Early, Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Care
Conservative First. Surgery When Needed. Limb Preservation When Urgent.
Services at a Glance:
✓ Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Limb Preservation & Neuropathy-Related Foot Complications
✓ Charcot Foot Deformity, Foot Wounds & Infection Management
✓ Comprehensive Foot & Ankle Evaluation
✓ Ankle Sprains, Instability, Fractures & Sports Injuries
✓ Stress Fractures, Tendon Injuries & Overuse Conditions
✓ Chronic Heel Pain & Plantar Fasciitis
✓ Custom Orthotics, Biomechanical Evaluation & Gait Abnormalities
✓ Bunions, Hammertoes & Forefoot Reconstruction
✓ Second Opinions for Foot & Ankle Surgery
✓ Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)
✓ Foot and Ankle Rehabilitation
✓ In-Office Procedures & Surgery When Appropriate
✓ Collaborative Care with Primary Care & Other Specialists
“Dr. Hoy is absolutely outstanding!! Superb professional knowledge, skills and judgment! Very kind and compassionate! I feel very lucky to be under his care!” -Dr. Ming C., MD, PhD
Refer a Patient
Since 1990, Seattle Foot and Ankle Center has provided comprehensive foot and ankle medical and surgical care. A foot and ankle physician can first evaluate the problem, establish the diagnosis, and determine the appropriate course of care. When additional expertise is needed, that care can be coordinated as part of the treatment plan.
We welcome referrals for all foot and ankle conditions, including referrals for a specific procedure or treatment. A referral for a particular procedure does not limit the medical evaluation. Dr. Hoy determines the diagnosis and the appropriate treatment based on his clinical findings. We also evaluate patients with persistent or unresolved foot and ankle problems when the diagnosis remains uncertain or symptoms have not responded to initial treatment.
If you would like to refer a patient to Seattle Foot and Ankle Center, simply copy the information below, click our HIPAA-compliant contact form here, paste, fill out the information and submit.
Referring Provider Name:
Clinic / Practice Name:
Phone Number:
Fax Number:
Patient Name:
Patient Date of Birth:
Reason for Referral:
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Attach referral notes or imaging report. Please also indicate how you would like to receive our consultation notes after the visit.
You may also contact our office:
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center
We are conveniently located in Downtown Seattle.
509 Olive Way, Suite 1125, Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-682-8741
Fax: 206-686-2184
Our staff will work with your office to schedule appointments promptly and coordinate patient care. Most new referrals can be scheduled within a few days. Urgent cases are accommodated as quickly as possible.
“Dr Hoy was awesome. So caring. So perceptive. My wife was so joyful by the time we left. So glad our GP referred us to him.” -Elston H.
About Our Practice
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center provides specialized medical, biomechanical, office-based procedural, and surgical care for lower-extremity conditions including sports injuries, diabetic limb preservation, chronic wounds, forefoot deformities, neuropathic complications, gait pathology, and reconstructive foot and ankle surgery.
In the United States, podiatric physicians are educated and trained specifically in the medical and surgical care of the foot and ankle. They diagnose, treat, and help prevent a wide range of conditions affecting the bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, skin, and circulation of the lower extremity, using both conservative and surgical treatments as appropriate.
Health care providers seeking specialized evaluation of lower-extremity conditions are encouraged to refer appropriate patients to Seattle Foot and Ankle Center. Dr. J. John Hoy provides focused expertise in diagnosis, biomechanics, sports injuries, diabetic limb preservation, chronic wounds, neuropathic complications, office-based foot procedures, and reconstructive foot surgery
Many patients think their only options are routine nail care or major surgery. In reality, there is often a large middle ground where focused diagnosis, biomechanics, conservative treatment, and office-based procedures can resolve pathology, improve function, and prevent escalation. Many lower-extremity conditions involve underlying biomechanical, neurological, vascular, infectious, or structural pathology that may require specialized evaluation. Early referral to a dedicated foot and ankle specialist can help establish the diagnosis and determine the appropriate course of care.
The goal is not to replace other specialists, but to establish the foot and ankle diagnosis first and determine which combination of medical, biomechanical, rehabilitative, procedural, surgical, or collaborative care is appropriate.
