Wound Care Clinic Receives Clinical Distinction and Patient Satisfaction Awards

wound care team

MRHC is pleased to announce that the Wound Care Clinic is a dual recipient of RestorixHealth’s Clinical Distinction and Excellence in Patient Satisfaction Awards. Recipients of these awards meet or exceed national quality benchmarks over a set period of time.

“The Wound Care Clinic is proud to be recognized again for not only its dedication to healing but also its dedication to patient satisfaction,” said Dr. Thang Luong, M.D. “We are proud to be a recipient of awards that recognize the hard work and dedication of our staff.”

RestorixHealth’s Clinical Distinction award recognizes centers that have demonstrated exceptional success by meeting or exceeding clinical and safety benchmarks over a six-month period, and the Excellence in Patient Satisfaction Award recognizes centers that have demonstrated exceptional success by meeting or exceeding patient satisfaction benchmarks over a six-month period. The MRHC Wound Care Clinic has now received this dual award four times in addition to a Center of Excellence award in 2019.

The Wound Care Clinic is dedicated to optimizing outcomes and preventing lower limb loss in patients with non-healing wounds. This approach to wound care is aggressive and comprehensive, coordinating traditional and advanced therapies and techniques that are proven to reduce healing time and improve healing rates.

Since non-healing wounds rarely result from a single cause, the Wound Care Clinic begins with a thorough evaluation and diagnostic testing to determine the underlying cause of the wound. A treatment plan is then developed to give patients the best chance for healing. Most treatments are covered by Medicare/Medicaid, HMOs, and other private insurance.

wound care team

Manning’s clinic is staffed by Dr. Thang Luong, M.D., Kendra Tiefenthaler, RN, and supported by Elaine Macumber, RN. Integrating a team of wound care professionals optimizes patient care, while offering the most advanced healing options for hard-to-heal wounds.

The MRHC Wound Care Clinic is held every Thursday. For more information about treatment plans or to schedule an appointment, please call 712-655-8100.

About RestorixHealth

RestorixHealth, the nation’s leading wound care solutions company, develops and operates advanced wound healing centers and provides wound healing direct-care services, education, and advanced wound supplies nationwide. Forging strong relationships with their partners, RestorixHealth’s customized wound healing programs and solutions increase the access to care, lower or avoid direct care costs, reduce hospital admissions, improve outcomes, and increase patient and partner satisfaction. For more information, visit www.RestorixHealth.com.

Tiefenthaler Provides Consistent Specialty Care Across Western Iowa

Kendra Tiefenthaler

When a car accident left a local mother with extensive injuries; significant chemotherapy and radiation treatment resulted in open, non-healing wounds for an area farmer; and non-healing sores on the feet and lower extremities of an elderly gentlemen resulted from the effects of diabetes, the Wound Care team at Manning Regional Health Care Center (MRHC) was able to heal their wounds quickly and effectively.

One integral team member for the Wound Care Clinic at MRHC is Clinical Coordinator, Kendra Tiefenthaler, RN, BSN. Kendra’s role in healthcare has evolved over the years, and she now works as a traveling wound care nurse, providing care throughout Western Iowa clinics, including MRHC. Kendra Tiefenthaler

“My mother had her master’s in health care, and it allowed me to see firsthand how important nursing is and how rewarding health care can be,” said Tiefenthaler. This continues to be true of her healthcare experience as she helps heal numerous patients each year from their open wounds.

Tiefenthaler received her LPN and RN license from Iowa Central Community College. In 2019, she decided to pursue her BSN degree and graduated from Capella University. She has now been a nurse for 12 years and has worked in a variety of healthcare settings including North Central Correctional Facility, St. Anthony Home Health and Hospice, and now serving as the Clinical Coordinator in Wound Care for RestorixHealth.

“Kendra goes above and beyond the call of duty every day, making sure her patients are cared for and that they understand each step of their treatment plan,” said Chelsea Spear, RestorixHealth Physician and Community Liaison. “She is such an essential piece to the wound care clinics, and she prides herself on getting to know each patient within the clinic and community. She always tries to make the day of people around her better.”

Tiefenthaler works at three hospitals regularly, including MRHC, and she fills in at two other clinics as needed.

“Having the opportunity to work at MRHC for three plus years consistently has allowed me to become part of the community,” said Tiefenthaler. “I often feel like I am caring for my own family. Plus, MRHC has a great team environment which allows for good communication and more effective care.”

At the MRHC Wound Care Clinic, Tiefenthaler works alongside Dr. Luong when caring for patients.

“Dr. Luong is an extremely intelligent and caring doctor. Working with him allows our wound care patients to receive excellent and precise care at every visit,” shared Tiefenthaler.

Being a travel wound care nurse allows Tiefenthaler to provide consistent care across multiple locations and help keep care close to home for patients.

