Healing Wounds: Seton’s specialized center helps patients
By Brandy Cruz | Photos by Becky Stinehour and courtesy of Seton Medical Center Harker Heights
“Nearly 7 million Americans are living with a chronic or nonhealing wound,” said Cassy Cathell, clinic program director for the Wound Healing Center at Seton Medical Center Harker Heights. “It brings to the forefront how much wound care matters.”
Seton partnered with Healogics to open its state-of-the-art Wound Healing Center on July 31, 2024, and has since helped patients suffering from both chronic and acute wounds.
“There’s not really a wound we wouldn’t be able to tackle,” Cathell said.
She explained that some patients have suffered from wounds for years, sometimes decades, without healing. Such was the case of a patient with a venous ulcer, meaning the wound affected their vein’s ability to return blood to the heart, for 18 years.
“It was causing them chronic issues, infections and pain,” Cathell said. “It was affecting their quality of life, but we were able to heal (the patient) in four to six weeks.”
The facility uses a variety of specialized treatments, tailored to the individual patient’s needs. Some of those treatments include wound debridement (removal of damaged skin to enhance the healing potential), negative pressure wound therapy, skin substitutions, total contact casting (designed to protect the damaged area while the wound heals), doppler evaluation of pulses and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
“My main goal, and what I like the most, is just healing out these patients that have these difficult wounds that they’ve had for years and have affected their life and their livelihood,” Cathell said. “We’re able to bring them in and heal wounds that they never thought would be healed, so it’s wonderful what we’re able to do for their quality of living.”
Although most of their patients suffer from diabetic ulcers, she said the center can treat any kind of wound. Cancer, burns, surgical — you name it, they treat it.
Mandy Shaiffer, chief nursing officer for the facility, said Seton is filling a gap and a need in the community through the Wound Healing Center. Since opening last year, they have treated wounds for 224 patients.
“I think we are very intentional in reaching out to the populations that could benefit from our service. We really are focused on providing services that we have a need for in our community,” she said. “We focus our efforts and try to reach out to veterans in our community who might need care or active-duty personnel at the neighboring Fort Hood.”
The single most important thing they do, Cathell said, is to improve the quality of life for their patients. What sets them apart from other wound care facilities is focusing on the entirety of the patient, quality of care and the specialized training in their staff. The entire staff have trained in advanced wound healing techniques and have countless years of experience as a team.
“Our staff is really compassionate, and they love what they do. They’re just amazing,” she said. “We approach each patient with empathy and understanding. We want to collaborate with them and establish trust, so they believe we can finally heal this after all these years.”
Dr. Aaron Russell, medical director for the Wound Healing Center, is one of the physicians helping to make a difference at Seton Medical Center Harker Heights. He said chronic wounds can be incredibly debilitating, impacting a person’s quality of life, independence, and self-esteem. Helping someone regain mobility, avoid amputation, or simply feel hopeful again is deeply rewarding for him and one of the many reasons he decided to become a doctor.
“One of the most satisfying aspects of working in a facility that helps people heal long-term wounds is witnessing the transformation in our patients — not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. Being part of a team that provides consistent care, encouragement, and evidence-based treatment allows us to celebrate milestones that might seem small to others but are life-changing to our patients,” Russell said. “Being able to discharge patients with completely healed wounds — who have had the wounds for years — is one of the most rewarding experiences as a physician.”
Cathell has been actively letting people know about the facility. She speaks with groups about it, especially those who are most in need of the center’s specialized care.
“At the end of the day, I really am just happy. It’s just a special feeling to participate in a patient’s healing journey and changing their life,” Cathell said. “It’s difficult to have these wounds and live with them every day, and the fact that we’re able to give that quality of life back to them is really — there’s not words for that — it’s an amazing feeling.”
