You can start with a phone call
Wound care for patients in St. Louis often begins with a simple problem: you know the wound needs attention, but you are not sure whom to call or whether you need a referral first. You can call Gateway directly at 314-325-0126, for yourself, with or without a referral.
Gateway clinicians provide wound care, and we handle the tasks around the visit: scheduling, records, supply orders, transportation arrangements and follow-up. The treating clinician examines the wound and makes every decision about diagnosis and treatment.
The guide on whether you need a referral for wound care explains how health plan rules fit in.
From your first call to follow-up.
- Tell us what you need. Contact us for wound care, primary care or both, for yourself or someone you help care for.
- Prepare for the visit. We gather relevant records with your permission and work through the appointment details.
- Meet your clinician. The clinician assesses your health, explains the plan and answers your questions.
- Keep the plan moving. Gateway coordinates orders, supplies, referrals and the next appointment.
What to have ready
You do not need a complete file to call. If you cannot find your records, we can request them with your permission. These items make the first conversation go faster:
- Your insurance cards
- A list of your medications, including over-the-counter products
- The names and phone numbers of your doctors, home health agency or facility
- Recent discharge papers or visit summaries, if you have them
- What you know about the wound: where it is, when it started and what dressings are being used now
- Your own questions, written down
The guide to preparing for your first wound care visit covers the visit day itself.
At home or at a partner clinic.
Gateway’s care model includes both home visits and appointments in partner clinics. We also work with senior living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation teams.
If travel is difficult, tell us. We can help arrange transportation when a visit or test takes place away from home.
Coverage and cost questions to ask
Ask us about Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid or a commercial plan. What a plan pays for depends on the treating provider, the plan itself and the care you need. Specific questions get the most useful answers:
- Which practice would treat me, and does it participate in my plan?
- Do I need a referral or prior authorization?
- What might I owe for visits, dressings and other supplies?
- If I need a ride to an appointment, does my plan offer a transportation benefit?
Our insurance questions page covers this in more depth.
Your family and your other clinicians
You choose who is included, and you can change that at any time. With your permission, we can talk with a family member or caregiver, and with the clinicians who already know you, such as your primary care doctor, surgeon or home health nurse. If someone helps you day to day, point them to the page for families and caregivers.
What to report between visits
Tell the treating clinician’s office about changes such as:
- Redness, warmth or swelling that is spreading
- New or worsening pain
- More drainage, a change in its color or a new odor
- Fever or chills
- A dressing that will not stay in place
Call 911 for heavy bleeding that will not stop, trouble breathing, chest pain or sudden confusion. Gateway is not an emergency service. The guide to the signs of wound infection explains what to watch for.
For practical problems, such as supplies running low or an appointment you cannot make, call Gateway.
Guides to read next
The conditions section explains common wound types, including diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, pressure injuries and surgical wounds. The guides library has plain-language articles on dressings, bathing, eating well during healing and working with your care team.
Common questions
What kinds of wounds can I call about?
Any wound that worries you, is slow to heal or needs regular care. That includes foot ulcers related to diabetes, leg ulcers, pressure injuries, surgical wounds that have opened or are healing slowly, and skin tears. You do not need to know the name for it. Describe what you see, and the treating clinician will assess it.
I already have a home health nurse. Can I still call?
Yes. Home health nurses carry out wound care under a clinician’s orders, and a wound care clinician can assess the wound and adjust those orders. Tell us which agency you use so that, with your permission, visit notes and any new orders reach your nurse.
How soon can I be seen?
Contact Gateway about an appointment. If a wound is changing quickly, let the team and your current clinician know promptly. For an emergency, call 911.
What if I do not have a primary care doctor?
You can contact Gateway for primary care, wound care or both. A wound is often connected to other health concerns, such as diabetes or circulation, and our clinicians can address those needs together.