Making a Kase for playing footsy

Ryan Carter

Franklin Kase loves feet, and has stepped into a pivotal role in his

profession.

The podiatrist -- who has offices in Burbank and Glendale and is

chief of podiatric surgery at Glendale Memorial Hospital -- recently

was elected president of the California Podiatric Medical Assn.

“I’m humbled and honored,” he said.

Podiatry is the practice of treating foot and ankle injuries. But

for Kase, 26 years in the field have meant much more.

He has written numerous peer-reviewed articles, consulted with and

treated college athletes and runners, and consulted for sporting

events. Kase is a six-time marathon runner -- five in Los Angeles and

once in New York. The running exemplifies Kase’s interest in treating

feet, because feet, athletics and health go together, he said.

“I believe podiatrists hold the key to preventing diseases such as

diabetes and osteoporosis from becoming as severe and chronic as they

do become,” he said, adding that surgery and foot treatment allow

people to exercise.

For Kase, podiatry was a natural fit.

“It seemed like a great interrelationship of medicine surgery,

engineering and providing a valuable health service,” he said, adding

that sports medicine was a pivotal interest for him.

But his interest in the business has gone beyond sports to

promoting podiatry through more political channels.

Kase has been a member of the state Podiatric Medical Assn. for 26

years. During that time, he was a major player in changing the way

insurance companies treat podiatrists in California.

“Up until the early 1990s, there were discriminatory policies

toward anyone providing health care but medical doctors and doctors

of osteopathy,” he said.

Kase tried to educate insurance companies that podiatrists -- who

complete four years of medical school and one to four years of

residency -- play an important role in health care and are on par

with other physicians.

Kase said his goals while representing about 1,000 podiatrists

across the state are to inform the public about the importance of

doctors of podiatry.

He seemed confident as he repeated what he called his motto:

“You may be disappointed if you fail, but if you don’t try, you

are doomed,” he said.