Highland Community Hospital Opens Wound Healing Center

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (April 20, 2023) Highland Community Hospital in Picayune, one of the regional hospital facilities under the Forrest Health umbrella, opened a new Wound Healing Center on April 20. The Center is located on the first floor in the outpatient department and is staffed by a unique team of doctors, nurses, and techs who are especially successful at caring for people whose open sores have resisted traditional treatment.

The Wound Healing Center specializes in the treatment of patients with serious injuries and conditions that could lead to amputation if not treated and properly managed. Some of these wounds include diabetic foot or leg ulcers, leg ulcers due to poor circulation, soft tissue infections, bone infections, preservation of skin grafts, burns, pressure-related injuries, and crash injuries.

Problem wounds rarely result from a single cause. Our medical team treats the whole person, not just the wound. A treatment plan is tailored to meet your specific needs in close collaboration with your primary care physician and/or referring physician. Strong emphasis is placed on patient education and proper nutrition, with the goal of preventing the wound from reoccurring and reducing the likelihood of future problems.

For certain medical conditions, the use of Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is needed. This is one of the most successful and sought-after treatments in wound care. HBO increases oxygen in the patient’s blood, allowing oxygen to pass more easily through the plasma and into the wounds to heal them. The patient receives treatment in a HBO chamber, which delivers 100 percent oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure. Medical science has shown that this provides elevated systemic levels of oxygen to enhance the body's ability to heal. Though each patient responds differently to the therapy, the average patient will receive 20 - 40 HBO treatments to heal a problem wound. Your doctor will determine whether HBO is an appropriate part of your treatment plan. This treatment is done at Forrest General Hospital’s Wound Healing Center.

Other Forrest Health Wound Healing Centers can be found at Walthall General Hospital in Tylertown, and Pearl River Community Hospital in Poplarville. A referral is needed from your primary care physician in order to seek treatment at the Wound Healing Center.

For more information, visit forresthealth.org/woundcare.