By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
Sometimes a wound is hard to heal.
The Wound Care Center at Howard Memorial Hospital recently was recognized for satisfaction for patient recovery from wounds that are hard to heal.
The wound care team includes Dr. Brian Oge, Dr. John Hearnsberger, and RNs Jarrod Stokes, Brea Lyons and Luke Jamison.
The team is able to use EPIFIX, which is like a super bandaid that is composed of placenta tissue donated by healthy, consenting moms who give birth by C-Section. The material is gathered by participating hospitals and is stringently tested for infectious diseases before going through a process that makes it useable by wound care teams.
The hospital’s wound care center is active on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. In June, HMH expanded its services to include the skin substitute.
According to hospital CEO Stacy Harberson the
use of the tissue has already transformed patient outcomes.
EPIFIX can be used to promote healing with surgical, OB-GYN, diabetic skin ulcers, dermatology or other wounds which resist healing.
A representative of the company which supplies HMH was in Nashville recently and spoke with newspaper reporters.
Sylvain Naud, an account representative with MIMEDX described the product as a miracle which comes from another miracle — the birth of a healthy child. The wound care material is the result of medical research and testing, and is accredited by US Food and Drug Administration, and by the American Association of Tissue Banks.
Naud also said that the American public unfortunately was not aware of the availability of EPIFIX and what an important medical advancement it is.
CEO Harberson said “We are incredibly proud of our Wound Care team. They provide dedicated, compassionate care, and treat patients like family. This extraordinary team was recently recognized for outstanding patient satisfaction — a reflection of the high-quality care they consistently provide. In June, we expanded our services to include skin substitutes, a cutting-edge treatment that is already transforming patient outcomes. This innovative therapy has proven to be a game changer for those with complex wounds — and we’ve already seen complete healing in one of our first patients to receive it. ‘Thank you’ to our Wound Care team for continuing to raise the bar and make a meaningful difference in our patients’ lives.”
Chris Stroud, Chief Nursing Officer at HMH said: “Our Wound Care Team is comprised of highly skilled professionals dedicated to providing exceptional care and ensuring outstanding patient experiences. The addition of our new service line further enhances our ability to deliver superior outcomes, contributing to higher patient satisfaction and faster healing times.”
