Sharon Pelfrey, APRN, is latest provider to join UK Wound Care Clinic
The University of Kentucky Wound Care Clinic and Department of Surgery recently added a new full time provider, Sharon Pelfrey, APRN, to its roster of specialized professional caregivers.
Pelfrey, however, is no stranger to UK HealthCare or the Wound Care Clinic. While earning her Advanced Practice Nursing degree through Frontier University’s distance learning program, she was under contract as an acute care float nurse. Her responsibilities covered the entire range of nursing care, which included extensive experience treating inpatients on behalf of the wound care department.
Pelfrey said her work involved treating slow-healing wounds on patients with diabetes and vascular disease, chronic bed sores, and pressure sores that result from long-term wheelchair use.
Her experience in this area led directly to her interest in joining the Wound Care Clinic’s team of providers based at UK Good Samaritan Professional Arts Building. Her hours include treating wounds on an outpatient basis at the clinic, rounding on patients with chronic wound complaints at UK Hospital, and responding to emergencies when necessary. In the meantime, she is adding to her formal training by completing Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Certification through Emory University.
The UK Wound Care Clinic treats sores or wounds that are slow to heal or have not started to heal in a reasonable amount of time. Many cases are a result of chronic disease, but others may not have an obvious explanation. The clinic’s staff of trained medical professionals provides a diagnostic appraisal and a carefully designed management program to aid the healing process. The clinic, which offers aggressive wound treatment service, boasts a healing rate of greater than 80 percent.
“Wound care is an area I wanted to get into as a practitioner. Proper wound care can save a life,” Pelfrey commented.
Pelfrey is originally from Hyden, Kentucky. She earned her associate degree in nursing from Hazard Community and Technical College. After nearly a decade working as a registered nurse in Lexington, Pelfrey continued her formal education, enrolling in Frontier Nursing University’s Master’s program then continuing on to be an APRN.
