Fort HealthCare Wound clinicians obtain high tech training

Patients at Fort HealthCare’s Wound & Edema Center in Johnson Creek can expect to receive the best care in the area, including care of their slow or non-healing wounds. With a healing rate that often exceed the national averages, and includes reduced time to heal, staff are focused on getting patients back to their daily lives.

In June and July, two members of the clinic staff took part in extensive, high-tech training in Texas to better serve their patients. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) technician Jamie Geske and medical director Robert Goldman, MD (pictured) each spent one week learning about best practices in wound healing and exploring ways to implement better techniques in the clinic.

For Geske, topics like “Physics of Hyperbaric Exposure,” “Side Effects and Contraindications” and “Safety and Emergency Procedures” prepared him to provide the safest, most effective hyperbaric experience possible. He remarked, “It is important to me that patients in our clinic feel 100 percent safe at all times. Hyperbaric medicine is extremely effective, but providers must be properly able to do it safely and this training has enabled me to do that.”

As medical director, Dr. Goldman is responsible for providing patients with top quality care and healing. The training Goldman attended was specifically for physicians at wound care centers. Classes he participated in focused on specific tactics for healing and treatment options for a variety of wounds. They included “Infection and Inflammation,” “Offloading, Pressure Relief,
Injury Prevention, Preservation of Function,” “Control of Pain,” “Enhancing Tissue Growth with Advanced Technology” and “Managing the Plan of Care.” Goldman, who has over 15 years of wound care experience and has published nearly 30 articles on the subject, found the training to be “both an excellent refresher and a good basis for establishing best practices for the healing of our patients.”

As a specialized clinic, the Fort HealthCare Wound & Edema Center works directly with each patient’s primary care physician, but can offer more specific treatment and access to more healing tools than a family practice or internist can in their offices. The approach is collaborative in nature so patients will still see their regular doctor in addition to the wound clinic staff. Staff at the Wound & Edema Center meets each morning to review the care of patients scheduled for that day. Treatment options are shared and staff offer input and expertise to help facilitate faster healing. Through this collaboration, staff is able to develop new techniques for healing to benefit the patients they work with.

To learn more about the Fort HealthCare Wound & Edema Center, visit FortHealthCare.com/Wound. With specialties in wound treatment and lymphedema, the clinic can provide comprehensive care for many individuals. Often, the patient’s days-to-heal rate can be lowered simply by seeking this specialized care. Patients are encouraged to obtain a referral from their physician, but may also self-refer. To learn more visit online or call (920) 699-4245.