Wound Care Clinic to open at St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- A state-of-the-art outpatient wound care clinic offering advanced medical treatments will open at St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital on Oct. 22, 2012.

Staffed by board-certified specialists to treat a variety of injuries, St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital Wound Care Clinic is the only outpatient hospital-based wound care clinic in the South Montgomery County and North Harris County area. It is also the only clinic in The Woodlands and South Montgomery County to offer the technologically advanced hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) chamber treatment. HBOT aids in the healing process by delivering high-pressure oxygen to diseased or damaged tissues caused by diabetes, poor circulation, necrotizing infections, or radiation tissue damage.

The Wound Care Clinic at St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital treats a variety of wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, venous leg ulcers, arterial ulcers, neuropathic ulcers, surgical and trauma wounds and other non-healing wounds.

In addition to HBOT, the clinic uses advanced treatments to help reduce pain and speed the healing process, such as wound debridement (growth factor stimulation and removal of dead skin and tissue), skin substitutes, including bio-engineered skin and negative pressure wound dressings.

Caroline Fife, MD, serves as the clinic’s medical director. Board certified and fellowship trained in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine, Dr. Fife has been a Certified Wound Specialist since 1998. She currently co-edits the journal Today’s Wound Clinic and has led the development of many novel wound treatment techniques.

“Chronic wounds are a large and growing condition that afflicts approximately 6.5 million Americans,” Dr. Fife said. “With the opening of St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital Wound Care Clinic on the hospital campus, patients with chronic wound conditions now have access to advanced wound healing treatment conveniently located within their community.”

Dr. Fife received her bachelor’s and medical degree from Texas A&M University College of Medicine. After a residency in Family Medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, she completed a two-year fellowship in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine at Duke University.

“We are delighted to announce the addition of our new wound care clinic, which complements our growing service lines as we continue to meet the needs of our increasing population by providing clinically advanced options with Faithful, Loving Care®,” said Debra F. Sukin, CEO, St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital and St. Luke's Lakeside Hospital, and Senior Vice President, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System.