EVANSTON — Dr. Jesse E. Riley was awarded a certification by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine for Amputation Prevention and Wound Care. Only 100 physicians in the country have earned this additional certification.

A podiatrist is a physician with medical and surgical training focused specifically on feet and ankles. Feet are especially vulnerable to foot injuries and wounds. Diabetic foot ulcers, pressure sores, and infections can also lead to foot wounds that need specialized treatment. Some wounds even require amputation when complicated by chronic conditions.

“As a foot and ankle specialist, I am committed to providing my patients with excellent care, every time,” Riley said. “I earned this certification because no patient likes to hear their foot needs to be amputated. With every patient I treat, my hope is to save limbs and give patients the opportunity to walk again.”

Evanston Regional Hospital CEO Jeremy Davis said, “Our goal at Evanston Regional Hospital is to offer quality healthcare close to home. It starts with quality physicians, like Dr. Riley. We applaud him on earning this prestigious national certification.”

To earn the certification, Dr. Riley had to demonstrate expertise in wound care in a hospital setting, with more than 1,200 hours of documented specialized wound care, and pass an examination in wound care and amputation prevention.

Throughout the world, one leg is amputated every 30 seconds due to diabetes. A foot ulcer is the initial event in more than 85 percent of major amputations of people with diabetes. The average 130-pound person places as much as 1.5 million pounds of weight on their feet each day.

Dr. Riley is a board-certified podiatric surgeon who practices in Evanston and Lyman. He is a member of the medical staff at ERH.