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Put your best foot forward
When you see two podiatrists together, it usually means something is afoot. In the Childers’ case, it could just mean date night. Samantha Childers and her husband, Ricky, are both podiatrists who have recently opened up their second practice location in Roanoke.
After spending 15 years in San Francisco, many years in training, and starting a family, the couple felt as though they needed a different place to call home. Samantha had grown up in the Roanoke area, while Ricky was from West Virginia, and both craved a more wholesome, small-town community that was more in line with their personal values. So, they packed up and moved to the Colleyville neighborhood that Samantha had grown up in, into a house across from her father.
“We’ve always been drawn to Roanoke,” said Samantha.
“It’s still a very small town with rolling hills. The majority of people who are here are very family-oriented and are just good people.”
Seven years after opening their first location in Decatur, now that their three girls are out of diapers and into schools, the podiatry duo embarked on a new journey - opening up their second location. However, as no one could have anticipated, after a strong opening in January of 2020 the practice slowed down, and then eventually temporarily closed due to COVID-19. They reopened in June with the hope that things will slowly return to normal.
The effects of the pandemic haven't broken the Childers’ spirit, who lean on their faith so wholly that they even incorporate it into their core values as a business. Before opening up their practice, the couple sat down together and wrote out what they felt was important to embody as a practice and a team.
North Central Texas Foot & Ankle has seven core values, which can be found on their website and their doors, each with a corresponding Bible verse that serves as both an explanation and a reminder. These core values are God-honoring, Respect, Kindness, Community-impacting, Innovation, Excellence, and Integrity.
“Those are the important things to us and patient-care comes naturally through those,” said Samantha. “I think as long as we keep our focus on our core values, then the rest will fall into place.”
Since both have worked at larger institutions, Samantha emphasized how much she and her husband appreciated having a say in how they get to treat their patients, as well as how they run their practice.
“We can either do a procedure, or we can help them in a way that we're not having to really push Big Pharma or medicine,” said Samantha. “We really are a Christ-centered practice, we put patients first and want to give excellent care, and that’s hard to do when you’re working for a big multi-specialty group.”
The current pandemic hasn’t only affected businesses, but people's bodies as well. Since a majority of the nation is working from home, unable to exercise at their gym, or skipping their monthly pedicures, the Childers’ are seeing an uptick in foot ailments. These include ingrown toenails and plantar fasciitis. They are even seeing a rise in foot issues in children who are returning to seasonal sports after having so much time off of not properly exercising their bodies.
Whatever foot and ankle issues arise, Samantha and Ricky are ready to help the community get back on their feet with comprehensive and compassionate care.
For more information, North Central Texas Foot & Ankle can be found at 351 W Byron Nelson Blvd, Suite 100, Roanoke, Texas, online at www.nctfa.com any by phone at (817) 674-7494.
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