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
Joy from Within
It’s not our circumstances that determine whether we are happy or sad – it’s our attitude.
The Beauty That Still Remains
When we can’t change our circumstances – we can change how we THINK about them.
The “Thankful” Bulletin Board
I am thankful to be in the field of wound care, which is endlessly interesting and full of opportunities to ease suffering.
Everything You Wanted to Know About COVID Testing
I had to get a COVID test to go to an in-person meeting and it’s obvious that the testing requirements for travel, meetings, etc. are a confused quagmire.
A Patient’s Perspective on Choosing a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
Here’s a new post from our Patient Correspondent, Patricia Han, RN, about Medicare Drug Plans. She’s a retired nurse with many chronic health problems who used to be employed by a payer. I always learn something that a doctor ought to know from her real world examples...
When is a Pressure Injury of the Foot NOT a Pressure Injury? When It’s an Infarction of an Angiosome.
This is the left foot of a 34-year-old African American woman who spent 21 days in the intensive care unit, hypotensive from sepsis and on vasopressors with disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC).
Help Stop the Madness of Shin Radiation
If you have shin radiation wound cases you have treated (successfully or not), tell me your story and I will post them.
The Many Faces of Pyoderma Gangrenosum – This is Not a Pressure Injury
An adult patient with severe cerebral palsy developed several pressure ulcers after hospital admission for pneumonia.
The Many Faces of Pyoderma Grangrenosum – a Leg Ulcer Present for a Year
My purpose is not to discuss the challenges of treating Pyoderma Grangrenosum, but to show some of its many faces.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Pyoderma Gangrenosum
I am going to post a series of patients with confirmed or presumed pyoderma gangrenosum, most of who’s biopsy findings did not confirm the diagnosis. However, their response to a trial of prednisone was dramatic and the wounds closed with prednisone (or in some cases,...
Pyoderma Gangrenosum (PG) Hiding in Plain Sight
The most important thing I can say is do not trust a negative biopsy.
Please Stop the Madness of Radiation to the Shin
Please, if you are a patient with a bad skin cancer on the shin and have been recommended to have radiation instead of surgery, get a second opinion.
What the Heck is That Thing? Massive Localized Lymphedema Talk Now Available
Thank you Lymphapress for asking me to contribute to this fantastic resource for both patients and clinicians.
Keeping Quality Measures for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine
I need at least 20 advanced practitioners to take this survey to have a chance of keeping quality measures around in wound care and hyperbaric medicine.
We Could All Use a Happy Ending – My Patient Talks About How Her Life Was Saved by DNA Testing
When it comes to diagnosing a mysterious disease, next-generation DNA sequencing is better than an episode of “House.”
The Neuropathy Song – by Dr. Monique Abner. Happy Monday!
If you had a hard time getting up to face the day – here’s an attitude adjustment from the inspiring and lovely Dr. Abner.
How to Do the Right Thing for Haiti
If you are moved to donate money in the face of these tragedies, I’d like to recommend a reliable non-profit.
Tetanus Booster Recommended for Patients with Chronic Wounds
Tetanus is one of those diseases that has become rare thanks to vaccination, but may be making a comeback as a result of opposition to vaccination.
Another Tale of the Medicare Disadvantaged: MA Prior Authorization is Needed for the Skilled Home Health Agency to Get Wound Dressings – It’s a Joke, Right?
This process has taken more than 6 phone calls and the patient still doesn’t have dressings, even though he has a home health agency.
Doggie Diagnostics
I can’t help but imagine the ways that we could use trained canines in wound management.
The Return of the COVID Diaries: COVID and the Freedom to Choose
“I will have to care for the unvaccinated people when they get desperately sick and yet I, too believe in personal freedom. And that means I have the freedom to quit”
Go on a Virtual Dive Vacation
If you can’t get away on a diving vacation right now, then register for this event and enjoy Joe’s beautiful photographs.
CMS has released the 2022 Proposed Rule for Hospital-Based Outpatient Departments
If you are currently working in a hospital-based outpatient wound center or ASC, then this proposed rule will impact your billing and payment.
A FREE Opportunity to Experience Wound Clinic Business!
The free sessions will be from 1–2 pm EST and run July 28 through Aug. 25.
The Hug Deficit
As a medical student, I remember being counseled by a very wise (and very brilliant) physician mentor about “therapeutic touch.” It might just be a pat on the arm – but he made a point to touch every patient he saw (naturally, in a socially appropriate way) even when...
Sometimes I Love Being Wrong
It happened again. L-arginine made me look foolish.
Anatomy and Destiny: A Venous Occlusion Causing Skin Breakdown
The pattern of the lesions was important. Pay attention to breakdown that follows the anatomical course of a vessel.
