ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF - Our Excellent Team

Elsa - Medical Office Administrator

Hi my name is Elsa. I am qualified in medical billing and insurance coding graduating at the top of my class with honors. I have specialized training in podiatry surgical assiting. I also speak fluent spanish.

I am involved in patient care services, medical assiting, and as a liason between patients, doctors, and insurance companies. I look forward to serving your needs for foot and ankle care with our doctor.

Dr. Richard Tu

Hi my name is Dr. Richard Tu. I'm a native San Diegan. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your healthcare needs. I perform surgical procedures with affiliations at Paradise Valley Hospital, and local Surgery Centers. I am proud to be on staff these hospitals because they demonstrate high quality of care delivered by doctors who make decisions based on the best interests of their patients. PVH is ranked as the 15 Top Health systems in the nation by Thompson Reuters 2012.

The surgery centers that I participate with are Coast Orthopedic and Arthroscopic Surgery Center and Physican's Surgery Surgery Center at Alvarado.

I received my undergraduate degree from UC San Diego in Biochemistry and my Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree at CSPM in San Francisco in 2004. I trained as as a guest at UTHSC San Antonio, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Harvard), Cambridge Hospital (Harvard), and at Yale-New Haven Hospital (Yale).

I completed an three year Advanced Surgical Residency at St. Mary's Medical Center and UCSF. It was a honor for me to be one of the top three doctors chosen among my peers to be at St. Mary's Medical Center. I was trained in Plastic Surgery as well as Foot and Ankle Reconstruction. In addition, I also had a clinical teaching appointment at CSPM and UCSF teaching podiatry students, medical students and interns/residents. I have extensive experience in plastic surgery, orthopedic trauma, and the diabetic foot.

The hospitals I trained at included St. Mary's Medical Center, Sisters of St. Mary's Clinic, San Francisco General Hospital/UCSF, Highland (Oakland) General Hospital, Seton Medical Center, Kaiser San Francisco, as well as Kaiser Santa Rosa. The faculty I have trained with are the best on the Western United States.

I enjoy spending time to teaching patients using new technology available. Overall, I have 7 years of specialized education and training about the foot and ankle, and no I am not attracted to people's feet. =)
My learning and excellence does not end because I am a proud member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and Foot Health Facts.

I have specialized interests in flatfoot repair, laser toenail treatment, failed foot surgery, failed ankle surgery, restoration, and preventive medicine.

I speak both Vietnamese and conversational Spanish. I keep up with current medical procedures and the standard of care. I treat patients no less than my own family members.

In my leisure time I enjoy telling my staff silly jokes, excercizing, maintaining our office saltwater fish tank, going to the Zoo, SeaWorld, and Legoland with my family.

Thanks for visting our website,

Proven leaders. Lifelong learners. Changing lives.

Richard Tu, DPM, AACFAS
Foot and Ankle Specialist

Dr. Tu also trained under various well known authors of texts and experts:

Foot and Ankle Certificates Held:

Affiliated Hospitals

Medical Consultant

Affiliations & Memberships

• American Board of Podiatric Surgery (ABPS)
• American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS)
• American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA)
• California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA)
• San Diego County Podiatric Medical Association (SDCPMA)
• American Diabetes Association (ADA)
• City Heights Business Association
• Teaching site Kaplan MA and MOA Program
• Teaching site Concorde MA and MOA Program
• Teaching site UEI MOA Program

"Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest." - Mark Twain

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