Collaboration is good medicine. Fragmentation is not.
Foot and ankle conditions are frequently managed in fragmented ways, with patients directed to physical therapy, dermatology, orthopedics, wound care, or other services before receiving a comprehensive foot and ankle evaluation. Yet many foot problems involve underlying biomechanical, neurological, structural, infectious, vascular, or surgical pathology that benefits from early specialist assessment.
Patients often benefit when one physician evaluates the entire foot and ankle rather than treating only a single symptom. Foot and ankle specialists diagnose and manage sports injuries, biomechanical disorders, diabetic limb-threatening pathology, wounds, deformities, arthritis, nerve disorders, infections, and surgical conditions. Early specialist evaluation often clarifies the diagnosis, coordinates appropriate treatment, and determines when physical therapy, wound care, vascular care, orthopedics, or surgery is appropriate.
When Early Podiatric Evaluation Improves Outcomes
These resources help clarify when early podiatric evaluation may improve diagnosis, streamline treatment, and reduce delays in care:
- When to Refer
(Choosing The Right Foot And Ankle Specialist For Comprehensive Care) - Foot Pain vs PT
(When to Refer Foot Pain to a Podiatrist Instead of Physical Therapy) - Diabetic Foot Ulcers
(When a Diabetic Foot Ulcer Should Be Seen by a Podiatrist First) - Foot Fractures
(Foot Fracture? Why Early Podiatric Evaluation Can Prevent Delays) - Podiatry vs Orthopedics
(Not Every Foot Problem Belongs in Orthopedics) - Foot Infections
(Foot Infections & Urgent Limb Preservation) - Second Opinions
(Second Opinion Foot Surgery) - Charcot Foot
(Charcot Foot & Bony Prominence Management) - Failed Conservative Care
(Failed Conservative Care Referral Guide) - Podiatry Misconceptions
(Modern Podiatry As A Comprehensive Foot And Ankle Medical Specialty) - International Podiatry
(International Podiatry And Integrated Foot & Ankle Care)
The goal is not to keep every patient within one specialty. The goal is to ensure every patient receives a comprehensive foot and ankle evaluation before care becomes unnecessarily fragmented.
When to Refer a Patient
“If the pathology is below the tibial tuberosity and you’re not sure what it is, that’s a reasonable time to involve a foot and ankle specialist.” -Dr. Hoy
Consider referral for patients with:
Pain and Injury
• Persistent heel pain or plantar fasciitis
• Ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability
• Stress fractures or traumatic injuries
• Tendon injuries and ligament sprains
• Sports-related foot or ankle conditions
Deformities
• Bunions or hallux rigidus
• Hammertoes and forefoot deformities
• Neuromas or nerve pain
• Structural or biomechanical abnormalities affecting gait
Diabetic and High-Risk Patients
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Charcot arthropathy
• Neuropathy or vascular-related foot complications
• Patients at risk for limb loss
Patients with peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes-related foot risk, painful dystrophic nails, prior ulceration, or history of amputation may benefit from specialized foot and ankle specialty evaluation and preventive limb-preservation care.
Skin, Nail, and Infection Issues
• Ingrown toenails
• Chronic skin and nail disorders
• Foot infections or slow-healing wounds
Refer patients for comprehensive foot and ankle evaluation—not just an isolated service.
If a patient has foot or ankle symptoms, diabetic foot concerns, deformity, sports injuries, wounds, nail disorders, or requires surgical evaluation, a comprehensive assessment allows related conditions to be identified and the appropriate course of care to be determined.
Not sure when to refer to podiatry? Review Common Misconceptions About Podiatry for Primary Care Physicians for evidence-based clarification on today’s scope of practice.
Partner With a Trusted Foot and Ankle Specialist in Seattle
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center welcomes referrals from physicians, surgeons, urgent care providers, wound care teams, physical therapists, and other health professionals throughout the Seattle and Puget Sound region. Most new referrals can be scheduled within several business days, and urgent cases are accommodated as quickly as possible.
