Medically Reviewed | Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM | Board-Certified Podiatric Surgeon | Balance Foot & Ankle, Michigan
Quick Answer:
Quick Answer: Balance Foot & Ankle serves Northern Michigan patients from Alpena, Traverse City, Petoskey, and the Upper Lower Peninsula at our Howell office and via telehealth. Dr. Tom Biernacki provides complex foot and ankle evaluation, second opinions, and surgical consultation for northern Michigan residents. Call (517) 579-1881 or visit MichiganFootDoctors.com.
Northern Michigan’s communities—from Traverse City’s resort-economy hub to Alpena’s Great Lakes industrial heritage to Petoskey’s Gold Coast communities—face a common challenge in healthcare: subspecialty access. While Traverse City has improved specialist availability in recent years, communities like Alpena, Gaylord, Rogers City, and the Tip of the Mitt still rely heavily on traveling to southern Michigan for complex surgical consultation and subspecialty podiatric care. Balance Foot & Ankle’s Dr. Tom Biernacki serves Northern Michigan patients through a combination of telehealth consultation and in-person Howell office visits for patients who make the trip south.
Telehealth for Northern Michigan Patients
Telehealth has transformed specialist access for Northern Michigan patients who previously faced 2–4 hour drives for consultations that might last 15 minutes. Dr. Biernacki provides HIPAA-compliant telehealth consultations for Northern Michigan patients that accomplish everything possible remotely: review of clinical history, examination of patient-provided photographs and imaging reports, MRI and X-ray interpretation shared via secure portal, discussion of diagnosis and treatment options, prescription of medications and orthotics, and referral coordination. When in-person evaluation or procedures are genuinely necessary, patients make one focused trip to Howell rather than multiple exploratory visits.
Traverse City: Resort Community Foot Health
Traverse City’s resort economy—cherry orchards, wineries, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Traverse City Track Club—creates an active outdoor population with significant trail running, hiking, and cycling injury presentations. The Cherry Festival and active summer tourism economy means foot care demands peak during summer months. Traverse City Trojan athletics at TC Central and TC West high schools serve competitive student-athlete populations. Munson Medical Center provides regional healthcare infrastructure but subspecialty podiatric surgical expertise may require travel south.
Alpena: Industrial and Great Lakes Community
Alpena’s manufacturing and Great Lakes shipping heritage creates occupational foot health needs. Lafarge Holcim cement plant and Great Lakes Cement workers face long shifts on concrete floors with heavy footwear demands. MidMichigan Medical Center Alpena provides regional healthcare, but subspecialty podiatric surgical care typically requires travel to Saginaw, Flint, or further south. Dr. Biernacki provides telehealth consultation for Alpena patients to assess whether the trip south for in-person evaluation is warranted for their specific condition.
Complex Cases Warranting the Drive South
Northern Michigan patients who most benefit from making the trip to Balance Foot & Ankle’s Howell office include those requiring: surgical consultation for bunions, hammertoes, ankle instability, or Achilles tendon repair; second opinions on recommended surgical procedures; Charcot foot evaluation and bracing; total ankle replacement or ankle fusion evaluation; diabetic wound care for complex ulcers; and custom orthotic fabrication. For straightforward conditions managed conservatively, telehealth provides efficient care without travel burden. Call (517) 579-1881 or schedule online at MichiganFootDoctors.com.
Dr. Tom's Product Recommendations
Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX Waterproof Hiking Boot
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Waterproof trail and hiking boot with ankle support. Ideal for Northern Michigan’s diverse terrain—Sleeping Bear Dunes sand paths, North Country Trail rocky sections, and wet forest trails.
Dr. Tom says: “As a Traverse City trail runner, these boots handle everything from sand dunes to rocky North Country Trail sections. My ankles have been stable all season.”
Northern Michigan trail hiking, Sleeping Bear Dunes, North Country Trail, wet terrain
Post-surgical ankle patients requiring physician-prescribed footwear during recovery
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CURREX RunPro Insole for Trail and Road Running
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Dynamic running insole for Northern Michigan runners. Three arch height profiles for personalized fit. Reduces plantar fascia and Achilles tendon stress on northern Michigan’s varied terrain.
