Dr. Lee Rogers (GHS Class of 1996) was named this month as one of America’s Most Influential Podiatrists by Podiatry Management magazine for his national leadership, research, and advocacy in prevention of amputations from diabetes.

His notable accomplishments included more than 150 published papers, articles, and book chapters on the subject, and he has delivered more than 400 lectures worldwide.  He currently serves as the medical director of the Amputation Prevention Centers of America, part of a company overseeing 200 wound care and limb salvage centers in 34 states.

Rogers said, “Every 30 seconds, somewhere in the world a limb is lost as a consequence of diabetes.  And after amputation, the prognosis is poor, 70% will die within 5 years.”  Yet, the World Health Organization estimates that 80% of diabetes-related amputations are preventable.

Dr. Lee Rogers

In a seminal paper, “The Right to Bear Legs, an Amendment to Healthcare,” Rogers explained how foot problems make up roughly one-third of the total cost of diabetes in the United States and how simple, inexpensive measures could save the healthcare system billions of dollars.  In 2016, the three national thought-leaders on the diabetic foot, including Rogers, founded a company to aid health insurance companies and governments to improve care and reduce costs related to the diabetic foot.

In 2011 in Paris, France, Rogers led the International Consensus on the Charcot foot, a rare but devastating complication in the diabetic foot frequently leading to amputation.  Rogers’s subsequent manuscript, “The Charcot foot in diabetes,” is now the most frequently referenced paper on the topic.

In June, Lee was selected as a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland for his international work in diabetes complications.  Fewer than 20 American podiatrists have been admitted to the Royal College in its more than 400-year history.

Dr. Rogers has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, US News and World Report, the Washington Post, and he’s appeared as a guest on ABC’s The Doctors, PBS’s American Medical Journal, and Al Jazeera International’s The Cure.  His work in diabetic amputation prevention has brought him to all 50 states and more than 30 countries.

Dr. Rogers is the son of Madelynn and Steve Adkison, Jameson, and the late Bob Rogers. His mother once owned and operated Sandman Motel in Gallatin; Bob Rogers owned and operated Skakey’s Place restaurant and also served as Gallatin mayor.