Step into comfort

Dr. Brad Wiemken recalls hanging around his dad’s podiatry office after school as a kid.

“I remember hearing him talking to patients, and I knew I wanted to go into medicine,” he says.

Dr. Brad recently joined his dad, Dr. Greg Wiemken, at the family-operated Wiemken Foot & Ankle Clinic, in Strongsville. 

Dr. Greg has been caring for feet in Strongsville and surrounding communities for more than 35 years. He calls Dr. Brad the “surgery guru” in the practice.

“Brad does the more common procedures, like bunion, hammer toe and heel spur corrections, but he also expands into more complex surgeries, like ruptured tendons, ankle fractures and sports injuries,” Dr. Greg says. “Brad graduated from medical school at the top of his class a couple years ago and just completed one of the top residency programs in the country. It covered all the hospitals in the greater Cleveland and Akron area, including Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth and the Veterans Administration. He has literally logged more than 1,000 cases in the last couple of years. I'm very proud of him and what he's accomplished already.”

Dr. Brad says he explored other fields of medicine before deciding to follow in his dad’s footsteps.

“It came down to my experiences with my dad and seeing how he treats people,” he explains. “It just seemed like a really good fit to join his practice.”

Dr. Brad said he liked the idea of working in an independent practice rather than a large hospital system.

“Brad had ample opportunities after finishing his residency program to work for places like the Cleveland Clinic, where he could show up from eight to four, do his thing and then go home at the end of the day,” Dr. Greg emphasized. “But I think he really appreciates what I've gotten out of the practice—the friendships, being a part of the community, and getting to know patients and their families for many years. That’s a big part of what sets us apart from the larger podiatry practices.”

Another benefit of a private practice versus a big hospital system is easy access to your doctor, Dr. Brad adds.

“In the hospital systems it’s kind of hard to always get in contact with your doctor or get an appointment right away,” he says. “Our patients know that they can always reach us, and they can often get same-day appointments.”

Fairness and quality care have been critical components that have driven the clinic for more than 35 years, Dr. Greg said.

“We don’t look at patients with a dollar sign painted on them,” he says. “There are chain stores that will sell you corrective shoes and inserts for $1,500, which is ridiculous. Our top priority is making people feel better. One of the nice things about our profession is that when someone comes in with a problem, they usually leave the office feeling better than when they came in, which is kind of rare in medicine these days. With medication, injections or even doing minor procedures here in the office, we can usually help people out right away.”

Dr. Brad and his wife Allison, a pediatric nurse practitioner, live in Bay Village with their black lab.

“We met down at Ohio State, where we had a lot of classes together,” Dr. Brad says.

In addition to their Strongsville office, the Wiemkens plan to open a new location in Brunswick—Allison’s hometown—by the end of March. They also have an office at Southwest General Health Center, where Dr. Brad has surgical privileges. 

You can make an appointment and learn more about Wiemken Foot & Ankle Clinic online at WiemkenFootAndAnkle.com or by calling 440-238-1560. The clinic is located at 15294 Pearl Road, in Strongsville.