Dr. Tom says: “Traverse City Track Club member—these insoles resolved my plantar fasciitis for the Cherry Festival 5-mile race.”
Northern Michigan runners, trail athletes, cross-country and road racing
Severe structural deformity requiring custom-molded orthotics
Disclosure: We earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
✅ Pros / Benefits
- Telehealth consultation eliminates unnecessary 2–4 hour drives for Northern Michigan patients with conditions manageable remotely
- Subspecialty surgical expertise for complex conditions (Charcot, TAR, Lapidus) available with single focused in-person visit
- Northern Michigan trail and outdoor recreation injury patterns familiar to Dr. Biernacki
❌ Cons / Risks
- In-person visits from Traverse City or Alpena require significant travel commitment—best reserved for genuinely complex surgical cases
- Local Northern Michigan providers may be more appropriate for routine care and simple procedures
Dr. Tom Biernacki’s Recommendation
Northern Michigan patients have a special relationship with their healthcare providers—they’re accustomed to traveling for specialty care and they take the decision about where to go seriously. When a patient drives 2 hours from Traverse City or Alpena to see me, I want to make that visit count. I try to accomplish everything possible in one visit—examination, imaging review, diagnosis, treatment plan, and if applicable, scheduling. Telehealth initial consultations let me determine before they drive whether the in-person visit will be productive and what preparation they should do beforehand.
— Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM | Board-Certified Podiatric Surgeon | Balance Foot & Ankle
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Northern Michigan patients get telehealth consultations with Dr. Biernacki?
Yes. HIPAA-compliant telehealth is available for all Michigan patients regardless of location. Traverse City, Alpena, Petoskey, Gaylord, Rogers City, Charlevoix, and all Northern Michigan communities can access telehealth consultation at MichiganFootDoctors.com. Bring imaging reports, take clear photos of your foot or ankle, and prepare a summary of your symptoms for the most productive telehealth visit.
What conditions are worth driving from Northern Michigan to Balance Foot & Ankle?
In-person visits are most valuable for: surgical consultations requiring physical examination and weight-bearing X-rays, injection procedures (cortisone, PRP), custom orthotic fitting and fabrication, complex wound care requiring hands-on debridement, and pre-operative planning. Telehealth handles: symptom assessment, imaging review, medication management, diagnosis discussion, and post-operative follow-up for stable healing patients.
Does Balance Foot & Ankle serve Upper Peninsula patients?
Yes. UP patients are welcome to schedule telehealth consultations and in-person visits. Balance Foot & Ankle’s Howell office is 4–5 hours from the eastern UP (Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace) and 5–6 hours from the western UP (Marquette, Houghton). For UP patients, we prioritize maximally comprehensive telehealth and focused single in-person visits for cases requiring hands-on evaluation.
Can I coordinate care between my Northern Michigan provider and Dr. Biernacki?
Yes. Dr. Biernacki is happy to coordinate with local Northern Michigan providers, physical therapists, and primary care physicians. We can serve as the subspecialty consultant providing diagnosis, surgical recommendation, and treatment plan while local providers manage routine follow-up and rehabilitation. Clear communication between providers improves outcomes for geographically remote patients.
Michigan Foot Pain? See Dr. Biernacki In Person
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Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM is a double board-certified podiatrist and foot & ankle surgeon at Balance Foot & Ankle Specialists in Southeast Michigan. With over a decade of clinical experience, he specializes in heel pain, bunions, diabetic foot care, sports injuries, and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Biernacki is a member of the APMA and ACFAS, and his patient education content on MichiganFootDoctors.com and YouTube has reached over one million views.
- Plantar Fasciitis: Diagnosis and Conservative Management (PubMed)
- Plantar Fasciitis (APMA)
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis (PubMed / AAFP)
- Heel Pain (APMA)