The member who cannot get to the wound clinic
A member with a leg ulcer who keeps missing clinic appointments because the ride falls through. A patient going home after a long admission with a pressure injury and a daughter who works days. A resident whose facility has no wound clinician rounding.
Mobile wound care for case managers and health plans is a way to move the visit instead of the patient. Gateway Wound Care arranges mobile wound care visits from partner clinicians in private homes, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation settings, and coordinates the work around each visit. Our case manager guide to mobile wound care goes further into fit and what to ask.
What you can expect from us
When you send a request, you have a coordinating contact at Gateway who can tell you:
- Whether visits are available for the member’s address and care setting
- Where the request stands: received, patient reached, visit scheduled, visit completed
- What records are still missing and from whom
- Which treating practice is involved, so participation can be checked against the plan
- What follow-up has been ordered and whether supplies are in place
What we share follows privacy rules and the permissions in place for that patient. We do not quote timelines, because availability is confirmed by location and care setting.
How to refer a member or patient
- Call 314-325-0126, fax 314-786-7966, or use the referral request form. The form takes contact details only. Clinical information goes by fax or phone.
- Give us the member’s location, care setting and plan, plus a working phone number for the member or a family member.
- Send what you have: recent clinical notes, wound documentation, the discharge summary, the medication list and the names of clinicians already involved.
- We reach the member or family, confirm they want the visits, and check availability.
- A partner clinician sees the patient. We coordinate orders, supplies and follow-up, and report status back to you.
Members and families can also call us themselves, with or without a referral.
Authorization and plan participation
We do not tell anyone that a plan is accepted or that a service is a covered benefit. Participation and benefits depend on the treating provider, the member’s plan and the care needed. Give us the plan at intake so the participation question is raised before a visit is scheduled. Our insurance page sets out what members can ask.
When a plan requires prior authorization for a visit, a product or a piece of equipment, the request comes from the treating practice or the supplier, because it rests on the treating practice’s clinical documentation. Gateway tracks status and helps gather records, and the plan makes the determination. For background you can share with members, see our guide to prior authorization for wound care.
What Gateway coordinates, and what it does not decide
We coordinate intake, scheduling, records, delivery of the clinician’s orders, wound supplies and equipment, transportation arrangements for outpatient tests or procedures, follow-up, and communication among the care team.
The treating clinician makes every clinical decision: assessment, diagnosis, orders, treatment, and whether a product or therapy is appropriate for the patient. Gateway does not determine medical necessity, coverage or benefit levels. We are also not an emergency service. A member with an emergency should call 911.
Hospital case managers and the discharge side
For hospital case managers, the request usually arrives with a discharge date attached. Call when the wound is identified, not on the day the patient leaves. That gives us time to confirm availability at the discharge address and request records, as described on our page about wound care after hospital discharge.
Tell us what else is being set up. If home health is ordered, wound visits by a partner clinician can run alongside it, and we coordinate so both teams have the same orders. Our guide on readmission risk and wound follow-up covers that period in more detail.
When the wound is not the only gap
Members with chronic wounds often have no recent primary care visit, an outdated medication list, or several specialists who do not talk to each other. If that describes your member, ask about in-home primary care through a partner clinician. Availability is confirmed by location.
Common questions
Can a health plan case manager refer a member directly?
Yes. Plan case managers, hospital case managers, social workers and discharge planners can all refer, and members can call on their own. We need a way to reach the member or a family contact, because we confirm with them before anything is scheduled. If you want to stay on as the point of contact for status, tell us at intake.
Does a member have to be homebound to be seen at home?
Not necessarily. Homebound is a defined term that matters for certain benefits, home health in particular, and it is not the test for every kind of visit at home. Whether visits where the member lives are appropriate and how they are covered depends on the plan, the treating provider and the care needed. Our explainer on what homebound means covers the term.
What can you tell me about a member’s wound status?
We share what privacy rules and the member’s permissions allow for your role, which typically covers request status, visit dates and outstanding items such as records or supplies. Clinical detail comes from the treating clinician’s documentation. If you need notes for care planning or review, tell us what you need and where to send it.
Do you coordinate care for members in Illinois as well as Missouri?
Gateway coordinates care across Greater St. Louis in Missouri and the Metro East in Illinois. Availability is confirmed for each address and care setting, so the quickest way to an answer is to call with the member’s location. Plan participation can differ between the two states, which is another reason to give us the plan at intake.