Region’s First Independent Wound Care Practice In Region Opened In July

Allentown PA — A new, independent outpatient clinic dedicated to wound care and healing is now available for patients in the greater Lehigh Valley region, with services that include the most current, research-based treatments to assist patients in healing chronic, acute, traumatic, vascular, ischemic, surgical, neuropathic or pressure wounds.

Dr. Thomas J. Shaughnessy, PT, DPT, CWS, opened Lehigh Valley Wound Specialists in Salisbury Township after more than 10 years providing wound care through the Lehigh Valley Hospital Network. The practice operates independently of the region’s major hospitals networks and is operated by certified physical therapists.

Shaughnessy worked at LVHN since 2012 and served as a rehabilitation clinical specialist since 2021, ultimately overseeing of a staff of about 25 therapists and wound-care specialists at LVHN’s Cedar Crest, Muhlenberg and Hecktown-Oaks campuses. An Allentown Central Catholic High School graduate, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Economics with a minor in Exercise and Sports Science at Ursinus College in 2004 and his Doctor of Physical Therapy from the Neumann University in Aston, Pa. in 2012.

In 2021 he earned his Wound Care Specialist certification from the American Board of Wound Management.

Shaughnessy said the new clinic provides significantly more freedom to provide patient care than a traditional hospital setting.

“My one-to-one time is a lot more flexible now, I have more resources and I am not as worried about my productive time,” he said. “Some of the treatments I provide can take more than an hour, and that is not always conducive in a hospital environment. There is no other place in the Lehigh Valley or surrounding region that does this. There are wound clinics but there are none staffed by physical therapists dedicated to this area of medicine.”

According to the practice website, “Wound Care is a specific sub-set of physical therapy that uses biophysical agents or “modalities” to assist in wound healing.  This includes Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (AKA “Wound VACs”), Pulsed Lavage with Suction, Gradient Sequential Compression, Electrical Stimulation, Ultrasound and MIST therapy.  This is in addition to more traditional wound care techniques, like dressing changes, topical treatments, debridements and more conservative measures.”

“We are constantly trying to get a response from the wound, as opposed to more typical care where they clean it and change the dressing,” Shaughnessy said.

Shaughnessy said his practice has continued to grow since opening on July 5.

Lingering or long-term wounds can often result from ancillary conditions, such as diabetes, smoking, alcohol use, congestive heart failure and other issues, he said.

Shaughnessy has experience with a wide variety of wounds, including chronic, traumatic, surgical, vascular, post-operative, non-healing and amputations.  He is a published clinician who has presented at the national Physical Therapy conference four times.

He also serves as an adjunct professor for Moravian University Doctoral Physical Therapy Program and as a Graduate Assistant for Neumann University Doctoral Physical Therapy Program.

For more information or to book an appointment, please go to lvwoundspecialists.com or call 484-274-6883.