Story and Photos By Gary Norman / Mineral Wells Area News
On May 29, 2025, Palo Pinto General Hospital celebrated the ribbon cutting for the new Palo Pinto Wound Care facility, bringing advanced treatment for chronic wound conditions directly to local residents.
Addressing a Growing Need
Chronic wounds affect an estimated 6.7 million Americans, with numbers expected to rise due to an aging population and increasing rates of diabetes, obesity, and late effects of radiation therapy. Without proper treatment, these conditions can severely diminish quality of life and potentially lead to limb amputation.
Comprehensive Care Close to Home
The new facility offers patients direct access or physician referrals for specialized wound treatment. The center’s physician and nursing staff collaborate with patients’ primary care doctors to develop individualized, outpatient treatment plans using a systematic approach that may include:
- Specialized wound dressing
- Hyperbaric chamber treatment
- Debridement
- Compression therapy
- Edema management
Palo Pinto Wound Care treats a wide range of conditions including burns, post-operative wounds, diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts, radiation-induced skin damage, and other wounds that have failed to heal within a reasonable timeframe.
Early Success and Partnership
According to Facility Director Mandy Lofton, the center opened to patients on March 26, 2025, and has already treated 33 new patients, with six completing their treatment successfully.
The facility partners with Healogics, a national provider of advanced wound care services operating over 600 locations, bringing big-city medical capabilities to the local community.
Dr. Reheela Sadiq, the center’s Medical Director who has practiced full-time wound care for 15 years, noted the evolution of the field.
“I have seen it (wound care) evolve from almost being a nursing function to a full-fledged sub-specialty,” she said. “I think the Center is going to be extremely helpful for the community.”
Eliminating Travel Barriers
Palo Pinto General Hospital CEO Ross Korkmas explained the facility’s importance to the region.
“The distance people were having to drive to get this level of care really impacted our decision to put a wound care center here in Mineral Wells so we could keep patients here closer to home instead of them having to travel further away. The more patients we can keep here in our community and take care of them, the better it is for the community and the hospital.”
The facility, housed in the renovated former West Town Clinic building, received a special dedication during the ribbon cutting ceremony. Korkmas announced the building’s new name as the James Patterson (J.C.) Colton Medical Office Building, honoring longtime Palo Pinto General Hospital Board Member J.C. Colton.
Honoring a Local Leader
Fellow Board Member Kathy Boswell called the naming “a given” based on Colton’s contributions to the Hospital District and Palo Pinto County residents.
“If you have the honor of knowing J.C. Colton, you can understand why the Board wanted to recognize him,” Boswell said.
Though Colton was unable to attend the ceremony, his wife Margaret Colton represented him and expressed his gratitude. “He was so surprised and so shocked to have this for him. He really is honored and thankful for the honor, and so am I. He and our family just are overwhelmed by it and we really appreciate it.”
Contact Information
Palo Pinto Wound Care is located at 218 SW 26th Avenue, Mineral Wells, Texas 76067.
The facility can be reached at (940) 463-7108.