After moving to Sulphur Springs seven years ago, Dr. Scott McDearmont found a welcome home in Hopkins County for his experience as a General Surgeon, a field in which he he continues to serve. Right now, as he and many other specialists are also lending their expertise where most needed. Dr. McDearmont is treating patients at the CHRISTUS Comprehensive Wound Healing Center, or Wound Care department.
Recently, McDearmont completed supplemental training in wound care and hyperbaric treatments and began seeing patients in the Wound Care Center, which is located at the West end parking lot of the hospital. He joins Dr. Bill Dietze and Dr. Antonio Reyes, also in Wound Care. According to McDearmont, “the patients we see have wounds which have shown a significant amount of resistance to healing during an ample amount of time using standard treatments. These non-healing wounds may be diabetic wounds, post-operative wounds or other types. Here we offer many types of therapies, including topical treatments, skin substitute options for healing, and including hyperbaric treatments. Patients may have seen their regular doctor and gotten a referral, or decided on their own to try more specialized care. These are the types of patients we like to help”.
According to McDearmont, Hyperbaric oxygen treatment was researched in the 1950’s and 60’s, and first utilized by the Air Force and Navy for treating wounds from diving injuries. Today we know that when tissue is injured, it requires an increased amount of oxygen to survive and to heal. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry, which promotes healing from the inside out. Today’s wound care can utilize a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which the patient passes through, similar to an MRI chamber. A series of these oxygen treatments can bring satisfying results for many patients.
To be seen in the Comprehensive Wound Healing Center, you can be referred by your doctor, or you can come in by appointment. Sabrina Ball is Director of the Wound Care Center at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs, and is part of a highly-qualified four-nurse team which brings a total of 42 years of wound care experience. Ball stated “Patients can access our Wound Care Center from the western side of the hospital nearest The Gardens and EMS. We are inside the glass sliding doors, and curbside entry is provided. It is only a few steps to the doors, and anyone in a wheelchair or on a walker finds our Wound Care Center very easily accessible. Reach us by phone at 903-438-4670 and our staff is in Monday through Friday 8am til 5pm”.