Dr. J. John Hoy, DPM, FACFAS, FFPM RCPS (Glasg) is a dual board-certified foot and ankle physician and surgeon with more than 25 years of clinical experience. His training was based at the University of California San Francisco/Stanford University Medical Center. He serves on the clinical faculty of the University of Washington School of Medicine and has instructed residents of the Swedish Cherry Hill Family Medicine Residency Program since 2005.
Since 1990, Seattle Foot and Ankle Center has provided medical, biomechanical, and surgical care for foot and ankle conditions throughout the Seattle region.
Why Healthcare Providers Refer to Dr. Hoy
Healthcare professionals across the Seattle region refer their patients to Seattle Foot and Ankle Center because of Dr. Hoy’s expertise, experience, and accessibility.
Any time your patients require an expert for a simple or complex foot and ankle condition, we offer dual board-certified, medical and surgical care. Dr. Hoy is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. This provides patients and referring providers assurance that lower-extremity diagnosis, biomechanical treatment, reconstructive surgery, and conservative care are evidence-based and pathology-specific.
Key advantages include:
• Dual board certification in foot and ankle medicine and surgery
• More than 25 years of clinical experience in foot and ankle care
• Hospital surgical privileges at Swedish Medical Center
• Clinical faculty member at the University of Washington School of Medicine
• Experience managing both common and complex lower-extremity conditions
• Expertise in diabetic limb preservation and wound care
• Advanced treatment options including custom orthotics and shockwave therapy
• Collaborative communication with referring physicians
Why Early Foot and Ankle Specialist Referral Matters
Many lower-extremity conditions initially appear routine but may involve underlying biomechanical, neurological, vascular, infectious, or structural pathology requiring specialized evaluation.
Early referral to a dedicated foot and ankle specialist may help:
• Reduce delayed diagnosis
• Prevent progression of deformity or ulceration
• Improve offloading and biomechanical management
• Reduce prolonged pain and functional limitation
• Avoid unnecessary fragmentation of care
• Identify conditions requiring surgical management
• Improve limb preservation outcomes in high-risk patients
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center provides conservative, rehabilitative, procedural, and surgical care, allowing many patients to receive comprehensive foot and ankle care within a single specialty practice.
Specialized Areas of Care
Our specialized areas of care include diabetic limb preservation, sports medicine and biomechanics, non-surgical treatment, rehabilitation, and reconstructive foot and ankle surgery.
Diabetic Limb Preservation and High-Risk Foot Care
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center provides specialized medical and surgical management of diabetic foot complications and high-risk lower-extremity conditions including ulceration, infection, neuropathy, Charcot arthropathy, vascular-risk foot pathology, and limb-threatening wounds.
Care may include:
• Sharp wound and surgical debridement
• Infection evaluation and management
• Offloading and biomechanical pressure reduction
• Surgical management when medically necessary
• Coordination with vascular, infectious disease, wound care, and primary care teams
• Ongoing preventive limb-preservation care
Early specialist involvement may help reduce hospitalization, recurrent ulceration, and risk of amputation.
When Diabetic Foot Ulcers Require Foot and Ankle Specialist Evaluation
Consider referral when there is:
- recurrent ulceration
- exposed bone
- deformity causing abnormal pressure
- Charcot arthropathy
- equinus deformity
- plantar bony prominence
- concern for osteomyelitis
- need for surgical offloading
Many diabetic foot wounds involve underlying biomechanical or structural pathology that may require specialist intervention beyond local wound care alone.
Early specialist involvement may improve limb preservation outcomes.
Why Wound Closure Is Not the Same as Limb Preservation
Many diabetic foot wounds can be closed temporarily while the underlying deformity, abnormal pressure, Charcot arthropathy, equinus, neuropathy, or gait pathology remains untreated.
Successful limb preservation focuses not only on wound closure but also on identifying and addressing the underlying factors contributing to recurrent ulceration, infection, hospitalization, and amputation risk.
Early foot and ankle specialist involvement may help reduce recurrence and improve long-term limb preservation outcomes.
