Dr. Jodi L. Walters

Bio

Dr. Walters received her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree at Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Her professional accomplishments are superior.  Her knowledge of Podiatric Surgery starts with completion of a Podiatric Surgical Residency at the Southern VA Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona and continues to this day by attainment of Diplomate status through the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery.  She maintains active and full scope Podiatric Surgical privileges in the Foot and Ankle.  Her vast experience in Podiatric Research, Wound Care, and Amputation Prevention have resulted in uncompromised core values of patient centered care, treatment and improved outcomes.

A prolific Principal Investigator in more than 30 studies that involve Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Venous Leg Ulcers, Dr. Walters is well published in journals such as WOUNDS, Diabetes Care, and International Wound.  She exemplifies the cutting edge of modern 21^st Century Podiatric Medicine and Surgery.

Having lectured nationally and internationally, she brings positive, accurate and the most up to date wound care methods and research to her audiences with a consideration to its practical implementation in daily practice.

As Assistant Residency Director and Director of Podiatric Research, she has been instrumental in educating and providing hands on training to a growing profession of Podiatric Physicians. Dr. Walters has been awarded Investigator of the Year, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in 2008 and 2014. Her contributions to patient care and amputation prevention in particular have resulted in and made tremendous improvements in the quality and betterment of patients’ lives.

Dr. Walters’ Research

Doctors of Podiatric Medicine are able by their training, to detect serious health problems which manifest themselves; first through symptoms of the lower extremities like diabetes, arthritis, kidney and heart disease. Often times these diseases may otherwise go unnoticed and or untreated.  With the existence of clinical research and translational science, Podiatric Physicians and Surgeons are able to provide state of the art technologies and treatments geared at saving limbs and lives.

The podiatric research team, under the superb leadership of Dr. Jodi L. Walters, at SAVAHCS, is devoted to advancing the quality of health care through cutting edge technologies and contributions to medical research and education.

Through the collaboration with major healthcare industries, SAVAHCS can provide, to our Veteran patients the most advanced wound care modalities, techniques and new technologies. As a result, we are able to utilize these advanced treatments in the effort to improve disease of the lower extremities, which are many times not available at other institutions; and as an added benefit provide for a much improved quality of life for our Veteran patients. More specifically,  these innovative technologies include but are not limited to, negative pressure wound therapy, stem cell based wound therapy, bioengineered tissues,  topical oxygen and pulsed acoustic cellular wound expression therapies.

The podiatric clinic research team, under the very competent direction of Dr. Walters includes Drs. Dancho, Martin and Jolley.  Thru the continued efforts of these investigators and their continued commitment to efforts which emerged over a decade ago (in the podiatric surgical section), research studies will be a part of the Podiatric Surgery section for the foreseeable future. We will continue to be able to provide ground breaking research and novel evidence based scientific options in limb sparing strategies. In addition, the very detailed and consistent administrative support of Phyllis Houston, Senior Research Coordinator, has resulted in activation of extremely important and valuable ‘healing’ studies which have benefitted our most vulnerable Veteran patients;  those with very serious systemic metabolic and vascular disease.

This Podiatric Research program has only grown stronger with the commitment and consistency developed by Dr. Walters. As an example, her leadership has transferred research directly to methods and strategies to improve patient centered care and outcomes.  By offering a full spectrum of wound care and research related to foot and leg disorders; she has shown thru her own  research data, positive clinical treatments which actually work and heal the majority of patients serious wounds; not only quicker but with lasting results.

Podiatric Research Team
Jodi L. Walters, DPM, DABFAS (Director and Principal Investigator)
James F. Dancho, DPM, FACFAS (Chief, Podiatric Surgical Section and Sub-Investigator)
Billy Martin, DPM, FACFAS (Attending Physician and Sub-Investigator)
David Jolley, DPM, DABFAS (Attending Physician and Sub-Investigator)