In the rapidly evolving field of foot and ankle care, medical advancements and shifting patients’ expectations drive the need for innovative treatment technologies. With their finger on the pulse, New Mexico Foot and Ankle Institute (NMFAI) is embracing advanced treatment technologies to offer comprehensive care to patients in the Albuquerque area.
Since its founding in 2002, this award-winning practice has prioritized giving patients a variety of treatment choices, allowing them to make informed decisions about their health. As a part of this mission, they continuously seek opportunities to expand services. One such advancement was the integration of MLS Laser Therapy, a non-invasive and drug-free option for managing pain and inflammation.
“We’ve always worked really hard to be an all-inclusive type of practice that offered all of the latest and greatest treatment options for patients,” shared Nathan Ivey, DPM, co-owner of NMFAI. “We’re always striving to be the top of our field and perform to the highest level possible. When laser therapy became an option, that was something that just naturally fit into our practice.”
MLS Laser Therapy uses near-infrared light to stimulate cellular activity, accelerating the body’s natural healing processes and reducing pain and inflammation.
NMFAI initially introduced a manually operated MLS Laser device to the practice. However, with multiple medical assistants on staff administering the therapy, inconsistencies between treatment techniques ultimately lead to inconsistent results. This made it difficult for physicians and staff to set proper expectations with patients, which ultimately hindered growth of their laser program.
“Even though we were training staff, they were still not always doing it the same,” Dr. Ivey admits. These variations in technique led to unpredictable patient outcomes, limiting staff confidence in recommending the therapy.
Knowing that laser therapy was underutilized in the practice, Dr. Ivey sought to address these challenges. On a mission to improve treatment consistency and staff confidence, he began exploring different technologies and discovered the Robotic M7 MLS Therapy Laser.
“As someone who’s been using a non-robotic laser for a number of years, our hope with the new M7 Laser was that we would be able to consistently get good results and be able to reproduce what was happening from treatment to treatment.”
Unlike manual laser systems, the M7 Laser’s robotic delivery system autonomously scans the treatment area, ensuring even energy distribution and consistent results.
To maximize the effectiveness of this transition, Dr. Ivey worked closely with NMFAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Karen Perez, to develop a comprehensive integration plan focusing on staff training, protocol development, patient education, and marketing.
After identifying low staff confidence as a constraint on the growth of their laser program, training became a top priority, and the investment paid off.
“With some good training up front, we were able to launch our new laser successfully and saw an immediate response from both patients and staff on how well it was working,” Dr. Ivey exclaims.
Through improved training efforts and the consistency of the robotic laser, NMFAI saw immediate improvements in patient outcomes. As staff confidence grew, so did patient adoption, creating a self-sustaining cycle of increased referrals and successful treatments.
“Our patients are seeing almost universally good results with the MLS Laser,” Dr. Ivey acknowledges. His post-operative patients, in particular, have responded well. “They notice the swelling going down. They notice their pain going away. They comment about it regularly— more so than almost anything else that we do.”
With the implementation of the robotic M7 Laser and a structured training program, NMFAI doubled their laser therapy revenue while steadily increasing patient volume. Expecting continued growth, Dr. Ivey and his team remain committed to refining protocols and providing ongoing staff education to sustain the program’s success.
