APMA News - November/December 2019 - 74

APMAPAC Update

APMAPAC Champion: William Beaton, DPM
By Janet Simon, DPM,
secretary-treasurer,
APMAPAC Board
of Directors

The APMAPAC Board is honored to
present William Beaton, DPM, as its
final APMAPAC Champion of 2019.
For more than 60 years, Dr. Beaton
has been advocating for podiatric
medicine during his tenure with the
Florida Podiatric Medical Association's
(FPMA) Legislative Committee.

further into my career, participated in many APMA Legislative Conferences.
Dr. Simon:
Why is grassroots participation important for advancing podiatric medicine?
Dr. Beaton:
The relationships I made as a part
of Florida's scope expansion continued
to be valuable as many of these state
legislators moved into positions at the
national level. As the federal health insurance system was developing, these
relationships were helpful in advocating for our inclusion in Medicare,
which came to be in 1967. [Inclusion]
was a "win" but clearly was not the end
of the battle for parity because our profession continues to experience anti-podiatry sentiments. My continued work
in Florida and grassroots networking
slowly advanced podiatrits' recognition
as well-trained physicians of the foot
and ankle, and resulted in our desired
expansions in scope.

Dr. Simon:
What has influenced your advocacy for
the profession?
Dr. Beaton:
I was influenced at the very beginning of my career by leaders in our profession such as Dr. Walter Fields, past
William Beaton, DPM
president of the National Association
of Chiropody (which became APMA),
with whom I was in practice starting in
My continued work in
1960. I graduated in 1959 from the IlDr. Simon:
Florida and grassroots
linois College of Podiatric Medicine
How do you persuade a peer to connetworking slowly
(now known as Dr. William M. Scholl
tribute to legislative advocacy?
advanced podiatrists'
College of Podiatric Medicine at the
Dr. Beaton:
Rosalind Franklin University of Medirecognition as well-trained
Being in practice for more than 60
cine and Science) and immediately
years offers me firsthand experience in
physicians of the foot
headed to Florida. The profession
how our profession has evolved to be
and ankle, and resulted
was evolving quickly, and our students
recognized as the best providers of foot
in our desired
were receiving increased education
and ankle care. I share experiences that
and training, which ultimately allowed
expansions in scope.
have involved me in many legislative
for the expansion of scope of practice
fights to advance our ability to practice
and organizational and professional name changes from
the full range of our skills. I enjoy talking with my peers and
chiropody to podiatry. I was one of the young professionals
sharing my experiences. Podiatry is my passion; it's never
who desired to share my acquired skills and understood that
"work." My "give back," which I hope my peers will also emwork needed to be done at the grassroots level to move [the
brace, is making meaningful contributions to state and federal
scope of practice] forward legislatively in Florida, and so I
political advocacy efforts.
n
became involved in FPMA's Legislative Committee, and then,
74 APMA News November/December 2019

APMA News - November/December 2019

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