“Often times wound care requires multiple visits for positive outcomes,” explained Tiefenthaler. “Having regularly scheduled days in each community has allowed our patients to see a consistent nurse and provider each week while also saving them travel time and expenses.”

“I’m so thankful I was able to go to MRHC for wound care since it’s located in my hometown,” shared a local resident. “I was immediately impressed by Kendra’s genuine concern for my care, her efforts to get answers and help me, along with Dr. Luong’s attention and ongoing wound care treatment. The best thing about the care I received was their genuine care and advocacy.”

As Tiefenthaler reflects on how she has grown in her career, she feels grateful for the role and responsibility she has been trusted with.

“Health care is always evolving and being a clinical coordinator providing a specialty service throughout local western Iowa clinics is motivating and rewarding,” said Tiefenthaler.

MRHC Wound Care Clinic

The MRHC Wound Care Clinic, a recent recipient of RestorixHealth’s Patient Satisfaction Award and Clinical Distinction Award, is dedicated to optimizing outcomes and preventing lower limb loss in patients with non-healing wounds. The approach to wound care is aggressive and comprehensive, coordinating traditional and advanced therapies and techniques that are proven to reduce healing time and improve healing rates. Since non-healing wounds rarely result from a single cause, the Wound Care Clinic begins with a thorough evaluation and diagnostic testing to determine the underlying cause of the wound. A treatment plan is then developed to give patients the best chance for healing. Most treatments are covered by Medicare/Medicaid, HMOs, and other private insurance.

The MRHC Wound Care Clinic is held every Thursday. For more information about treatment plans, please call 712-655-8100.

About RestorixHealth

RestorixHealth, the nation’s leading wound care solutions company, develops and operates advanced wound healing centers and provides wound healing direct-care services, education, and advanced wound supplies nationwide. Forging strong relationships with their partners, RestorixHealth’s customized wound healing programs and solutions increase the access to care, lower or avoid direct care costs, reduce hospital admissions, improve outcomes, and increase patient and partner satisfaction. For more information, visit www.RestorixHealth.com.

Wounds Healed at MRHC

foot care

“After a car accident left me with extensive injuries, the Wound Care team at Manning Regional Health Care Center has my sincere thanks for all they have done to heal my wounds,” shares Christina Brown, a resident of Manilla.

When Christina was referred to receive wound care treatment at Manning Regional, she had four large wounds on her leg. foot care

“Christina’s wounds were typical of what we see and treat here at MRHC,” said Kendra Tiefenthaler, RN, MRHC Wound Care Clinic Coordinator. “Christina’s wounds were very large and deep in size requiring advanced treatment options to manage and heal the wounds.”

As with many wound care patients that Dr. Luong treats, he begin with an evaluation to assess the cause of the wound, look for any signs of infection, and determine the best treatment option for wound healing. Initially, Christina received wound care weekly and as the wound began responding to treatment, she transitioned to appointments every two weeks.

“Although my wounds were quite extensive and took what seemed like a very long time to heal, the staff controlled the pain and made me comfortable,” said Christina.

At each visit, Christina was seen by a nurse and doctor to monitor healing and assess for any signs of infection or other possible concerns.

“Depending upon the severity of the wound, it is important that the wound is cleaned regularly, and bandages are applied to help the wound heal more rapidly than if they weren’t treated,” said Tiefenthaler.

Although this was the first time Christina had received treatment for a wound, she shared how positive her experience was.

“Wound care is not something I would choose to do, but the wound care team made me as relaxed and comfortable as possible,” Christina said. “Everything was thoroughly explained, and all necessary steps were taken to ensure the proper healing. The care I received was excellent.”

As far as the impact COVID-19 has had on her treatment, Christina said there have not been any problems.

“All precautions to ensure safe and healthy treatment were taken and I felt comfortable going to MRHC,” she shared.

“I would definitely recommend Manning Regional’s wound care services to others. They are a very caring and competent group of individuals,” adds Christina. “I will miss my visits with them. They are a great group, and I have enjoyed getting to know them.”

Although Christina’s wounds were the result of a car accident, there are many other types of hard-to-heal wounds that the Wound Care Clinic treats. These wounds may be a result from pressure, trauma or infection. MRHC has many types of advanced treatment options available for wound care based on the type and severity of the wound.

Sometime, even the simplest of wounds can turn into a significant problem because the body’s normal healing process is affected. A wound that is not healing properly may be complicated by underlying conditions such as diabetes, circulation problems or previous radiation treatment. Non-healing wounds can have serious health consequences and may adversely affect a patient’s quality of life.

“It is important that patients reach out as soon as they realize they have a wound that is not healing properly,” stated Tiefenthaler. “If we can catch the wound early enough, oftentimes we can get a jump start on the healing process, decreasing the number of visits necessary for full healing.”

If you or a loved one has a wound that is of concern or is not healing properly, call the Wound Care Center at MRHC for an evaluation at (712) 655-8100.