Almost seven million people in the United States live with a chronic, non-healing wound. Diabetes, increased age, blood flow complications, obesity and other factors contribute to the growing number of non-healing wounds each year.
Dealing with a wound can be devastating for patients. It can limit their social interactions and daily activities and leave the patient feeling lost and hopeless. MyMichigan Health has partnered with Healogics to bring hope back to our local community members struggling with chronic wounds.
Healogics is the largest wound care company in the United States. It partners with hospital systems like MyMichigan Health to bring specialized wound care services to local communities. Healogics manages more than 600 centers across the nation and has treated over 4 million wounds in the past 20 years. Through this partnership, MyMichigan Health is able to provide specialized wound care services in Alma, Alpena, Clare, Gladwin, Midland and West Branch.
“Our mission is, ‘Find. Treat. Heal,’” said Marybeth Kilburn, Wound Care Laision for Healogics. “Our centers have a people-first, patient-centered mind set. Every patient receives an individualized treatment plan tailored to their specific health conditions and physical needs.”
A better basis for wound healing
The partnership between Healogics and MyMichigan Health gives people in northern and mid-Michigan special access to doctors and experts who are highly trained in treating wounds. It also connects them with researchers who are finding new ways to diagnose, treat, and care for wounds over time.
The provider care teams at the wound centers include general surgery, foot care (podiatry), blood vessel surgery (vascular surgery), family medicine, and wound care specific providers. They work closely with other MyMichigan Health specialists such as infectious disease, diabetes management, and home care. Healogics’ approach focuses on treating the root cause of chronic wounds and teaching the patient how to prevent the wound from recurring.
The wound centers are a “hub of care,” Kilburn says. “Our goal is to treat the whole patient and get them back to a normal life.”
Patients with diabetes have a higher chance of developing a sore, called an ulcer. Delayed or lack of access to wound care significantly increases the risk of losing a foot or leg (amputation). In fact, 80,000 people with diabetes undergo a leg or foot amputation resulting from a non-healing wound each year. 8 out of 10 of these cases began with an ulcer that likely could have healed if caught early and treated in a specialized wound center. The chance of amputation is cut in half when patients go to a wound care center that uses a team of different medical experts, like the ones at MyMichigan Health.
The wound centers at MyMichigan Health treat many types of chronic non-healing wounds, such as:
- Diabetic foot ulcers
- Arterial (blood flow) ulcers
- Venous (vein-related) ulcers
- Pressure ulcers (bedsores)
- Wounds from injuries
- Burns
- Wounds caused by radiation treatments
Some things that can slow down the healing process are diabetes, poor blood flow, being bed- or wheelchair-bound, or having undergone radiation. Other instances where individuals should seek specialized wound care include:
- The wound shows exposed bone, tendon, joint, or has deep tunneling
- If the wound has a history of bone infections (chronic osteomyelitis)
- If the wound is getting worse – more painful, red, swollen, smells bad, or changes color
- If a surgical wound isn’t healing like it should
“A referral from a patient’s primary care physician isn’t necessary to start treatment. In fact, patients can call and make an appointment at any time,” Kilburn said. “Our goal is to communicate with the patient’s care team and work collaboratively to get and keep the patient healed. Our program directors and wound care liaisons deliver progress notes with pictures to show the patient’s progression throughout their treatment to the primary care and referring providers.”
When should someone see a wound care specialist?
Experts say it’s best to get help as soon as you notice a wound isn’t healing right. Getting care early—especially for diabetics—can prevent serious problems, including amputation.
To make an appointment at any MyMichigan wound center, call (877) 683-0800. You can also request an appointment online at healogics.com/appointment-request. The MyMichigan wound centers accept most major insurance plans including Medicaid and Medicare supplement coverage.
Advanced wound care, close to home
The MyMichigan wound centers stand out for two main reasons: The training program Healogics requires all clinical staff to complete, and the advanced treatments used throughout a patient’s treatment plan.
Healogics holds each center to a set of standards that include training and safety. Every provider is required to complete a training program that makes wound care their true specialty. All the clinical staff (nurses, hyperbaric techs and medical assistants) are also required to complete a training program which includes virtual training, onsite shadowing, and in-person training at Healogics headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida Their skills are tested annually to ensure an advanced level of skill and knowledge is being maintained.
Part of the Healogics training program is understanding and using all the advanced tools each center offers. These include:
- Wound Vac
- Serial debridement (removing damaged tissue to help healing)
- Cellular and tissue-based skin subs
- Off-loading devices (to take pressure off the wound)
- Total contact casting
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO)
Five of the six MyMichigan wound centers offer hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBO). During this treatment, patients lie in a large, clear acrylic chamber that is pressurized with pure oxygen. The air pressure is increased to help the body heal faster. It’s safe, comfortable and takes place in a relaxing environment.
“Patients can take a nap or watch TV during hyperbaric oxygen therapy,” Kilburn said. “Treatments last 90 minutes, three to five visits per week, and most patients undergo 30 to 40 treatments.”
Patients are evaluated for hyperbaric oxygen therapy at their first appointment to see if they qualify for this advanced option. Since HBO is only covered by insurance for certain conditions, the staff makes sure it is approved before a patient begins treatment. The most common reasons people receive HBO are:
- Diabetic foot ulcers (stage 3 or higher)
- Tissue damage from radiation
- Bone infections (osteomyelitis)
“Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a very effective tool used to help heal certain types of wounds,” said Travis Taylor, D.O., Wound Treatment Center Medical Director. “When utilized as we do in our wound treatment centers, observing the highest in safety standards, it is a safe modality that helps thousands of patients across the country.”
Safety is always a top priority at all Healogics wound centers. The HBO chamber manufacture, Sechrist completes annual safety checks at all wound center locations and the clinical staff perform safety checks daily to ensure the chambers are running appropriately.
Great Results
People who get treated at MyMichigan wound centers often see faster healing. On average, it takes just 27 days for wounds to heal. Patient satisfaction is very high — nearly 97% — and out of every patient that starts at the wound center over 80% of patients heal completely.
The value of specialized wound care—locally
Healogics’ partnership with MyMichigan Health has brought six wound treatment centers to northern and mid-Michigan located in Alma, Alpena, Clare, Gladwin, Midland, and West Branch. Additional centers in Michigan and throughout the United States are operated in partnership with Healogics at other health systems.
Healogics’ multidisciplinary model for care has helped patients like Leslie Manor, who was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the inner ear, a rare condition that, if left untreated, can be life-threatening.
Leslie underwent surgery to remove the cancer, but when an infection occurred, her surgeon had to reopen the area. Then came radiation and chemotherapy to treat her condition.
“It was very difficult to have cancer and a chronic wound at the same time,” she said.
After a few months, Leslie was referred to a Healogics Wound Care Treatment Center, where she received hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Six weeks after completing treatment, Leslie was able to attend and enjoy her daughter’s wedding — a major goal she set at the beginning of her treatment process.
“I was able to eat, dance and laugh,” she said. “I accepted the fact that it worked.”
For more information about the MyMichigan Wound Treatment Centers, visit www.mymichigan.org/wound