Wise Regional Wound Care Center of Excellence
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Phone Number: 940-626-2590 (Main) The Wound Care Center is located at the front of the West Campus Facility (one-story building) of Wise Regional Health System across from the Admissions Department Business Hours: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday Appointments: The Wound Center requires a physician referral in order to treat a patient. Please call 940-626-2590 to schedule an appointment after receiving your physician’s referral. Wise Regional Wound Care Center of Excellence is an outpatient clinic offering a full continuum of care from wound assessment to discharge planning. We are committed to providing our patients with the most comprehensive, cost-effective and personalized wound treatment and management possible. Our convenient location at Wise Regional Health System will alleviate many of the difficulties associated with traveling long distances to other wound care clinics. Our highly trained wound care treatment team includes a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapists, registered nurses, and other allied health professionals. The diverse team ensures that patients receive the most effective treatment for their particular wounds. The patient’s overall well-being and comfort is our first priority; therefore, we coordinate wound care treatment with primary care and specialty care physicians. We treat our patients with the utmost compassion, dignity and respect. We understand the pain associated with problematic wounds, and therefore pain management is one of our focus areas. Our goal is to see each patient’s wound heal as well as prevent future wounds through education and planning. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions about our services. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Question: HOW DO I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE WISE REGIONAL WOUND CARE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE? A referral to The Wound Care Center of Excellence is required in order to make an appointment. Once you receive the physician referral, please call 940-626-2590 to schedule an appointment and begin the healing process. Question: HOW DO I PREPARE FOR MY FIRST VISIT TO THE WISE REGIONAL WOUND CARE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE? No special preparation is required, but please remember to bring a list of all medications you are currently taking, a list of all allergies, insurance card, and drivers’ license. Please also bring any topical ointments or medications previously prescribed for your wound or burn. Question: HOW WILL THE WISE REGIONAL WOUND CARE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE CARE FOR MY WOUND? Wound Assessment: The Medical Director and Clinical Manager will perform a comprehensive assessment of your wound that will also include reviewing any other health factors or conditions that may affect the healing of your wounds. Treatment Plans: A personalized wound treatment plan will be developed especially for you that will include wound management, patient education, and therapy and support services as needed. Wound Education: We will educate patients and their caregivers on how to care for wounds at home as well as lifestyle modifications that will aid in the healing process. You will also be taught how to manage other health factors or conditions that affect the healing of your wounds. Discharge Planning: The Wound Care staff will assess all of your needs in managing and living with your wounds. We will arrange for you to receive any necessary wound care products and devices to assist you in daily living. We will educate you on how to use these products and devices and will arrange follow-up meetings to ensure that your wounds heal properly. Support Services: The Social Services Department at Wise Regional Health System will assist patients and caregivers manage and adjust to the demands of the wound care treatment process as well as the associated lifestyle changes. Question: WHAT TREATMENT TECHNIQUES WILL THE WISE REGIONAL WOUND CARE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE USE? We use several different devices, therapies, and treatment methods for certain types of wounds. Debridement: The removal of dead tissue and other materials must be removed from the wound so new and healthy tissue can grow. Pulsatile Lavage: This is a method of debridement that uses pulsating water pressure to remove dead tissue and clean out the wound site. Wound Vac System: The Wound Vac is placed on the wound and creates negative pressure to promote growth of new, healthy tissue and expedite wound closure. Compression Therapy: One example of compression therapy is the use of elastic stockings and bandages on the legs and feet to increase the return of blood from the lower extremities and reduce edema, or swelling. Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices are also used in the clinic to help reduce moderate to severe edema. Ultrasound and Electrotherapy: Ultrasound waves or gentle electric currents are used to stimulate wound closure, increase blood circulation, and decrease infections. Ultrasound therapy is often used on patients with edema. These therapies create little or no discomfort. Support Surfaces: Support surfaces such as special beds, mattresses, shoes, and seat cushions are prescribed to help relieve pressure on existing wounds and to prevent future pressure wounds. Bioengineered Skin: Bioengineered skin substitutes are sometimes needed to achieve full closure of certain wounds. Examples of these skin substitutes are Apligraf and Dermagraft. Hydrotherapy: In some cases, hydrotherapy, or whirlpool therapy, will be used to help clean or gently debride a wound. Hydrotherapy can also increase circulation to lower extremities. Dietary Support: Appropriate patients are referred to the hospital’s dietician for a nutritional assessment and individualized diet plan. Question: WHO NEEDS WOUND CARE TREATMENT? A person’s physician will most often decide if special wound care treatment is required. These people have either acute or chronic wounds that will not heal properly without the help of specialized and skilled wound care interventions. Question: WHY DO SOME WOUNDS NOT HEAL? There are many reasons for the impaired healing process of some wounds. They can be grouped into two categories called LOCAL FACTORS and SYSTEMIC FACTORS. LOCAL FACTORS occur at the wounds site and include: Pressure: Pressure ulcers can form when skin and the underlying soft
tissue is compressed between a surface and the hard bones in the human
body. For example, bed sores often form when an individual lies in the
same position for an extended period of time. This pressure can also
prevent an existing wound from healing properly. Trauma: Repeated trauma or injury to wounds often prevents the wounds from healing. Edema: The swelling of body tissue near the wound sites tends to prevent the delivery of adequate of oxygen and nutrients that are necessary for the wound to heal. Incontinence: The wound healing process is often impeded or negatively affected if urine or feces contaminates the wound site. Dry Environment: A dry environment slows the healing process of a wound. In fact, wounds heal up to five times faster and are less painful when they are kept moist. Therefore, a wound should never be “left open to air out.” Necrosis: Dead tissue around the wound site must be removed in a process called debridement since the necrotic tissue not only impedes the healing process, but can also harbor bacteria. SYSTEMIC FACTORS affect the entire body and lead to interference with the healing process of wounds. They include: Age: The elderly are at greater risk for developing problematic wounds for many reasons including poor nutrition, incontinence, and other health factors. Nutrition: Nutritional assessment and support is very important to the healing process since certain foods and nutrients facilitate the healing process. Body Fat: Having too much or too little can both compromise the healing process of a wound. Large amounts of fat tissue often result in reduced blood supply to the wound site in obese people. Very thin individuals may also experience problems with the healing process due to nutritional insufficiencies and frequently have increased incidence of pressure ulcers due to pronounced bony prominences. Diabetes: Diabetes Mellitus inhibits proper healing if blood glucose is not monitored and maintained at an appropriate level with insulin, oral medications, or proper diet and exercise. Vascular Insufficiencies: The poor circulation associated with peripheral vascular disease results in diminished blood flow to the lower extremities. This often leads to problematic sores or wounds. Suppressed Immune System: A suppressed immune system can inhibit the body’s natural ability to heal a wound. Additionally, a deficient immune system can result in an infection at the wound site. Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy sometimes causes skin ulcers due to loss of blood flow to the treated area.
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