The Genesis of Highlands Foot and Ankle Institute

Highlands Foot and Ankle Institute formed as a natural extension of the Highlands/PSL Podiatric Residency Program. Current members of the Board of Directors are all members of the Residency Committee of the Highlands/PSL Podiatric Residency Program. In addition, the members are graduates of the aforementioned residency program. The program was initially started by Dr. John Buckholtz in 1975 and was known as Highlands Residency Program. At its inception, the program began academic meetings including weekly program called CPC or Clinical Pathology Conference.

The meeting was attended by many area podiatrists. It was originally a multipurpose conference where residents would provide lectures and attending physicians would review difficult cases and provide x-rays for review. Shortly after his graduation from residency training, Dr. Paul Stone established Journal Club and had a dream of creating a sponsor of continuing education associated with the residency program. The dream became a reality when Drs. Paden and Farrett began the application process for continuing medical education sponsorship in November 2004.

By assessing the needs of local podiatric surgeons, it was ascertained that there is a paucity of quality,reliable academic meetings designed specifically for the foot and ankle surgeon. Therefore, it was concluded that Highlands Foot and Ankle Institute would fill the void by drawing from the residency program’s 34 years of high quality graduates. A large number of our graduates have gone on to start new residency programs and became leaders in the field. Many are published and are nationally recognized.

The Institute also includes speakers who are recognized faculty members associated with the residency program. Highlands Foot and Ankle Institute showcases the talents of our graduates while being mindful of the needs of the podiatric surgeon serving the Rocky Mountain Region.