Vanessa Penick, MSN

Vanessa Penick, MSN, is a board-certified nurse practitioner at MercyOne Des Moines Wound Care. She is certified in adult-geriatric primary care and frequently treats the following conditions:

• Acute wounds
• Chronic non-healing wounds
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Vascular ulcers
• Surgical wound complications
• Pressure injuries
• Pyoderma gangrenosum
• Hidradenitis suppurativa

Procedures she performs include:

• Wound debridement (sharp, selective, enzymatic, and autolytic)
• Skin graft and skin substitute application and management
• Advanced wound dressing selection and management
• Surgical wound care and complication management
• Compression therapy for wound healing

Vanessa believes in holistic, patient‑centered care, working closely with you to understand your individual goals, overall health, and lifestyle. She tailors treatment plans through shared decision‑making. Her focus isn't only on healing wounds, but also on supporting you throughout the process in a way that best fits your unique needs. She has a strong interest in expanding her understanding of the underlying causes of chronic wounds and the factors that impact healing. She’s committed to staying current with evidence‑based wound care treatments and technologies so she can offer the most up‑to‑date options to you. Her goal is to help you achieve optimal wound healing while improving function, comfort and quality of life.

Outside of work, she enjoys bird watching, gardening and spending time in nature to recharge and reinforce the importance of overall wellness and balance in daily life. Vanessa also values spending time with family and has a deep love of animals.