More than eight million people in the U.S. are living with acute and chronic wounds1, a serious health issue fueled by an aging patient population and the increasing incidence of diabetes, obesity and other co-morbidities. Chronic wounds – those that fail to proceed through the normal healing phases in an orderly and timely manner – are especially problematic. For patients dealing with chronic wounds, access to specialized wound care is critical to advancing the healing process and avoiding complications, including infection, osteomyelitis, cellulitis, abscess formation, tissue necrosis/gangrene, hematomas and possible amputation.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber at BSWIR - Lakeway.
In the greater Austin, Texas, area, research estimated that more than 2,900 patients2 require wound care treatment. Comprehensive treatment options were limited as well. This prompted Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation (BSWIR) in Lakeway, 40 miles outside of Austin, to explore a new level of specialized care for this market.
After extensive planning, the BSWIR-Lakeway Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center opened its doors in July 2021. The center, a partnership with Healogics, Inc., a leading wound care management organization, offers state-of-the-science care and treatments to help heal wounds and improve patients’ quality of life. A team of wound care specialists -- physicians, nurses and technicians -- addresses the complex needs of individuals with non-healing wounds, diabetic and pressure ulcers, infections, radiation soft tissue and bone injuries, and skin grafts and flaps.
BSWIR - Lakeway Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center Grand Opening - July 12, 2021.
The center provides an evidence-based, systematic approach to advanced wound care. A patient’s individualized treatment plan may include specialized wound dressings, debridement, compression therapy, advanced cellular products and topical growth factors, edema management and/or non-invasive vascular assessment. Treatment is carefully coordinated with the patient’s referring and/or primary physician, who will resume routine medical care following the completion of treatment.
In its first four months, BSWIR-Lakeway Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center has cared for nearly 75 patients, a number of whom are undergoing advanced oxygen therapy treatment in the center’s two hyperbaric chambers. This advanced treatment provides a safe, pressurized, pure oxygen environment that aids healing.
The wound care program is available to both inpatients and outpatients, bringing new hope for healing to individuals across central Texas.
1. Nussbaum SR, Carter MJ, Fife CE, et al. . An economic evaluation of the impact, cost, and Medicare policy implications of chronic non-healing wounds. Value Health 2018;21:27–32 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
2. Healogics, Inc. market research