History of HWCA
Hyperbaric Wound Care Associates was founded in September 1998 when Dr. Jeffrey Niezgoda assumed the medical directorship of the Hyperbaric Medicine section at St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee. Dr. Niezgoda established a wound care clinic as well, and the practice quickly grew. Dr. Raymond Otto joined HWCA in January 1999, and Dr. Jane Van Roo came on board later that year. A wound care clinic and monoplace chamber hyberbaric department was added at St. Luke's South Shore as well.
In January 2001, Dr. Sue Fregien joined the group, and in March of that year HWCA opened the 2-chamber monoplace hyperbaric department and wound care clinic at West Allis Memorial Hospital. 2001 also saw the addition of Heidi Allen APNP and Lisa Gundersen PA-C. Melissa Weber FPNP joined HWCA in spring of 2002, and in June the monoplace hyperbaric department and wound care clinic at Hartford Memorial Hospital was opened. Dr. Jack Simanonok also joined HWCA in June, allowing for physician coverage at all the clinics. Joan Bartness FPNP joined the group in fall of 2002. The Kenosha wound care clinic was added in February 2003.
HWCA is looking forward to further growth and improvement in facilities in the future, as a new, state-of-the-art hyperbaric chamber is slated to be installed and operational in 2005.