O’FALLON — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s Wound Care Center, a member of the Healogics network, is helping raise awareness of the risks of chronic wounds during Wound Care Awareness Month. With the support of Healogics, the nation’s leading provider of advanced wound care, Wound Care Center staff are focusing on educating the underserved chronic wound population about the importance of early detection and treatment of chronic wounds.
Jennifer Steiner, RN and clinical program director for St. Elizabeth’s Wound Care Center, shared, “The number of people living in the United States with non-healing wounds is growing at an alarming rate. This month, we will be educating physicians, patients and the public about the prevalence of chronic wounds and how advanced wound care can help provide better outcomes for those with non-healing wounds.” The Wound Care Center offers several advanced therapies to patients suffering from chronic wounds.
The incidence of chronic wounds is rising due to an aging population and increasing rates of disease. People living with chronic wounds often have multiple medical issues that can make healing their wounds extremely challenging. For example, a person living with diabetes may also have cardiac disease, peripheral vascular disease and kidney disease that could all cause a delay in healing. A non-healing wound could lead to severe complications such as infection which could ultimately result in an amputation or even loss of life.
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s wound care experts strive to bring together people, processes, and technology to drive world-class wound care. Untreated or improperly treated chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb. With this in mind, now is the time for those suffering from chronic wounds to seek advanced wound care available at HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s Wound Care Center.
If you or a loved one is suffering from a wound that has not begun to heal after four weeks with traditional treatment methods, contact St. Elizabeth’s Wound Care Center at 618-234-2120, ext. 32742. A physician referral is not required.
Visit www.woundcareawareness.com to learn more about wound care awareness and hear from patients about how wound healing changed their lives. More information about St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s Wound Care Center can be found at the hospital’s web site at hshs.org/st-elizabeths/services/wound-care.
