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Speare Memorial Hosipital Wound Care Center earns Healogics Center of DistinctionSpeare Memorial Hospital’s Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine Center, managed by Healogics™, provides specialized treatment for chronic or non-healing wounds, which are defined as sores or wounds that have not significantly improved from conventional treatments. Associated with inadequate circulation, poorly functioning veins, and immobility, non-healing wounds lead to lower quality of life and may lead to amputations. When wounds persist, a specialized approach is required for healing. Typically, a wound that does not respond to normal medical care within 30 days is considered a problem or chronic wound.

That’s where our Wound Care Center® can help. With the state-of-the-art treatments available including debridement, dressing selection, special shoes, and patient education, people with non-healing and chronic wounds now have a place to turn. The Center uses an interdisciplinary model of care, including infectious-disease management, physical therapy, occupational therapy, laboratory evaluation, nutritional management, pain management, diabetic education, radiology testing, and debridement to address total patient health.

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[toggle title=”Preparing for Your Treatments”]After an initial consultation and examination at the center, you will receive complete instructions regarding your treatment. Note: You should refrain from smoking or the use of any tobacco products during the entire course of therapy. Tobacco use will prolong or even prevent healing of a wound site due to its effect on the blood vessels in your body.[/toggle]
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Speare's wound care team (From L-R) Dr. James Hanowell, Dr. Jim Koren - Medical Director, Linda Drew, Deanna Brodie LPN, Alison Lovett RN, Dr. John Bentwood, Rebekah Sexton PA-C, Patty Norcross, RN and Rebecca Sayre, Clinical Program Director
(From L-R) Dr. James Hanowell, Dr. Jim Koren – Medical Director, Linda Drew, Deanna Brodie LPN, Alison Lovett RN, Dr. John Bentwood, Rebekah Sexton PA-C, Patty Norcross, RN and Rebecca Sayre, Clinical Program Director

The Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center team consists of:

  • Dr. Koren MD – Medical Director
  • Dr. Hanowell MD
  • Dr. Bentwood MD
  • Rebekah Sexton PA-C
  • Jessica L. Case PA-C
  • Rebecca Sayre Clinical PD
  • Alison Lovett RN, CWS
  • Deanna Brodie LPN, CHT
  • Linda Drew FOC

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[toggle title=”Understanding Chronic Wounds”]Associated with inadequate circulation, poorly functioning veins, and immobility, non-healing wounds occur most frequently in the elderly and in people with diabetes—populations that are sharply rising as the nation ages and chronic diseases increase. At Speare’s Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine Center we follow treatment protocols specifically established for each type of wound. We utilize the latest approaches to wound healing and remain current in new scientific advances in wound care.

Through a partnership with Healogics, Speare is able to offer a new and comprehensive center offering specialized wound care. Healogics is the world’s largest wound care management company with over 500 hospital partners delivering excellent evidence-based care to patients with chronic wounds. Healogics has been the leader in wound care for over 20 years, offering the most advanced modalities such as adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Of special importance to our hospital, Healogics Centers traditionally achieve excellent clinical outcomes, including high limb salvage rates, a 91% healing rate within 30 median days-to-heal, and extremely high patient satisfaction.

What is specialized wound care?

Once a treatment plan has been initiated, you will visit the Center on a regular basis for specialized treatments and documentation of the progress of your healing. You will also be fully instructed on how to do your own wound care at home between visits, as well as how to protect your wound from further injury. It is very important to remember that you are the most important part of your healing process. Keeping appointments and following directions are critical to attaining a positive healing outcome. The Center employs the most technologically advanced wound care therapy, including:

  • debridement
  • topical wound therapy
  • growth-factor therapy
  • tissue therapy
  • dressing selection
  • special shoes
  • patient education
  • hyperbaric therapy

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[toggle title=”Your First Appointment”]Patients are mostly referred to the Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine Center by their primary care physician. Upon referral to the Center, patients undergo a thorough diagnostic examination to identify the type of wound you have and the underlying problems causing the wound. The initial appointment consists of a full assessment to determine the etiology of the wound, the appropriate classification, and size of the wound, the overall health status of the patient and the patient’s ability to comply with needed therapies.

Based on the evaluation, a customized treatment plan is developed to optimize the therapies best suited to address the patient’s needs. Wound size and depth are documented at the initial visit, and again at each subsequent visit. Some of the diagnostic modalities which may be used include:

  • Laboratory evaluation
  • Radiology (including MRI)
  • Transcutaneous oxygen testing
  • Vascular studies, electrocardiogram
  • Ultrasound

After this determination, a program specifically tailored to your needs will be initiated based on the most effective treatment options. An interdisciplinary approach will be used to provide the maximum healing possible.

Specialized wound care is usually administered on an outpatient basis. Patients are free to drive themselves to the Center for therapy, and you should plan two-and-a-half to three hours for each visit.

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