VCU Department of Surgery

The Wound Healing Center at MCV/VCU has pioneered advanced wound care in Virginia for over 30 years. We have received national and worldwide recognition for our patient care and advances in wound healing. The MCV Wound Healing Center provides care for pediatric, adult and geriatric patients with acute or chronic wounds or tissue repair abnormalities. Our approach is collaborative, multidisciplinary, and holistic, focusing on t Team

he many aspects that are unique to each individual and their specific wound care needs. Services include wound care and management, surgical reconstruction of complex wounds, special shoes/orthotic devices, diabetic shoe clinic, podiatry services, referral for wheelchair fittings, specialty cushions and support devices, nutrition counseling, dermatology, patient and family education, home care referrals and palliative care for oncology related wounds. The center also conducts ongoing clinical studies for new treatment modalities.

The Wound Healing Center operates in conjunction with the MCVH Wound Care Team. This dedicated team of clinicians provides care for inpatients with acute and chronic wounds, makes skin care recommendations, evaluates patients for specialty beds and provides education and follow up for ostomy patients.

This team conducts prevalence studies, develops wound care and prevention protocols, provides educational inservices for nursing staff, carries out wound and skin care product evaluations, and publishes a monthly newsletter for the hospital relating to wound care and prevention.

Currently, the faculty members in the Division of Plastic Surgery are some of the most active in clinical as well as basic sciences research. The Wound Healing Research Laboratory has been well recognized as one of the top research centers, with over 100 publications produced from 1972 to 2004. Currently, there have been several million dollars dedicated to research studies alone.

Collaboration and education are recognized as vital elements to all members of the health care team at the Wound Healing Center. Patients are provided with a variety of teaching materials. Professionals are available to assist in answering questions, provide assessments and offer wound care recommendations based on clinical expertise. Students from nursing, pharmacy, medicine, surgery and gerontology have all found their experiences with the team a rewarding one.

As success with our Wound Healing Center continues to grow, so do our boundaries. Currently, the Center has expanded to numerous community sites such as our office at Bon Secours St. Mary's, the offices at Stony Point Medical Center, and area nursing homes that are affiliated with the Medical College of Virginia. In addition, the MCV Telemedicine site has allowed the Wound Healing Center to provide wound care and consultations in under served areas of the Commonwealth.