Imagine having to travel to a doctor’s office, walk into a building and down long corridors while wheezing and being short of breath from chronic heart or lung disease. Joint pains, back problems or leg or backside wounds overwhelm the assistance from a cane or walker, making that doctor visit seem as difficult as climbing Mount Everest. Then there are risks of falling, catching winter flu bugs, or suffering a breathing crisis from the strain, leading to an emergency room visit.
An aging population has made mobile medical services a key part of quality healthcare. One in four Arizona adults are age 65 or older ,and 1.5 million residents are over age 60, according to recent data. The aging population extends across the country. In the United States, there are roughly 2 million people who are completely homebound and 5.5 million who are partially homebound, according to the National Health and Aging Trends Study. In addition, many patients may live far from skilled medical providers in “medical deserts,” or underserved areas.
Arizona Wound Healers was born out of a mission to provide adults in need with key services as part of a continuum of care for those who have chronic and life-limiting illness. The “continuum of care” model includes mobile primary care for elderly and disabled (DoctorCare), palliative and hospice care for those approaching the end of life (Elevate Hospice and Palliative Care), and in-home advanced wound care for the 3% of elderly who suffer from chronic wounds in group homes, assisted living, nursing homes or in their private residence (Arizona Wound Healers). These services differ from concierge practices by providing care to those who are most needy and might live in underserved or rural areas.
Arizona Wound Healers was started in 2024 by Joel Cohen, M.D., and Valerie Palacios-Chapa, FNP, to add mobile, advanced wound care therapies to complete the continuum of care. It is led by Medical Director Dr. Joel Cohen. Arizona Wound Healers is a source of great comfort for patients as they can get skilled medical care in the comfort of their living space when suffering from acute illness or severe pain or perhaps are approaching end of life.
Chronic, or “hard-to-heal” wounds, are medical complications primarily treated by Arizona Wound Healers. Chronic wounds are skin defects that linger beyond four to six weeks without significant progress in healing, fail to progress through the normal stages of healing, and are associated with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, poor circulation or infections. Common examples of chronic wounds include diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers as well as pressure ulcers from lack of mobility. Up to 6.5 million Americans live with chronic wounds, and 3% of the population have open wounds, with seniors (65+) making up 85% of this group.
Mobile medical care will continue to flourish as Arizona’s population ages, and companies such as Arizona Wound Healers respond to growing demand from patients whose wounds, chronic pain, fall risk, mobility challenges and other health conditions keep them from leaving their home.
Valerie Chapa, NP-C, CWON, is an owner and co-founder of Arizona Wound Healers LLC with more than 23 years of experience in healthcare. She began her career as a registered nurse, spending years in the Neuro ICU at Barrow Neurological Institute, before advancing into internal medicine and wound care. For the past nine years, she has provided comprehensive patient care through DoctorCare – Mobile Primary Care HouseCalls, specializing in chronic disease management and wound healing.
As an owner of Arizona Wound Healers, Chapa is dedicated to delivering expert wound care and helping patients improve their quality of life through advanced treatments. Born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico, she earned her nursing degree from the University of New Mexico before completing her master’s at Grand Canyon University.
