The opening of St. Charles’ new Wound Ostomy care clinic in Prineville means people in Crook County who need wound and ostomy services can get the care they need closer to home.
Located in the Prineville hospital, the clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. by appointment only. It is the health system’s third hospital-based, outpatient Wound Ostomy clinic in Central Oregon, joining locations in Bend and Madras, where planned expansions are designed to better serve Jefferson County, too.
For patients traveling to and from appointments multiple times per week, less travel can mean better health outcomes, said Bethany Klier, manager of Wound Ostomy for St. Charles.
"People shouldn’t have to commute 30 miles, 60 miles and even 100 miles to receive care. It is our priority to bring care closer to where our patients reside,” Klier said.
The experienced and board-certified clinicians in Wound Ostomy treat patients with problematic, chronic, or hard-to-treat conditions such as pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, surgical wounds, and arterial wounds. They also provide comprehensive ostomy care and management for patients with stomas, ostomies, from pre-op counseling and education to dietary help and support groups.
But more than just providing a medical service, the staff in Wound Ostomy hopes to be a source of support and community for their patients.
“We’ll partner with you to get optimal healing outcomes, but we don’t see it as just providing a service,” Klier said. “We create connections by listening, empathizing, educating, and supporting one another. We truly care about our patients and want to provide a safe healing environment for all.”
The planned Wound Ostomy expansion in Madras includes an additional exam room and more staffing to meet the demand that is higher than anticipated, Klier said.
“We’ve grown pretty consistently as the years have progressed, despite a lot of people not knowing who we are or what we do,” she said. “We weren’t expecting the amount of patient volume when we opened our Madras location, and we’ve found that we really hit a population that we didn’t even know existed or needed our care. It humbled all of us who’ve worked there. It’s obvious that the community needs us more than ever.”
If you think you could benefit from wound and ostomy care or would like more information about ostomy support groups, please contact your primary care provider for a referral. Visit our website to learn more about St. Charles’ wound and ostomy services.
