of 20 paintings entitled “The Art of Code Switching,” set to debut on Thursday, September 21st, 2023 at the renowned Salomon Arts Gallery in Manhattan’s Tribeca district.
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Dr. Don Hershman |
Originally trained as a board-certified podiatric surgeon in the early '80s, Dr. Hershman reflects on his own life as a gay man of an earlier generation where code switching was clearly linked to his survival. “When I began my formal residency training in the early '80s, I had to relocate to the south, forcing me back into the closet. Creating these new paintings took me on a journey back to a time where there was no political correctness or recourse, easily fired or shunned if it were revealed that I was gay. After residency, I relocated to San Francisco and worked as a podiatric surgeon in an atmosphere engulfed by the AIDS epidemic, where young men often were not only hiding their sexual orientation, but their HIV status as well. They were constantly code-switching without even knowing it.”
Source: Lawlor Media Group, Inc. [9/20/23]
05/04/2023
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
NY Podiatrist Discusses Financially Egalitarian Dating and Marriages
In 1972, husbands were the primary or sole breadwinners in 85% of U.S. married households, while 5% of wives made all or most of the money, and 11% of married couples had equal salaries. According to the Pew Research Center, things have changed quite a bit in 50 years. According to new Pew data, 55% of husbands are now the primary or sole financial supporters (a 35% drop). Financially egalitarian marriages have risen to 29% (more than a 160% increase), and 16% of married women provide the lioness’ share of family finances (a 220% increase).
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Dr. Jack Cohen |
Rabbi Jack Cohen, DPM, who mentors Jewish couples in dating and marriage, has seen dramatic changes in the dating landscape, which are connected to the data Pew is tracking. Especially among older Jewish singles, women often earn more than men, in Dr. Cohen’s experience. Cohen, who is also a podiatrist, says dual incomes come in handy during inflationary times, and a dual-income couple can be a “fantastic dynamic.” But he cautioned that working couples can often be very busy and lose focus on their commonality: “They drift as human beings.”
Source: Cleveland Jewish News [5/1/23]
01/18/2023
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
MI Podiatrist Changed Career Path to Study Hyponatremia
Marathoners know better than most to stay hydrated. Your body does need lots of fluid before, during, and after the race, but it's possible to overdo it. That can lead to a condition called hyponatremia. The Chevron Houston Marathon was one of the first to report cases of hyponatremia in 1999. American College of Sports Medicine fellow Tamara Hew-Butler, DPM was working at a marathon medical tent at the time. "It was hot that year," she said. "That was the first year that four runners were sent to the emergency room. They were in a coma for a week.
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Dr. Tamara Hew-Butler |
That's when Dr. Hew-Butler, also an associate professor of exercise physiology at Wayne State University, left her profession as a podiatrist and focused her research on hyponatremia - much of that research done in Houston. "We did a series of research that showed that some of these runners that were moving a little slower were drinking 100 cups of fluid during the race," she said.
Source: Jacob Rascon, KTRK [1/11/23]
01/12/2023
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
NJ Podiatrist Wins Silver Medal in Wine Label Competition
It’s that time of year again — time to celebrate those home winemakers who put as much effort into creating labels to decorate the outside of their bottles as they do creating the wine inside of them. The 23rd annual WineMaker Amateur Label Contest attracted hundreds of submissions from around the world, giving the judging panel of WineMaker staff the pleasure of viewing a wide assortment of creativity. This year's silver medal was awarded to John Cozzarelli, DPM of Nutley, NJ.
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Dr. John Cozzarelli |
Dr. Cozzarelli has been creating labels for his homemade wines for decades, telling us he has designed around 200 labels in total! “Each year myself and my sons make approximately 10 different wines. I then must come up with a design,” he said. The labels generally use borrowed artwork, but where John gets the most enjoyment is airbrushing and selecting fonts and colors for his label. The way his last name appears to float from the label caught all of the judges’ attention in this design.
Source: Winemaker Magazine [January 2023]
12/09/2022
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Former IL Podiatrist, "Cookie Queen of Chicago", Publishes Cookbook
Each August, Mary DiSomma, DPM breaks out her KitchenAid and starts baking cookies for the holiday season. She needs a long runway to make a whopping 7,000 cookies—50 varieties in all—that she and her husband will put in tins and hand out as gifts to eagerly awaiting family and friends come December. The cookie recipes she uses have been in her family for generations and are the centerpiece of her cookbook, A Gift of Cookies: Recipes to Share with Family & Friends.
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Dr. Mary DiSomma |
Dr. DiSomma, a former podiatrist, began working on her cookbook three years ago when the pandemic first hit. “My daughter had been asking me to get all our family recipes together so she wouldn’t lose them,” says DiSomma. “My practice was closed, so I used that time to organize all my recipes and bind them into simple books which I handed out to my family.” The response was so profuse that DiSomma knew she needed to create a printed cookbook that captured the magic of her vast collection of cookie recipes.
Source: Donna Berry Glass, Better [12/7/22]
11/07/2022
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
MI Podiatrist Featured in Podcast with Joe Louis Jr.
Stuart Kirschenbaum, DPM, Boxing Commissioner Emeritus of Michigan along with Joe Louis, Jr. were interviewed in the award-winning Detroit History. This was the Season 5 premier and listening party presenting Joe Louis, The Punch of Detroit. The podcast explored Joe Louis’ life in and out of the ring. Hosted by veteran Detroit historian and journalist Tim Kiska, Joe Louis’ punch-packed legacy was brought alive in audio form.
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Dr. Stuart Kirschenbaum |
Dr. Kirschenbaum has a long history with the Louis family. He was recipient of the Joe Louis Humanitarian Award presented by Sports Illustrated, and the Brown Bomber Jacket given by the Joe Louis Museum. He was a Board Member of the Joe Louis Foundation and served as the Guardian for Martha Louis, the widow of Joe Louis in the last years of her life.
10/21/2022
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
MI Podiatrist Profiled in New Boxing Book
Author Doveed Linder in Ringside 2, McFarland and Company, presents a second collection of 24 exclusive interviews with boxing insiders featuring some of the most influential personalities in ring history. Included in this book are former heavyweight champions Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield and promoter Don King .
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(L-R) Muhammad Ali and Dr. Stuart Kirschenbaum |
Stuart Kirschenbaum, DPM, Boxing Commissioner Emeritus of Michigan, was the longest serving boxing commissioner in state history having served under four governors. He has for the past forty years been held in high esteem worldwide as a leader in the regulation of the sport. He has testified numerous times in Congressional hearings in Washington, DC. An entire chapter focuses on Dr. Kirschenbaum’s illustrious career.
