For most people, wound healing is a natural, uneventful process. For some individuals, however, it becomes a complex medical problem requiring specialized treatment and care.

The Comprehensive Wound Healing Center provides a multidisciplinary program of treatment and support services for the cost-effective management of acute and chronic program wounds. Our full continuum of care includes extensive wound assessment, treatment based on advanced medical methodologies, pain management, patient education and support services.
 

Since problem wounds are often associated with underlying medical conditions, our program is specifically designed to integrate wound care with ongoing health care. We coordinate wound treatment plans with the patient's primary care and specialty care physicians to ensure that each patient's individual needs are met.

When the body's natural wound healing process is delayed or hindered, the wound site becomes an ongoing medical problem. It is important to understand that there are two sets of factors that can impede the healing process.

Local Factors – There are several local factors that impede the healing process. These factors all occur at the site of the wound.
 

Pressure – Pressure on the body's soft tissue, when it is compressed for prolonged periods of time between a bony prominence and an external surface, can cause pressure ulcers and/or inhibit wound healing.

Dry Environment – Wounds kept in a moist environment heal three to five times faster, with less pain, than wounds exposed to a dry environment.

Trauma and Edema – Wounds that are repeatedly traumatized or reinjured heal very slowly or perhaps not at all. Likewise, edema (tissue swelling) hinders the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the wound site and impedes healing.

Infection – An infection, either local to the wound site or systemic within the body, can delay or impair the healing process.

Incontinence – The inability to control bowel and bladder function can interfere with the wound healing process requiring proactive management.

Necrosis – Local tissue necrosis (death) interferes with the healing process. Therefore, necrotic tissue must be removed from the wound site to promote healing.

Systemic Factors – Systemic factors are those that broadly affect the body. Similar to local factors, these can also impede healing at the wound site.

Age – The elderly are at higher risk for developing problem wounds for a variety of reasons including improper nutrition.

Bodybuild – Patients at both ends of the spectrum are at greater risk for problematic wounds. Wound healing in the obese may be compromised by poor blood supply due to fat tissue. Thin or emaciated patients may be compromised due to poor nutritional supplies and a lack of oxygen.

Chronic Disease – Diabetes Mellitus (insulin dependent diabetes) greatly affects the wound healing process if serum glucose levels are not effectively managed with appropriate dosages of insulin.

Nutritional Status – Regular nutritional assessment is very important. Monitoring of total protein, serum albumin and hematocrit to ensure adequate body nutrition to facilitate wound healing is imperative.

Vascular Insufficiencies – Peripheral vascular disease causes poor circulation and insufficient blood supply. This often leads to problem wounds of the lower extremities, such as feet and ankles.

Immunosuppressants – The wound healing process is adversely affected by a suppressed immune system due to disease or medication.

Radiation Therapy – Radiation therapy may cause ulcerations for a significant period of time after treatment has been completed due to loss of blood flow.

Meeting the Challenges
Problem wounds create a complex set of challenges. At the Comprehensive Wound Healing Center, we provide a full range of services for effective wound treatment and management of associated medical conditions. Our comprehensive services are designed to ensure cost-effective, standardized care with the flexibility to develop individualized treatment plans.

Wound Assessment
We provide an extensive assessment of the wound site as well as the patient health factors that may be affecting the wound healing process.

Treatment Plans
Our multidisciplinary team develops individualized treatment plans that include wound care management and appropriate adjunctive therapies.

Coordination of Care
All patient care is coordinated with primary care and specialty care providers to ensure a fully integrated treatment plan for the patient's overall well-being.

Education
Patients and caregivers are provided with education on wound care at home and lifestyle adjustments to facilitate the healing process. Effective management techniques for underlying medical conditions are also taught with emphasis given to proper patient compliance.

Discharge Planning
The treatment team reviews all of the needs of patients including wound care products, assistive devises and at-home wound care. Detailed patient instructions are provided along with a plan for ongoing follow-up.

Support Services
Psychosocial support services are requested to help patients and caregivers cope with the demands of wound treatment regimens and any necessary lifestyle adjustments.

Promoting the Process
The Comprehensive Wound Healing Center provides a wide range of therapies specifically designed to help promote the healing process.

Debridement
The treatment team has advanced training in the techniques of thorough wound debridement (removal of dead tissue). Foreign material and dead tissue must be removed so that underlying healthy tissue can regenerate.

Nutritional Support
Patients are assessed for nutritional status and regularly monitored by the team to ensure adequate levels of nutrients to promote healing. Patient treatment plans include individualized dietary plans.

Support Surface
Patients with pressure wounds are assessed to determine their risk for developing additional wounds as well as relieving pressure on existing wounds. Appropriate support surfaces such as special beds, mattresses, seat cushions or appropriate footwear are prescribed to reduce or relieve pressure on existing wounds and areas if weakened tissue.

Infection Management
Appropriate wound and blood cultures or biopsies are performed to identify cause(s) of infection. A detailed assessment is then made to determine the optimum antibiotic management program.

Compression Therapy
Compression therapy may be used on wounds located in lower extremities. Elastic stockings or bandages are applied to increase venous blood return, prevent blood pooling and decrease edema. Other forms of compression therapy may also be used.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric (high pressure) oxygen therapy is available and administered to patients in specially designed hyperbaric oxygen chambers. Breathing pure oxygen increases the level of oxygen in the bloodstream to promote wound healing by stimulating new vascular growth and facilitating the "normal" wound healing process in the compromised patient.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also plays an important role in treating acute and traumatic wounds such as necrotizing fascists, clostridial myonecrosis, crush injuries and surgical complications.

Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy
When needed, patients have the support of occupational and physical therapists for rehabilitation, as well as speech therapists to assess swallowing ability.

Providing Key Benefits
Our comprehensive program for healing problem wounds provides the following key benefits to both patients and healthcare providers:

Standardized care, via critical pathways, that is cost-effective and improves positive outcomes.
Multispecialty care team of physicians, nurses and allied health professionals that have advanced training and are accredited in wound care.
Case management approach to care that provides individualized treatment plans and coordination of wound care with ongoing health care.

Assessing Our Care
Patients may directly assess care at the Comprehensive Wound Healing Center or physicians or caregivers may refer them. Please contact the program coordinator to schedule an initial assessment.