Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital (VTHH) has announced Megan L. Smith, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, as a new wound care nurse practitioner serving patients in and around Coffee County. She will provide comprehensive wound care services and aims to educate the community on the importance of wound care and seeking timely care.

Smith brings over ten years of health care experience to her new role and spent five years as a family nurse practitioner prior to joining VTHH. She has specialized in wound care since 2020 and is revered as a collaborative, innovative colleague who motivates teams to work together and provide excellent patient care.

“Megan has extensive experience as a wound care provider, and we are excited to be bringing her expertise to Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital,” said Rich Ellis, president of VTHH. “Her drive to connect with patients and deliver quality services will be a great addition to our team, further enabling us to expand our wound care services to our community.”

Wound care is a form of specialized treatment when a wound is not healing in a timely fashion, shows signs of infection or requires additional treatment. Wounds that may demand specialized wound care can include, but are not limited to, bite injuries from animals, puncture wounds from foreign objects, and deep lacerations — especially when bone or muscle may be visible.

If a wound does not stop bleeding when applying consistent pressure, becomes numb or severely painful, changes color or develops red “streaks,” or is accompanied by a fever, you should seek out wound care services as soon as possible. These are all signs of serious infection and improper healing. A health care professional can refer you to a wound care specialist, or you can self-refer to the appropriate provider.

“I am eager to step into this new role and be a resource for the community in Coffee County,” Smith says. “By helping people understand when to seek care and how to properly treat wounds, we can prevent complications and support better long-term outcomes.”

Proper wound care leads to quicker healing time for injuries and less scarring, and avoids serious complications, such as spreading infections or more severe damage to other parts of the body. The VTHH wound care clinic is open five days a week and has a number of providers that cater to a wide range of wounds from diabetic and venous leg ulcers, surgical dehiscence and pressure ulcers to autoimmune-induced ulcers and burns. New patients are seen within one week of being referred so that wound care is not delayed.

To learn more about VTHH and the wound care services available visit vanderbilttullahomahartonhospital.com or connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/VanderbiltTullahomaHartonHospital.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is the largest comprehensive research, teaching and patient care health system in the Mid-South region. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, VUMC sees over 3.3 million patient visits per year in over 180 ambulatory locations, performs 81,000 surgical operations, discharges 80,000 inpatients and has 213,000 emergency department visits from its Main Campus adult, children’s, psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals and three regional community hospitals. The Medical Center is the largest nongovernmental employer of Middle Tennesseans, with more than 43,000 staff, including more than 3,000 physicians, advanced practice nurses and scientists appointed to the Vanderbilt University faculty. For more information and the latest news follow VUMC on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and at VUMC News.