Michigan Medicine 4th Annual Diabetic Foot Conference 2024

This annual conference, hosted by the University of Michigan Medical School, brings together a diverse team of specialists to address the challenges of diabetic limb preservation. The 2024 iteration, titled “UndeFEETed,” emphasized streamlining care for patients with diabetic foot infections (DFI) through a cohesive, team-based approach. It highlighted the work of the Michigan Lower Extremity Services (MiLES) clinic, showcasing how vascular surgery, podiatry, infectious disease, and internal medicine collaborate to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital stays.

+ What You Will Learn

Attendees were able to:

• Identify the latest multidisciplinary approaches and emerging best practices for managing complex diabetic foot wounds.

• Describe novel techniques and collaborative care models, specifically the “UndeFEETed” team approach to streamlining DFI patient care.

• Recognize the distinct roles of each specialty (vascular, podiatry, infectious disease) and determine appropriate referral pathways for high-risk patients.

• Implement strategies to improve healing rates and support limb preservation through coordinated effort.

• Discuss institutional outcomes and the efficacy of “Discharge by Noon” programs for diabetic foot patients.

+ Event Details

• Date: Early 2024

• Location: Danto Auditorium, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan (and virtual options).

+ Who Should Attend

The conference is designed for the entire limb preservation team:

• Physicians (Internal Medicine, Vascular Surgeons, Hospitalists, Infectious Disease)

• Podiatrists

• Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants

• Nurses (Wound Care, Surgical, Floor)

• Physical and Occupational Therapists

• Social Workers helping with discharge planning.

+ Why Attend

• Team Focus: Unlike conferences that focus solely on surgical technique, this event prioritizes the system of care—how to get the right patient to the right specialist at the right time.

• Institutional Insight: Gain a “behind-the-curtain” look at how a major academic medical center (Michigan Medicine) manages high-volume limb salvage cases through its specialized MiLES clinic.

• Practical Strategies: Learn actionable protocols for reducing length of stay and preventing readmissions through better care coordination.

• 01 Podiatry – An Update on Outcomes
• 02 Diabetic Foot Infection Severity Predicts Re-ulceration Post Partial Foot Amputation
• 03 Chlorhexidine Gluconate Irrigation in Limb Preservation Surgery
• 04 The Effect of Hemodialysis on Diabetic Foot Complications
• 05 Applications of Minirail External Fixator in Arthrodesis Foot Surgery for the High-Risk Patient Population – A Case Series
• 06 Keratinocytes Induce Macrophage Inflammatory Phenotype in Diabetic Wounds
• 07 Revascularization for PAD Patients
• 08 Social Determinants of Health within Podiatry
• 09 Scope of the Problem – Challenging Diabetic Foot Cases
• 10 Total Contact Casting with Diabetic Foot Ulcers
• 11 UndeFEETed – A Team Approach to Streamlining Care for DFI Patients