MASSENA, NY – Over the past several weeks there has been much activity on the lower level of Massena Hospital’s western side. The Hospital is working on the creation of a $1.2 million Wound Care Center.
The suite will be located in the area that was previously occupied by Respiratory Therapy services, and is expected to be completed later this winter.
“St. Lawrence Health does not currently have a formal Wound Care Service line,” noted Massena Hospital President David Bender. “The new Wound Care Center will have a positive impact on the regional community, and on St. Lawrence Health as a whole. Patients will be allowed to remain closer to home and to their local providers.”
The Wound Care Service line will consist of a hyperbaric chamber treatment area with two chamber units, five exam rooms, two provider offices, a waiting area, reception station, and nurses’ station.
Rochester Regional Health’s Unity Wound Care Center Practice Manager Sharon Gavenda explained that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is used to treat several medical conditions such as severe anemia, arterial gas embolism, crush injuries, gas gangrene, failed grafts and flaps, delayed radiation injuries, intracranial abscess, necrotizing soft tissue infections, and refractory osteomyelitis.
“During HBOT, the patient is placed in a pressurized chamber while breathing 100 percent oxygen, which improves oxygenation to tissue, helping to fight bacteria and heal wounds,” she said. “Patients are evaluated by a hyperbaric-trained medical provider to determine their eligibility for this treatment. If approved, treatments are once daily during weekdays, last approximately one-and-a-half to two hours per session, and generally include 30 to 60 treatments.
“While Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is an important adjunct treatment to help wounds heal faster, only approximately three percent of wound center patients qualify for it. Evidence-based treatments are the first line of treatment for most conditions before HBOT is recommended,” Ms. Gavenda said.
Along with HBOT, other treatments at the Center will include wound debridement and dressing changes, among others.
“Wound Care service will allow our general surgeons, podiatrists, and other specialists to provide a team approach in order to maintain the patient-centered care which St. Lawrence Health strives to administer,” Mr. Bender said.
Learn more about all the services offered through Massena Hospital and St. Lawrence Health.
