Paul Kim, D.P.M.

Efficient, Effective Care for Wound Healing

When Paul Kim, D.P.M., began working in the field of wound healing, he quickly saw there was an unmet need in patients who had complex conditions such as diabetes. He wanted to help fill that gap.

“Navigating health care can be confusing for any patient, and especially for those who have complex conditions,” Dr. Kim says, adding that people with wound-healing challenges often need the expertise of a range of specialists to preserve and maximize the function of their limbs. Many of those patients will need to move in between inpatient and outpatient care over the course of their lives.

As Medical Director of the Wound Program at UT Southwestern, Dr. Kim’s goal is to make that process as efficient and effective as possible.

His research and clinical interests focus on developing new therapies and approaches to wound care and limb function in people with diabetes. He says that over his career, research has yielded more and better understanding of the small mechanisms that underlie wound healing – as well as wound pathology.

But managing chronic wounds is still a significantly long-term process, and Dr. Kim notes that UT Southwestern’s Wound Program is built on a multidisciplinary approach that meets the challenges. “We offer patients every option, from conservative therapies to surgery,” he says.

Determining whether a patient will be best served by a drug, a biologic, a device, or surgery can be a complex process, but Dr. Kim emphasizes that the best choice for each patient is always what will best improve that person’s quality of life.

He takes great satisfaction in seeing his patients get back to enjoying their lives. “Seeing that I’m contributing to my community in a positive way – that’s what makes me proud,” he says.