New clinic caters to wound care patients with transportation challenges

IDAHO FALLS – A new health clinic opening in Idaho Falls allows patients more flexibility for wound care.

Elevated Healing Services opened at 1600 John Adams Parkway, Suite 101 on December 1. It’s a hybrid healthcare model that gives patients the option of getting care in a clinic, at home, or both. The goal is to ensure seamless care to patients who might have longterm treatment at another location or transportation challenges.

“In east Idaho, wound care has traditionally meant hospital-based clinics or very limited private options,” Steve Bird, the clinic’s co-founder, says. “Our goal is to bridge that gap and give patients and referring providers another high-quality option that doesn’t automatically involve long waits or difficult transportation.”

Bird founded the company with Jedd Walker. Walker is a nurse practitioner and brings years of hands-on experience in wound management, particularly with chronic, non-healing wounds that persist longer than four weeks. These often include diabetic foot ulcers, pressure injuries and surgical wounds that fail to heal due to underlying health conditions.

“Any wound can be treated,” Walker said. “But the majority of what we see are chronic wounds tied to things like diabetes, poor circulation, heart disease, obesity or age. When blood flow is compromised, the body simply can’t heal the way it’s designed to.”

Walker’s path to wound care was shaped by a long career in nursing across multiple settings. After graduating from Idaho State University in 2012 and later earning his nursing degree from Roseman University of Health Sciences in 2014, he worked as an operating room nurse, home health nurse and, more recently, in skilled nursing facilities.

He later returned to school during the COVID-19 pandemic to become a family nurse practitioner, graduating in 2022 from United States University in San Diego.

It was during this time that wound care became a passion.

“There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing a wound go from open and dangerous to healed,” Walker said. “We’re not just improving labs or numbers — we’re preventing infection, saving limbs and, in some cases, saving lives.”

That focus on limb salvage is central to Elevated Healing’s mission. According to Bird, the stakes are higher than many people realize.

“Any amputation related to a wound, even a toe, dramatically impacts long-term health,” he said. “The average life expectancy after a wound-related amputation is about five years. Preventing that first amputation matters.”

One of the key advantages of Elevated Healing’s model is home-based care. Walker travels directly to patients, bringing necessary equipment and supplies to deliver advanced therapies in familiar surroundings. This not only improves convenience, but compliance.

“When patients are at home, they’re more comfortable, and compliance goes way up,” Bird said. “Wound care depends heavily on following instructions — offloading pressure, dressing changes, limiting movement. When you remove transportation hurdles, outcomes improve.”

Home-based care also allows Walker to work closely with caregivers, family members and facility staff. Elevated Healing serves patients in private residences, assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities to ensure care is seamless for patients transitioning from one setting to another.

“If a patient leaves a skilled nursing facility before a wound has healed, they don’t need to start over with a new provider,” Walker said. “I already know their history, what’s worked and what hasn’t. That continuity matters.”

Elevated Healing Services also maintains a physical location where patients can be seen for evaluations or procedures better suited to a clinical setting. The practice is currently operating in a soft-opening phase, with a formal grand opening planned for early February.

The partnership between Walker and Bird began about a year ago, introduced by a mutual attorney who recognized their complementary skill sets. Bird, a Brigham Young University-educated CPA who graduated in 1995, brings decades of experience in business operations and medical sales. Walker focuses entirely on clinical care.

Both men say ethics were central to their decision to work together.

“Wound care can be a complicated industry,” Bird said. “We wanted to be sure we were building something that put patients first, not profit first.”

Walker agreed.

“If you do the right thing clinically, success follows,” Walker said. “I wasn’t interested in a model that pushed unnecessary treatments or prioritized billing over healing.”

Elevated Healing Services accepts Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage plans, and most major commercial insurance providers, including Blue Cross and United Healthcare. Patients without insurance are also encouraged to reach out to discuss options.

As East Idaho continues to grow, Bird believes demand for flexible medical services will only increase.

“There simply aren’t enough providers to keep up with population growth,” he said. “We’re not replacing anyone, we’re adding capacity to the market and giving providers and patients another trusted option.”

For Walker, the work is personal.

“I grew up in hospitals as a patient,” he said. “I know what it means to rely on people who care. That’s what we’re trying to build — care that’s skilled, ethical and human.”

Elevated Healing Services is holding a grand opening on Feb. 6 from 3 to 6 p.m.