Dr. Kerry Thibodeaux, co-founder and Medical Director of The Wound Treatment
Center, The Wound Treatment Center Consulting, and esteemed member of OGHS’
medical staff, is celebrating an extraordinary milestone – 50 years in healthcare! This
half-century journey is a story of innovation, curiosity, and unwavering dedication,
shaped by remarkable moments of discovery and service.
Dr. Thibodeaux’s humble beginnings in healthcare started at St. Luke General Hospital
in Arnaudville, LA. At just 15 years old, working as an orderly with his father Howard’s
special permission, he made an observation that would foreshadow his lifelong
commitment to advancing patient care. He discovered that the hospital’s reusable
thermometers were contributing to infections. It was then that his innovative skills first
blossomed.
By 16, he had already expanded his skills through on-the-job training as both a lab and
x-ray technician. It was there that he learned the technique of film processing that led to
an unexpected opportunity working as a photographer for Teche News, a local St.
Martinville newspaper.
After high school, while pursuing a dual degree in biology and chemistry at the
University of Southwestern Louisiana, Dr. Thibodeaux continued to sharpen his medical
knowledge at Lafayette General Hospital where he expanded his lab and x-ray
technician skills, and he trained to perform EEG tests and ultrasound examinations. He
graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and
Chemistry.
As he entered medical school at LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, he continued
working, first at St. Charles General Surgical Hospital as a lab tech, and later back at St.
Luke’s General Hospital on weekends after his father’s passing in 1985. Stepping in
during that time became a meaningful full-circle moment, honoring the man who set him
on his path.
During his fourth year of medical school, in 1986, he earned a grant from the National
Institute of Health to study the impact of tension on abdominal wall wounds. The
findings, that impacted surgical practice, concluded that too much tension in the suture
line negatively impacted the wound.
As a resident, he secured additional grants, including one from GORE-TEX®, to
investigate why vascular bypass grafts fail and how to improve their effectiveness. His
work contributed to meaningful enhancements in future graph development. He also
studied vascular strokes, improving understanding of how they develop.
Additionally, he studied transplant eligible kidneys and the difference between keeping
them perfused or preserving them with cyclosporine. The study concluded no
difference.
The culmination of these experiences, technical, clinical and research, formed the
foundation of a career defined by innovation and patient-centered excellence.
In 1992, Dr. Thibodeaux joined Opelousas General Health System as a vascular
surgeon and soon after opened The Wound Treatment Center. His commitment to
advancing wound care, combined with his surgical expertise and relentless curiosity,
sparked a legacy of healing that has enhanced countless lives.
Today, 50 years after his first job as a determined 15-year-old, Dr. Thibodeaux
continues to learn, teach, and enhance the lives of the patients he serves. His journey
is a testament to what hard work, determination and heart can accomplish.
