Fish tale tells the story of HMG’s wound care services

“They told me to see my primary care provider when I got home,” Bryon says. “So I set up an appointment with my HMG provider to get checked out. Even though it looked good at first, it just wasn’t healing right.”

Under his wound, the tissue in his hand had darkened and looked infected. His next trip was to Holston Medical Group’s urgent care center.

“The nurse there told me that I needed to have a specialist look at it, or I could lose the use of my hand!” says Bryon. As a utility worker, he depends on his hands every day.

These images may be graphic. Show me.

After a consultation with HMG hand surgeon Dr. Ashraf Youssef, Bryon was sent to wound care, part of HMG’s rehabilitation specialties. HMG providers were here every step of the way for Bryon on his recovery journey, with more than 20 visits to HMG physical therapist Dr. Alan Meade to regain the use of his hand.

Wound care is its own specialty at HMG, where Dr. Meade and others help people like Bryon who have burns, deep cuts, spider bites, or injuries from an accident that just won’t heal.

Not every wound needs to be seen by a provider team, of course. Dr. Meade says there are a few steps people can take right away to care for a minor wound or injury:

1. Wash your hands to reduce the risk of infection.
2. Stop any bleeding by putting pressure on the wound with a clean cloth or bandage.
3. Gently wash the area with running water and dry it with a clean cloth.
4. Apply an antibiotic ointment, like Neosporin® or bacitracin, then cover the wound with a bandage.
5. Watch the area for a few days to make sure it is healing.

Some people are more likely to have wounds that don’t heal properly. Seniors, people with diabetes, and others who have some preexisting conditions are more likely to visit wound care.

The body will give us some signs that something like a burn or bite isn’t healing properly. When these happen, just like Bryon noticed, it’s time to see your provider or visit urgent care:

• Bad smell
• Won’t stop bleeding
• Area around the wound is the wrong color or isn’t healing
• Fever and chills

“The sooner we can start treatment, the sooner your wound can heal,” Dr. Meade says.

Wound care providers like Dr. Meade can help you figure out the best way to take care of your injury so that you can get back to your daily life – even if the injury is unusual. Having worked in Tennessee and Virginia most of his career, this was Dr. Meade’s first stingray case.

“It was a very challenging case, but a successful one!” he adds.

HMG can handle taking out your wisdom teeth or easing your hay fever. We can help your partner stop snoring or get you back to work after an injury on the job.

I encourage everyone to check out our specialty and services page on our website – you’re sure to find something you didn’t know HMG provided! If you have an HMG primary care provider, they can work side-by-side with the best specialists at HMG to solve your unique health challenges and help you meet your wellness goals. Make an appointment to see them today.

After 45 years, we’re still always looking for new ways to grow and give you easier access to care. We won’t stop listening to the needs of the people in our region, and we’ll keep providing high-quality, affordable choices for care.

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