Dear Patients,
After many months of prayer and deliberation, I have made the difficult decision to permanently close my private practice, Coastal Foot and Ankle Clinic, in Apalachicola, Florida, effective 10/31/2022.
Even though my schedule stays booked and busy, the infiltration of managed care into our area has lowered healthcare insurance reimbursements to the point that I can no longer afford to keep the business open. After October 31, 2022, I will no longer be available to take care of your medical needs in the traditional office setting.
Starting in November, I will resume seeing clients at Cut’n Up salon in Port St. Joe, Florida. I will keep my medical license active. I will continue to offer topical, medical nail and skin procedures (including blade work, superficial foreign body removal, wart therapy, ingrown toenail removal, and injecting local anesthesia as needed), as well as medical-grade, antifungal pedicures.
The salon is conveniently located in Duren’s Piggly Wiggly shopping center, 147 West Highway 98. You can already call 850-227-2200 to be placed on my schedule that begins on November 1, 2022. These services cannot be filed through your insurance but will be offered at reasonable prices, comparable to what most of you already pay in co-pays and deductibles.
If you need a Podiatric physician for more involved procedures or want your services to be filed through insurance, I recommend you contact your insurance provider to ask what providers in the area are covered by your specific insurance plan. We also recommend Gulf Coast Podiatry in Panama City, Florida (850-769-0325) and Tallahassee Podiatry Associates (850-878-6998 ext. 110 or 111), who maintain Crawfordville and Tallahassee offices.
We can transfer records electronically without charge if they are transferred directly to another physician’s office. Call our office (850-653-3338) before October 13, 2022, with your new physician’s contact information. If you want your records printed out in hard copy, you must come to the office before October 6, 2022. A nominal fee of one dollar per page (not to exceed $25) will be charged (according to Florida State law) to cover our costs in paper, staffing and copier lease fees. Keep in mind that medical records are not critical for routine foot care or new problems that arise when seeing a new doctor. Past records are more pertinent for surgical cases (op notes) or if we are in the middle of treating a particular issue that I cannot resolve before we close. All medical records will be maintained through electronic lease until the end of 2025 and can be accessed by making a written request to [email protected] after we close.
It has been a privilege to practice podiatric medicine and surgery in this beautiful community for 21 years! It is difficult to leave my patients, but I’m excited to see what God has planned next for my family and me. I wish you all good health and happiness for the future!
Professionally Yours,
Dr. Tamara A. Marsh
