MDNews - Mid Hudson

OF HEALING ACCORDING TO JULIE WAGNER, R.N., WCC, clinical manager of the Center for Wound Healing at Saint Francis Hospital, one of the crucial first steps in addressing a nonhealing wound is recognizing the problem wound and making the appropri- ate referral to a wound care specialist early on in the disease process. "The earlier wound specialists see a THE TIMING slow or nonhealing wound, the quicker the potential for wound closure and the sooner we may impact the underlying contributing medical condition with the end result of less damage/cost to the patient and overall best outcome," says Wagner. "The sooner the better." Patients who are at a higher risk for The Center for Wound Healing contains several wound care consultation and treatment rooms. picture of the patient's case. Scott Francis, M.S., P.T., Program Director of the Center for Wound Healing at Saint Francis Hospital, explains that the conversation covers the patient's demographic and insurance information and a history of any prior blood work, laboratory studies or surgery, etc., related to the wound. "We collect as much information as possible when that first call comes in so we can provide the best possible care for our patients," says Francis. "Thorough background information is compiled for a seamless process, and intervening on behalf of the patient can reduce any complications with insurance. We gather any information that's going to help us when we see the patient for that first visit." Upon arrival, patients meet with one of the Center for Wound Healing nurses to complete a patient history, confirm existing information and sign off on consent forms prior to the physical assessment. Julie Wagner, R.N., WCC, clinical manager of the Center for Wound Healing at Saint Francis Hospital, notes that she and her colleagues review each patient's entire history, speaking with the patient about how his or her wound developed, how long it has failed to heal, what kinds of treatments the patient MDNEWS.COM ■ MD NEWS Mid Hudson | 7 has undergone, who performed the treatments and so on. Nurses also gather information to assess the entire patient. Information regarding social history, caregivers at home, private home or apartment, stairs or no stairs, nutritional status, smoking history, pain, psychosocial health, complicating conditions and overall physical health help the team determine other essential services, in addition to identifying health obstacles contributing to the wound not healing. developing nonhealing wounds — and thus, should be monitored for signs of such a wound — include patients with an autoimmune disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes or venous insufficiency, patients who have recently undergone radiation therapy, and the growing number of obese patients. Wagner advises, "If practitioners are seeing slow-healing wounds, directly refer patients to the Center for Wound Healing, and we will work collaboratively with the physician's office to heal the wound." Meghan Johnson, EMT, HBO technician with a patient after finishing an HBO treatment

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