Podiatry.

Existing law provides for the certification and regulation of podiatrists by the California Board of Podiatric Medicine within the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California. Under existing law, the certificate to practice podiatric medicine authorizes the holder to practice podiatric medicine and defines "podiatric medicine" to mean the diagnosis, medical, surgical, mechanical, manipulative, and electrical treatment of the human foot, including the ankle and tendons that insert into the foot and the nonsurgical treatment of the muscles and tendons of the leg governing the functions of the foot. Existing law imposes certain limitations on the surgical treatment that a doctor of podiatric medicine may perform, including restricting surgical treatment to specific types of medical facilities. This bill would authorize a doctor of podiatric medicine with training or experience in wound care to treat ulcers resulting from local and systemic etiologies on the leg no further proximal than the tibial tubercle. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 2472 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 798 to be operative only if this bill and SB 798 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.