New wound clinic in Riverton will help the growing number of people with chronic wounds heal better and faster

“We now have wound care specialists in the southwest valley along with the technology and equipment to evaluate chronic wounds and help them heal better and faster, thus providing a better quality of life for our patients,” says Bill Tettelbach, MD, medical director for Wound Care Services at Intermountain Healthcare. “Most importantly, we can save limbs and save lives.”
 
The new location in Riverton will greatly reduce travel time for wound patients, who typically need treatment one to two times per week over an extended period of time.
 
Chronic wounds, or wounds that are slow to heal, currently affect 6.5 million people in the U.S. and that number will likely increase, according to the National Institutes of Health. If untreated, chronic wounds can lead to loss of limbs or even death. The epidemic is largely unknown because individuals with slow-healing wounds often have another chronic condition that can result in death.
 
Chronic wounds are increasing for several reasons including a sharp rise in the prevalence of obesity (which is strongly associated with the development of diabetes), an aging population, and a rapidly expanding need for wound care services for veterans.
 
“The body has tremendous ability to heal itself, but sometimes it needs extra help,” says Dr. Tettelbach. “The Wound Clinic at Riverton Hospital can treat chronic conditions such as diabetic wounds, pressure ulcers (bed sores), ulcers related to swelling in the lower legs and feet, vascular wounds and lesions due to an injury, accident, surgery or exposure to chemicals, that aren’t healing properly.”
 
Individuals susceptible to bed sores include those who are bedridden, wheelchair-bound, suffer from impaired sensation, or are malnourished. 
 
“Specialized treatments at the clinic use state-of-the art equipment to ensure optimal temperature, moisture, and pressure on wounds to promote healing,” Dr. Tettelbach says. “Patients are taught to reduce the chance of infection or keep new wounds from occurring by learning how to keep the wound dry, clean, intact, and promote blood flow.”
 
The wound clinic team at Riverton includes an infectious disease specialist, advanced practice clinicians, and other caregivers with a combined total of 30 years of experience in wound care who can design and provide individualized wound treatment care plans for a variety of conditions.
 
The wound clinic at Riverton Hospital is open Mondays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s located at 3741 West 12600 South, suite 220 in Riverton.
 
To make an appointment, call 801-285-2290. Click here for more information.