BCHS part of national wound healing registry
Each year in the United States, approximately 1.2 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer. About half of these patients can receive radiation therapy for their disease management regimen. While this protocol is a very effective weapon in the war on cancer, some individuals may develop problems related to their treatments. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been proven to assist in the management and healing process of those issues.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which is often referred to as 'HBO' therapy, is delivered by having a patient recline comfortably on a bed encased in a large, clear HBO chamber. The chamber is sealed and pressurized with pure oxygen to several times the normal atmospheric conditions. The only physical sensation resulting from the treatment is a slight pressure on the eardrum, such as that felt when a plane lands, as the air in the chamber is compressed.
Breathing pure oxygen increases the level of oxygen in the blood stream, which promotes wound healing by stimulating cell growth. This, in turn, encourages the normal wound-healing process and aids in the preservation of damaged tissues by increased oxygen delivery to them. During a normal two-hour treatment, patients typically rest, read, or watch television.
But hyperbaric oxygen therapy has limited availability; there are only about 800 centers in America that offer this service. Luckily for this community, Battle Creek Health System was one of the first in this part of the state to open a wound-healing center.
"To ensure that this therapy becomes widely available, we must further define its benefits," says Dr. Robert Bartlett, president of the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine. In 2006, Dr. Bartlett and Dr. Jeffrey Niezgoda designed a web-based registry to capture the success of U.S. doctors and nurses who use this form of therapy. Battle Creek Health System is part of that registry.
Battle Creek Health System Wound Healing Center has been a community leader in hyperbaric oxygen therapy for nearly a decade and has now taken a leadership role in defining the benefits of this therapy for the management of radiation necrosis. The experience at Battle Creek Health System Wound Healing Center is being merged with other leading centers across the country in educating other physicians and health care payers on the merits of this therapy.
"As health care professionals, it is very important to collect the 'big picture' data and experiences through studies such as this registry," says Dr. Forrest Robart, medical director for the Battle Creek Health System Wound Healing Center and Hyperbaric Medicine. "As individuals, it is difficult to know just how beneficial a therapy is until you can measure it across thousands of patients. That is what we have been able to do for research, and more importantly for our patients well being."
Partnered with National Healing, the Battle Creek Health System Wound Healing Center specializes in the treatment of chronic wounds and non-responsive conditions and offers hospital-based outpatient wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
For more information on treating wounds, call the Battle Creek Health System Wound Healing Center at (269) 966-8560.
Battle Creek Health System, sponsored by two parent organizations--Trinity Health (the fourth largest Catholic health system in the U.S. with 12 hospitals, 9 nursing homes, 19 senior house facilities, 8 home health care agencies, and 4 hospices in Michigan alone) and BCHS Community Partners, is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Battle Creek Health System as a recipient of the 2008 HealthGrades Orthopaedic Surgery Excellence Award(tm). HealthGrades is a leading health care information company that provides objective 'report card' ratings nationwide. BCHS provides excellent health care for the community and promotes wellness for the whole person with access and compassion for all. For the latest medical information, visit the BCHS web site at www.bchealth.com or call the BCHS Marketing Department at (269) 966-8132.
More News |
