Posted on November 8, 2022.

When Gary Felhandler goes to work, he has two goals: to provide the best care possible and to ensure his patients feel comfortable in their setting.

As a physician specializing in podiatry, he also delivers an increasingly rare service. Each week, Felhander travels to the homes of several of his patients, bringing his expertise on the foot to those who are often unable to step out of their dwelling. 

“(My practice) tends to do a lot of house calls,” said the doctor. “A lot of our patients get to an age where it gets hard for them to get out. So we go to them — it’s a pretty gratifying experience for everyone.”

An Oakland County resident, Felhander has worked in Monroe County for more than 40 years. After completing his medical education in Chicago and doing a residency program in Detroit, he opened a practice locally.

Based at his office at 1092 N. Monroe St., Felhandler said his practice sees patients of all ages, addressing a broad spectrum of podiatry issues, in office and at home. 

“We treat everything to do with the feet and the ankle,” Felhandler said. 

Making house calls wasn’t originally part of the plan, though. Felhandler said that came about years into his practice. Visits to the office were frequent, supported by a full patient load. 

But over time, Felhandler said several of his patients expressed it was increasingly harder for them to get to the office. 

“Patients would ask, ‘Can you come to my house?’ Or a (patient’s child) would say, ‘It’s really hard to get my (parent) out,” Felhandler said. “We started saying yes. It has built up over the years.”

For about 20 years, house calls have been a service offered by the specialist. 

His footprint is wide. While the bulk of his patients are located in the Monroe area, Felhandler travels to Dundee and Milan to see patients. 

Starting his day at the office, he and a member of his staff will leave midday or in the afternoon for house calls, averaging about 10 a week. 

“It helps a lot of our patients,” he added. “It’s rewarding for everyone — some of our patients are homebound or can’t drive on their own.” 

Felhandler visits houses, apartments and those lodged in senior centers. Common issues treated include edema and thick toe nails. Diabetes is also an increasingly recurring concern, Felhandler said, adding that it manifest several issues for the feet. 

As the team enters a home, making the patient comfortable and relaxed comes first. Felhandler’s aide helps to make sure the patient is comfortable while he conducts the exam. Some people are anxious about having people visit their home, but Felhandler said he is there to attend to the patient without judgement. 

“Some people are wary of us coming into their house — they’re concerned it’s (disorganized) or they have pets,” he added. “But we’re there to help them and assist them.”

Visits take about 15 minutes to half an hour. Felhander said he sees the patients every month or two, depending on their ailments. 

The COVID-19 pandemic had an effect. Like many healthcare providers, Felhandler said patients weren’t seeing physicians as often. Traffic in the office and house calls lagged for a bit. 

“We couldn’t see patients at nursing homes — they weren’t letting people in,” he added. “We couldn’t go see them for a couple of months.”

Things have started to normalize, though, he said, adding that feet are often indicative of larger health problems. Proper care is paramount. 

“It’s really important to make sure that your feet are in top notch condition,” Felhandler said. “The condition of the foot can really tell us a lot about the general health and maladies that patients may be experiencing. Sometimes they show issues patients didn’t even know they may have potentially had. … It’s really important to evaluate and treat such issues.”

Felhandler’s primary goal as a physician is to treat his patients. He stresses that he and his staff love the patients they treat.

“We just want to make them as comfortable as possible,” Felhandler said. “We actively try to make their day better. It’s a part of the job that we generally enjoy.”

Gloria Scheuer, an 88-year-old Monroe resident, has been a patient of Felhandler for about 15 years. 

A former longtime resident of New Boston, she moved to the area 30 years ago after serving in the Peace Corp. and working in education, opening schools across the state. 

She found Felhander due to his office’s location near other physicians. It made it easier to schedule appointments by visiting physicians clustered closely together, she said. 

But several years ago, a heart condition and difficulty walking made her concerned that she would be unable to get the care she needed. 

“I though, ‘Oh gosh, what am I going to do,” she said. “When I talked to (Dr. Felhandler), he said no problem — I can come to you.”

It was a reminder of a time when doctors would more commonly visit patients at home, she said, adding that it’s something increasingly rare and hard to find. 

The experience has been overall positive, Scheuer said. Felhandler’s office calls right before the doctor heads out, so there is time to prepare, she added. 

“It’s been such a relief — (Felhandler) is very thorough and passionate about what he does; he really tries to help,” Scheuer said. “He explains what he is doing and explains his (process). Not all doctors do that. … It’s wonderful. It reminds of the old days."

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