Two physicians on staff at the Wound Healing Center at St. Bernards have earned board certification in the medical subspecialty of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. They are Drs. Michael B. McClurkan of Jonesboro and Anthony Lamkin of Batesville.
Both hold board certification in hyperbaric medicine from the American Board of Preventive Medicine.
McClurkan serves as medical director of the Wound Healing Center at St. Bernards.
McClurkan is a Jonesboro obstetrician and gynecologist who practices at McClurkan Clinic for Women, 800 South Church, Suite 100. He earned his M.D. degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and served an internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, followed by a residency there in obstetrics and gynecology. He served as chief resident in OB/GYN.
McClurkan holds a bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College in Conway and a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. He has served as medical director at the Wound Healing Center at St. Bernards for two years.
Lamkin is an emergency medicine and wound care physician at White River Medical Center in Batesville and serves as medical director of that hospital’s Emergency Department. He earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed a residency in family practice at the Area Health Education Center Northwest, where he served as chief resident.
Lamkin holds a bachelor’s degree from Lyon College in Batesville.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatments are used to increase oxygenation in tissue, encouraging faster healing and fighting infections in patients who have wounds that do not respond to other treatment.
The therapy involves intermittent treatment of the entire body with 100 percent oxygen at greater than normal atmospheric pressures. Patients at the St. Bernards Wound Healing Center receive hyperbaric oxygen treatments in a transparent cylindrical chamber as they rest on a cot-like stretcher. Patients see and can talk with healthcare providers during treatments.
The treatments greatly increase oxygen concentration in all body tissues, stimulating the growth of new blood vessels to locations with reduced circulation and improving blood flow to areas with arterial blockage. They have been proven to aid in the treatment of infection by enhancing white blood cell action and potentially germ-killing antibiotics.
The Wound Healing Center at St. Bernards takes a multidisciplinary approach to healing complex wounds, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of the treatment options prescribed by physicians at the center. Individualized treatment programs are developed using wound care pathways proven successful at centers nationwide.
St. Bernards partners with National Healing Corp. for the operational and medical management of the Wound Healing Center.
The center is located on the Matthews Medical Mile at 505 East Matthews, Suite 201. Patients may be referred to the facility by their physicians or they may make appointments directly by calling 972-8001.