Page 21 - BusinessWest Healthcare Heroes 2021

Dr. Louis DeCaro photographed this bear while visiting Alaska. The image is one of many he has sold to help families pay for needed orthotics for their children.
time not only with his younger patients, but their parents as well, because they often must be educated about their child’s condition.
Similarly, when he sees a child, he will often then examine the parents as well because, by looking at their respective foot structures, he can often gain some perspective on where that child might be headed when it comes to overall foot health. “Like hair color and eye color, foot structure is genetic,” he explained.
As noted earlier, treatment
of his patients is just one of the reasons why DeCaro has become
a standout in his field — he has been listed among the 150 Most Influential Podiatrists in America by Podiatry Management magazine — and why he will join seven others as Healthcare Heroes on Oct. 21 at the Log Cabin. He’s also an educator who lectures often; pens articles such as one called “Assessing the Role of Gait Analysis in Pediatric Patients with Flatfoot,” which appeared in Podiatry Today magazine; and teaches the ‘24 Foot Structures’ to many of his colleagues.
Within the 24 different foot structures there are six distinct foot types or categories — A to F — and given
each names, like ‘John Wayne.’ “You actually turn your legs out and walk like a gunslinger,”
he explained, adding that there are fun names for each category, and they are designed to help patients understand their feet and the treatment being given them.
He’s also an entrepreneur; in addition to littleSTEPS, he and business partner Roberta Nole have also developed the RX24 Quadrastep System, a state-of-the-art alternative to traditional custom orthotic management.
There’s also his photography — and
philanthropy, by which he uses his hobby to help children and families in need.
The walls of the rooms in his office are covered with photos — his favorite is one of a puma he “met” in the rain forest of Costa Rica, although he’s also fond of a bear he photographed in Alaska — primarily his feet (paws), which are prominently on display.
When asked how he gets so close to his subjects, he quipped, “big lenses.”
Toeing the Line
In many ways, DeCaro has spent his career helping patients, and especially the younger ones, understand the proverbial big picture when it comes to their feet and how they are never to be overlooked when it comes to one’s health, well- being, and quality of life.
Suffice it to say that he has made the most of that opportunity-knocks moment when he got
on a plane bound for Florida and podiatry school. He found a profession that has been rewarding in every way imaginable.
But the real winners from that decision he made are his patients, who have benefited from his compassion, his desire to educate, and even his ingenuity and prowess as an entrepreneur.
His ability to change their lives has made him a Healthcare Hero. n
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
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