Page 82 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2016
P. 82

HEALTHY LIVING physician driven care
WEMAKEA The Wound Healing Center at Garden Park Medical Center
Most of the time, wounds heal in a reasonable amount of time. However, there are cases when wounds linger and won’t heal. These patients may have illnesses that delay healing and require extra attention for wounds. The Wound
Healing Center at Garden Park Medical Center opened in 2001 with the slogan, We Make a Difference. Patients may refer themselves or be referred to the Center by a physician.
Director Paula Fairbanks says the hands-on treatment by the center’s physicians sets the facility apart from other wound healing centers. “Our care is physician driven rather than physical therapy driven. The doctors spend one-on-one time with patients,” she said. “The doctors clean the wound and establish a plan of care; the patient is seen by the physician in a face to face encounter 99% of the time.”
A nurse of 30 years who has advanced training in wound care, Fairbanks stresses that education is a big part of Garden Park’s Wound Healing Center. “We help our patients with chronic and difficult to heal wounds, and we teach the patients and caregivers how to continue that care. It’s part of their cumulative therapy,” she said.
There is an individual plan for each patient that may include ordering blood work, tests or other treatment
in addition to wound care. “We look at patient care holistically which may include healthy living and lifestyle coaching such as nutrition,” Fairbanks said. “We can
also help patients get proper authorization for insurance coverage.”
Lynn Leatherwood, M.D., is the medical director. “I like that we treat people over time and are able to develop relationships with them; it’s rewarding,” he said. “We can also work with them on other problems.”
82 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2016
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