About Dr. Fife
Dr. Fife is a world-renowned wound care physician. She is the Director of the Wound Care Center at CHI St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital, CMO of Intellicure, Inc., Exec. Director of the US Wound Registry & Editor of Today’s Wound Clinic.
Report Honest Healing Rates
It’s time for Wound Care physicians and providers to stand up for truly honest outcomes and transparent quality reporting. If we don’t we may see our entire profession wiped out. Click here to read more.
COVID-19 Diaries
Latest Posts
UHMS Virtual Gulf Coast Chapter Meeting 2018 Now Available
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) Gulf Coast chapter meeting is available now on the UHMS CME portal.
Estimating the Cost-Effectiveness of Cellular and/or Tissue-Based Products
We need more data on the long-term natural history of wounds treated with SOC and longer follow up of subjects enrolled in RCTs if we are to estimate the cost-effectiveness of CTPs with any accuracy.
Law and Disorder – Going to Jail for Kennedy Terminal Ulcers
Here’s a message from my good friend and colleague, nurse practitioner Joy Schank. Joy has donated her time as an expert in criminal court proceedings dealing with the development of skin breakdown at the end of life. Family members and clinicians have been charged with crimes when loved ones develop skin changes as part of the dying process. Some have gone to prison.
October 14th is National Brave and Strong Day
My friend and patient – Morgan McCoy – has a big celebration on October 14th. That’s the day her right leg was amputated above the knee in order to save her life. Morgan is the antithesis of the victim mentality that is plaguing our country. She’s celebrating the day...
Hey Doc – Have You Tried Calling Your Own Office Lately?
If you are a doctor, call your own office and see what happens.
The Legal Implications of Pressure Injuries
Check out the editorial and article I wrote for Today’s Wound Clinic about pressure injuries and malpractice litigation.
Generally Confused
As we’ve discussed previously, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reclassified all services in the Hospital-Based Outpatient Department (HOPD) under “general supervision” away from “direct supervision,” with the caveat that it was up to the...
House Passes Hoeven-Cosponsored Legislation Which Expands VA Research in HBOT
It passed! Thank you to all of you who engaged on this issue. Let’s hope this is a small step forward for the field of hyperbaric medicine and a big step forward for our veterans. --Caroline HOUSE PASSES HOEVEN-COSPONSORED LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE VA MENTAL HEALTH,...
Hyperbaric Medicine Advocate with the Scars to Prove it
Time is running out on these bills and veterans deserve HBOT today, not months or years from now.
Operations/Business Leaders of Wound Clinics: Please Take This Survey!
Wound Clinic Leaders: Please Take This Survey The US Wound Registry is focused on improving the quality of care and outcomes of patients with chronic wounds and ulcers. As a CMS-recognized Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR), we are trying to understand real-world...
Are You Brave Enough to Report Honest Healing Rates in Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs)?
We need a reality check on honest healing rates so that more realistic clinical trials can be designed. If you treat SEVERE DFUs, you know what I am talking about.
Medicare Trust Fund Insolvency Looms in 2024
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has issued a report estimating that the Medicare Trust Fund will become insolvent in 2024, two years sooner than the previous estimate, because of the pandemic.
Novitas and First Coast Retire Local Coverage Determinations for HBOT
Novitas and First Coast have retired their Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).
Monty Python and COVID-19
Dr. Marissa Carter has posted a new blog about the latest COVID-19 news, including a vaccine update.
Virtual Wound Rounds: A Second Chance at Life Thanks to Courageous Choices
I’ve talked about my inspirational patient, Morgan McCoy, who is my antidote to the COVID Blues. Morgan, her parents, her orthopedic surgeon (Dr. Kyle Dickson) and I recently participated in Virtual Wound Rounds with Frank Aviles. If you are involved in wound management at any level, you will enjoy this! It’s fun, inspiring and informative. Thank you Frank and HMP!
B.R.I.D.G.E. TO DATA and the US Wound Registry
As I’ve discussed before, I actually stopped performing prospective trials in wound care because the trials were not “generalizable,” meaning, the patients enrolled in studies to evaluate wound healing modalities bear no resemblance to the patients we see. I talked...
Iowa’s Farms and Lake Charles, LA Have Gone Missing – and So Has the News Coverage About It
Not only does the media decide what we WILL worry about (creating crises that do not exist) they also determine whether we even hear about REAL crises.
The Lymphedema Therapist: A Wound Physician’s Secret Weapon?
I could fill a book with examples of the way lymphedema therapists trained the wound center physicians. However, I think you should hear the story from one of them, my friend and colleague, Missy Baylor.
Evidence Review for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treatment of COVID-19: Webinar Now Available
If you missed the live stream Webinar on the use of HBOT for COVID-19, you can watch the recorded session and receive CME credit. See the information from the UHMS.
Lymphatic Dysfunction in Cancer Patients – Insights Into This Mysterious and Vital Organ System
Seeing the images of the lymphatics at work was like Columbus discovering the New World.
The Undaunted Spirit Award – Be Inspired by Morgan McCoy
Morgan helps me put the temporary challenges of the pandemic into perspective. I think her story will inspire you, too.
Wound Management Docs Might Want to Read this Interview with Wound Clinic Nurses
The theme of the August issue of Today's Wound Clinic is “Multidisciplinary Care.” I decided to interview my amazing staff (pictured holding the hospital award for the clinic coming back the strongest since the pandemic, from left to right: Tara Stone, Debi Thompson,...
Use of Transdermal Oxygen (OxyBand) for Distal Toe Re-attachment
I am still exploring the use of transdermal oxygen for certain types of ischemic ulcers. The foot injury depicted in these photos occurred when a training weight fell on a professional athlete’s foot and avulsed the distal ends of the left great, second and third...
Senate Passes Hoeven-Cosponsored Legislation to Improve VA Mental Health Treatment Options
Last week, the Senate passed a bill that expands Veteran’s Administration (VA) research into Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). The bill requires the VA to study and report on the effectiveness of HBOT in partnership with private organizations. Since oxygen is not made...
The Development of the Wound Quality of Life Questionnaire – and Why QOL is a Failure as a Surrogate of Wound Outcome
Check out this article I wrote on the development of a wound-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire – and why it failed as a surrogate for wound outcome – posted on the eKare website.
UHMS and ACHM Position Statement: Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO2) for COVID-19 Patients
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) and the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine (ACHM) have endorsed an updated position statement on the use of HBO2 for COVID-19 pneumonia.
HBOT for COVID-19 Respiratory Distress – See Article in UHM Ahead of Print
The small size of the study means that the results have to be interpreted with caution, but it shows that HBOT is safe for COVID-19 patients and suggests that a large, prospective trial is needed to assess its possible benefit.