Sports Medicine, Biomechanics and Lower Extremity Injury Care
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center evaluates and treats both acute and chronic lower-extremity injuries, including plantar fasciitis, tendon disorders, ligament injuries, stress fractures, forefoot pathology, gait abnormalities, and sports-related overuse conditions.
Evaluation includes biomechanical assessment, structural analysis, imaging when appropriate, and treatment directed at the underlying pathology.
Patients are evaluated for underlying pathology contributing to recurrent injury, chronic pain, or functional instability rather than symptom management alone.
Advanced Non-Surgical Treatments
Dr. Hoy has focused expertise in biomechanics and orthotic therapy. Prescription orthotics are crafted to fit the contours of each patient’s feet precisely and support the way they move. Orthotics are only manufactured after a complete evaluation of the feet, ankles, and legs, ensuring they accommodate each patient’s unique foot structure and pathology. Clinical research studies have shown that foot and ankle specialist-prescribed orthotics decrease foot pain and improve function by changing the way ground reactive forces hit the feet—similar to how eyeglasses adjust the angle of light entering the eyes.
- Custom orthotic therapy
- Extracorporeal shockwave therapy
- Biomechanical evaluation and treatment
- Individualized foot and ankle rehabilitation
- Conservative management of chronic conditions
Dr. Hoy provides individualized foot and ankle rehabilitation for appropriate musculoskeletal conditions, including tendon disorders, plantar heel pain, ankle instability, bone stress injuries, and sports-related overuse conditions. Rehabilitation may be provided as part of podiatric care or coordinated with physical therapy when additional or specialized rehabilitation is appropriate. Learn more about Foot & Ankle Rehabilitation.
Reconstructive Foot & Ankle Surgery
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center provides reconstructive surgical management for forefoot deformities, tendon pathology, instability, fractures, diabetic complications, and complex lower-extremity conditions when conservative care is no longer sufficient.
Procedures may include bunion correction, hammertoe reconstruction, tendon and ligament repair, fracture management, wound-related reconstruction, and surgical off-loading procedures designed to preserve long-term function and mobility.
Dr. Hoy performs surgery at Swedish Medical Center, including the Ballard Campus and Redmond Ambulatory Surgery Center.
Conditions That May Require Diagnosis Before Rehabilitation
While physical therapy plays an important role in recovery, certain foot and ankle conditions may benefit from specialist evaluation before rehabilitation begins. Early diagnosis can help identify structural, biomechanical, neuropathic, or surgical pathology that may not improve with rehabilitation alone.
Some conditions require diagnostic clarity prior to physical therapy:
- stress fractures
- tendon tears
- Lisfranc injuries
- Charcot arthropathy
- posterior tibial tendon dysfunction
- severe ankle instability
Early diagnosis may help prevent delayed healing, progression of deformity, or inappropriate loading.
Medical Nail Care Referral Guidelines
Medical nail debridement may be appropriate for patients with qualifying medical conditions that place them at increased risk for foot complications, including:
• Peripheral neuropathy, including diabetic loss of protective sensation
• History of lower-extremity amputation
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Painful dystrophic, thickened, ingrown, or pathologic nails
Medical nail debridement at Seattle Foot and Ankle Center is performed as part of a comprehensive foot and ankle medical evaluation focused on identifying and managing risk factors for ulceration, infection, falls, mobility impairment, hospitalization, and limb-threatening complications.
Foot care services are integrated into ongoing preventive foot health and limb preservation management for high-risk patients and are not provided as routine grooming services.
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center evaluates and manages the full spectrum of lower-extremity conditions, including diabetic foot complications, neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, wounds, infections, musculoskeletal disorders, deformities, and other conditions affecting foot and ankle function.
The practice does not provide routine cosmetic nail trimming, pedicure services, fingernail care, or convenience nail care. Referring providers are encouraged to include relevant diagnoses and risk factors as above when requesting evaluation. Patients seeking routine nail trimming without an underlying qualifying medical condition may be better served by community foot care nurses, senior center foot care programs, or medical pedicure providers.
Urgent Foot and Ankle Referrals Welcome
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center can often accommodate urgent referrals for conditions requiring prompt specialist evaluation.
