Breathing New Life into Healing
When it comes to healing, sometimes your body just needs a little extra help and a lot of oxygen. That’s exactly what’s possible now at Well&You’s new Wound Care Center in Fleming Island, where patients can experience the powerful benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) in the comfort of a state-of-the-art facility.
We sat down with Nurse Practitioner, Morgan Perry, and Dr. Courtney Fahnhorst Vidrine, Medical Director of Wound Care and Hyperbarics, to talk about how this fascinating therapy works and what makes Well&You’s program so unique.
Q: What exactly is a hyperbaric chamber?
A hyperbaric chamber is a pressurized space where patients breathe 100% pure oxygen at higher-than-normal air pressure. This allows the body to absorb up to 15 times more oxygen than usual, fueling the cells that repair and regenerate damaged tissue.
Q: How does that extra oxygen help with healing?
When tissues don’t get enough oxygen—like in chronic wounds or after radiation therapy—they struggle to heal. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy changes that. The increased pressure helps oxygen travel deep into areas with poor blood flow, reducing swelling, fighting infection, and jumpstarting the body’s natural repair process. It even stimulates new blood vessel growth and boosts collagen production, which are key for healthy healing.
Q: What types of conditions can it help treat?
HBOT has been safely used for decades and is FDA-approved for conditions like diabetic foot ulcers, radiation injuries, chronic bone infections, carbon monoxide poisoning, long COVID, and more. It’s especially effective for wounds that simply won’t heal, even after weeks of standard care.
Beyond those established uses, growing research is revealing potential benefits for a range of additional conditions – from helping athletes recover more quickly after surgery to reducing inflammation in autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s. One of the most promising emerging areas is the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for traumatic brain injury (TBI), where early studies suggest meaningful potential for improving neurological recovery and patient outcomes.
That said, a lot of this is highly individualized when determining whether HBOT is appropriate—which, in Dr. Fahnhorst Vidrine’s opinion, is exactly how healthcare decisions should be made. It’s important to evaluate each case on its own, ideally with guidance from one of our physicians who understands both the condition being treated and the nuances of HBOT.
Q: What makes Well&You’s hyperbaric program special?
“We’re one of the few local centers offering medical-grade, physician-supervised hyperbaric oxygen therapy,” says Dr. Fahnhorst Vidrine. “That means patients are treated at true therapeutic levels, under the guidance of experienced providers who understand the science behind every session.”
Morgan adds, “What’s really exciting is that we combine HBOT with comprehensive wound care. We don’t just treat the wound, we look at the whole picture, including circulation and underlying vascular issues. It’s about helping patients heal completely, not just temporarily.”
A Fresh Breath of Healing
At Well&You, healing goes deeper than skin level. With cutting-edge hyperbaric technology, personalized care, and a compassionate team, the new Fleming Island Wound Care Center is giving patients a whole new way to breathe, heal, and thrive.
To book an appointment, give us a call 904.895.5400 or visit our website wellandyou.com
