Jefferson Wound Care & Hyperbaric Centers Raise Awareness of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Jefferson Hospital Wound Care & Hyperbaric Centers, a member of the Healogics network, are participating in the Healogics National Diabetes Campaign Oct. 27 to 31.

Program directors across the nation will dedicate the week to providing education to local physician offices to help staff identify diabetic patients with or at risk of having ulcers of the lower extremity. Patients with diabetes often suffer from nerve damage in their feet which predisposes them to ulcer formation and infection. These wounds can take a long time to heal and require a specialized treatment approach.

Located at Allegheny Health Network’s Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills and Health + Wellness Pavilion at Bethel Park, Jefferson Hospital Wound Care & Hyperbaric Centers offer advanced therapies, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, to patients suffering from chronic wounds.

William T. Conklin, Medical Director, Jefferson Hospital Wound Care & Hyperbaric Centers, said that non-healing ulcers of the feet are one of the most significant complications of diabetes that greatly affect a person’s quality of life.

“The Wound Care and Hyperbaric Centers at our Jefferson Hospital and Bethel Park locations can provide the care patients need close to home,” said Dr. Conklin. “Our wound care team provides a variety of therapies, including debridement, specialized dressings, pressure relief with total contact casting, as well as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). By providing 100 percent oxygen to non-healing ulcers, HBOT has proven to be an extremely effective treatment, often the most important step in the healing process for diabetic patients.”

There are approximately 29 million people living with diabetes in the U.S., and of those, some 15 percent will develop an ulcer of the lower extremity, according to Healogics, Inc. Left untreated, these ulcers can impair quality of life and may lead to amputation. Early detection and intervention can help to mitigate the possibility of limb loss.

“Diabetics represent approximately 60 percent of non-traumatic lower limb amputations among people 20 years and older,” said D. Scott Covington, MD, FACS, Chief Medical Officer for Healogics, Inc. “It is vitally important that people with diabetes, their caregivers and physicians recognize the warning signs of diabetic foot ulcers and seek appropriate treatment immediately when an ulcer does occur.”

To schedule an appointment at Jefferson Wound Care & Hyperbaric Centers, call 412-469-7676 (Jefferson Hospital) or 412.854.7171 (Bethel Park) or visit www.ahn.org.

About Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Health Network is a western Pennsylvania-based integrated healthcare system that serves patients from across a five-state region that includes Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. Allegheny Health Network offers four locations to assist those dealing with non-healing wounds – the Wound Healing and Lymphedema Center at Allegheny General Hospital, the Advanced Wound Healing Center at Forbes Hospital, the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Centers at Jefferson Hospital and the Saint Vincent Wound Center. The main goal is to create an individual holistic plan of care in partnership with the patient, and when possible their caregivers, to help facilitate the wound healing process.

About Healogics, Inc.
Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Healogics is the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. Healogics and its affiliated companies manage nearly 600 Wound Care Centers in the nation and see nearly 200,000 patients per year through a connected network of centers, partner hospitals, academic medical centers, patients and families. For more information, visit www.healogics.com.