Bluebonnet Wound Center & Hyperbarics sees patients as family

Bluebonnet, which opened in October, is the only wound care center in Georgetown. McKinney’s staff members consist of one full-time registered nurse, two part-time registered nurses, a front desk manager and a hyperbaric technician. The team works to heal arterial, venous, infected, diabetic, traumatic and postsurgical wounds; radiation-induced injuries; and burns and bedsores.

The center also offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which consists of having a patient breathe 100 percent pure oxygen under pressure for a predetermined length of time. According to McKinney, the hyperbaric treatment is effective for helping treat injuries, diabetic wounds, bone infections and radiation injuries, among other wounds.

“The oldest wound I’ve been able to heal was 20 years old,” McKinney said. “That patient was extremely grateful, and it was extremely rewarding to be part of their successful care.”

A patient has typically had a wound for several months when he or she first comes to Bluebonnet Wound Center.

“We take pictures at every visit, so we can show the patient how the wound is healing,” McKinney said of the center’s focus on motivation. “Though it’s slow, it’s certainly a progressive pattern. When the patients see the progress, it encourages them to adhere to the treatment program we’ve outlined.”

McKinney said he has been pleased with the success of the center so far.

“There has been so much support from the population of Georgetown and Sun City,” he said. “I only wish I could have started doing this a number of years earlier.”

The McKinney File:

• Worked as a paramedic, operating room technician and physician assistant before medical school
• Did a preceptorship at Central Texas Wound Healing Associates
• Served as  medical director at Arise Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center and the Wound Clinic at Palestine Regional Medical Center
• Opened his Georgetown practice in October 2016

Bluebonnet Wound Center & Hyperbarics 3201 S. Austin Ave., Ste. 225, Georgetown 512-763-4325 www.bluebonnetwound.com Hours: Mon.-Thu. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m.-3 p.m., closed Sat.-Sun.