Claxton-Hepburn

“Because of the high level of expertise that exists among our staff, we are equipped to manage even the most stubborn wounds. There is no wound we will not address.” —Manuel Palao, MD, FACS, medical director of the Wound Healing Center Speeding Up the Healing Process Nonhealing wounds can put your life on hold. The Wound Healing Center at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center is using hyperbaric oxygen therapy to address these stubborn wounds and put patients on the path to healing. SINCE 2008, THE WOUND HEALING CENTER at Claxton-Hepburn has been using hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help patients heal their chronic wounds. This U.S. Food and Drug Administration- approved treatment uses pressurized air to deliver pure oxygen to chronic wounds. This high dose of pressurized oxygen stimulates the growth of new blood vessels and improves circulation for faster healing rates. The Wound Healing Center uses hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat a number of conditions, including: • chronic refractory osteomyelitis • chronic wounds • compromised skin grafts and flaps • damage from radiation therapy (soft tissue burns, pain, pressure, rectal or urinary bleeding) • diabetic foot ulcers • gangrene • postsurgical incisions • pressure ulcers • severe bacterial infections • venous stasis ulcers Whatever the cause of your nonhealing condition, the Wound Healing Center will work collaboratively with your primary care provider and other departments to determine the best course of treatment. “We see many patients who have lived with chronic wounds for months or even years,” says Manuel Palao, MD, FACS, medical director of the Wound Healing Center. “We have the expertise to determine the underlying cause of the condition and treat it before it gets worse.” 5 L I V I N G WE L L Hyperbaric oxygen therapy technician Jenny Winters and Dr. Stuart Hoffman Staying Connected In addition to specialized training in hyperbaric medicine, every physician and nurse on staff at the Wound Healing Center receives continuing education through a partnership with the National Healing Corporation. By coupling this level of education with the latest technologies and techniques, Wound Healing Center staff members remain at the forefront of wound management and hyperbaric treatment. “Our mission is to meet our community’s healthcare needs with compassion and excellence, and the Wound Healing Center does just that,” says Judy Tubolino, RN, BSN, program director of the Wound Healing Center. “Our highly skilled staff members work with patients on an individual basis to ensure their needs are met. I truly believe we contribute to patients living the best lives they can.” To learn more about hyperbaric oxygen therapy, contact the Wound Healing Center at (315) 394-0426. www.claxtonhepburn.org By the Numbers For people of the North Country with nonhealing wounds, the Wound Healing Center at Claxton- Hepburn Medical Center is the place to turn, and we have the numbers to prove it: • 87 percent healing rate in 2010 • 87 percent of patients healed within 16 weeks • Less than 2 percent amputation rate • 4,972 patient visits in 2010

• Cover