Wound & Ostomy Care

No, you do not need a referral for wound or ostomy care at Sioux Center Health. While referrals from your physician or another healthcare provider are accepted and can be helpful, they are not required. You can contact us directly to schedule an appointment for the care you need.

Our wound care provider is specially trained in advanced wound and ostomy care. The training received is evidence based and consists of both didactic and hands-on learning for the treatment of chronic and acute wounds as well as ostomy care. Continuing education is completed to stay up to date with most current treatment options. 

Your treatment frequency depends on the type, severity, and complexity of your wound, as well as how it responds to care. Most patients are typically seen once a week, but some may need visits two or three times a week if their wound requires more frequent monitoring, dressing changes, or advanced therapies.

Your care team will evaluate your wound at each visit and adjust your treatment plan and visit frequency as you heal. The goal is to ensure you’re getting the right level of care to promote healing as quickly and safely as possible.

You should consider wound care treatment if you have a wound that is not healing as expected or shows signs of complications. Specifically, you should seek care if:

– Your wound has not improved or healed within 2 to 4 weeks despite standard treatment.
– You have signs of infection, such as increased redness, swelling, warmth, pain, or drainage (especially if it’s foul-smelling or discolored).
– You have a chronic wound, like a diabetic foot ulcer, pressure injury, venous leg ulcer, or non-healing surgical wound.
– You have poor circulation or conditions (like diabetes or vascular disease) that put you at higher risk for slow-healing wounds.
– You have a wound with exposed bone, tendon, or deep tissue, or recurring wounds in the same area.

Early specialized care can help prevent complications and promote faster healing.

Advanced treatments are important when caring for a wound because they can significantly improve healing outcomes, especially for wounds that are complex, chronic, or slow to heal. These treatments — like advanced therapies, specialized dressings, and bioengineered skin substitutes — help by:

– Promoting faster healing by stimulating tissue growth and improving blood flow
– Reducing the risk of infection by keeping the wound clean and protected
– Managing excessive drainage and maintaining the right moisture balance for optimal healing
– Minimizing complications such as tissue breakdown, chronic inflammation, or amputation (in severe cases)

For many patients, advanced wound care allows for quicker healing, improves comfort and sustains quality of life.

After surgery and throughout your ongoing management, our certified wound-ostomy provider at Sioux Center Health is here to compassionately support you, your family, and your caregivers. Our specialists will provide personalized education to help you feel more confident and independent in managing your ostomy.