Common urgent referrals include:
• Acute ankle sprains and fractures
• Severe heel pain or inability to walk
• Diabetic foot infections or ulcers
• Suspected Charcot arthropathy
• Foot wounds or infections
• Sports injuries
• Post-injury swelling or instability
Whenever possible, urgent patients are evaluated within a few days.
Early specialist evaluation can help prevent complications and reduce recovery time.
Second Opinions for Foot and Ankle Conditions
Dr. Hoy frequently evaluates patients seeking a second opinion regarding foot or ankle surgery.
Referring providers often request consultation for:
• Bunions or forefoot deformities
• Failed previous surgery
• Chronic heel pain
• Complex foot or ankle injuries
• Diabetic limb preservation
Our goal is to provide objective evaluation and clear treatment recommendations that support both the patient and referring provider.
For a full list of conditions managed by our practice, please see foot and ankle conditions we treat.
Collaborative Care for Seattle Providers
We work closely with a wide range of healthcare professionals including:
• Primary care physicians
• Orthopedic surgeons
• Physical therapists
• Wound care specialists
• Endocrinologists
• Urgent care providers
• Nursing facilities and home health providers
Our practice regularly participates in multidisciplinary care teams for complex cases, particularly those involving diabetes, trauma, and wound care.
Referring providers receive clear consultation reports and treatment updates to support ongoing patient care.
Collaboration With Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialists
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center frequently collaborates with orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians, and rehabilitation specialists in the evaluation and management of complex lower-extremity conditions. Dr. Hoy’s practice focuses exclusively on disorders of the foot and ankle, allowing for detailed biomechanical evaluation and specialized surgical and non-surgical treatment of forefoot and midfoot pathology.
Orthopedic colleagues often refer patients for consultation, second opinions, forefoot reconstruction, diabetic limb preservation, or complex biomechanical pathology, including bunions, hammertoes, neuromas, chronic heel pain, diabetic foot complications, and complex forefoot deformities. When appropriate, Dr. Hoy works closely with the referring surgeon to coordinate care and return the patient to their primary orthopedic provider for ongoing management.
Insurance and Patient Access
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center accepts most major insurance plans, including:
• Cigna
• Aetna
• Regence
• Premera
• United Healthcare
• Kaiser Permanente
• Medicare
• First Choice
• Lifewise
• Providence
• Meritain
• Ambetter (Core Plan only)
Medicaid is accepted only as a secondary or tertiary insurance to another plan such as Medicare. We do not accept Medicaid primary, or Medicaid managed care plans such as United Healthcare Community Care, Coordinated Care, Community Health Plan of Washington, Molina Healthcare, or Wellpoint. Further, we are prohibited from accepting private pay for patients on these plans. Please call the insurance to confirm that Dr. Jinwah John Hoy, podiatrist, NPI number 1104820653, is on your patient’s insurance plan.
Our office can help verify insurance coverage prior to scheduling.
What Local Providers Say
Healthcare professionals throughout the Seattle area regularly refer their patients to Dr. Hoy.
“Thanks again for the great teaching, and know that you’re my first choice for a podiatry referral.” – MD
“Our patients really value your care and we are lucky to have you in our community.” – MD
“Dr. Hoy is an exceptional doctor of podiatry—kind, thorough, and highly skilled.” – ND
“Comprehensive exam and conservative treatment by a kind and experienced podiatric surgeon.” – DDS
Read additional patient testimonials
We appreciate the opportunity to partner with you in providing the highest level of foot and ankle care to patients throughout the Seattle community.
Seattle Foot and Ankle Center serves as a referral destination for diabetic foot ulcers, Charcot foot, limb preservation, foot wounds, sports injuries, ankle instability, bunions, hammertoes, reconstructive foot surgery, custom orthotics, and complex foot and ankle conditions throughout Seattle and the Puget Sound region.
In pain? Don’t wait. Early treatment leads to faster recovery. Urgent appointments available. Read about Conditions We Treat. Request an Appointment 5am-5pm M-F or online. Call: 206-682-8741 or Contact Us. If you like our content, please link it to your website and Collaborate With Us. Thank you.