At Saint Francis Medical Center's Wound Healing Center, a certified medical staff with advanced training and leading-edge technology and therapies treats chronic wounds (present more than 30 days and resistant to conventional treatments). Chronic wounds treated include:

Chronic refractory osteomyelitis
Crush injuries and severed limbs
Diabetic foot ulcers
Ischemic ulcers
Necrotizing infections
Postoperative infections
Postsurgical incisions
Pressure ulcers
Radiation injuries
Skin grafts and muscle flap salvage
Skin tears and lacerations
Traumatic injuries
Venous stasis ulcers
Wound dehiscence

With a referral from your primary care physician, Saint Francis' team of vascular surgeons, hospitalists and other Medical Center staff work together to identify the specific cause of the non-healing wound before developing an individualized treatment plan, which may include:

Infection control
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Nutrition
Patient and family education
Protective devices
Skin grafting
Tissue oxygenation
Transcutaneous oxygen monitor test
Vascular studies and revascularization (when needed)
Wound assessment
Wound debridement

The physicians on staff in the Wound Healing Center include:

Jerry L. Kinder, MD, Medical Director
Janna Crosnoe, MD
Matthew B. Schumer, MD

The Wound Healing Center's overall healing rate is 86 percent, and 85 percent of those wounds are healed within 16 weeks. On average, wounds treated at the Wound Healing Center heal in 10 weeks. Additionally, Wound Healing Center staff exhibits a 96 percent limb salvage rate, another example of improving the quality of life for patients.*

The Wound Healing Center at Saint Francis is recognized for providing excellent patient care by following the National Wound Healing Corporation's research-based patient care protocols, which were awarded a Disease-Specific Care Certificate of Distinction for the Management of Wound Care from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ is awarded to programs exhibiting proven compliance with national standards, clinical guidelines and outcomes of care.

For more information on Saint Francis' Wound Healing Center, call 573-331-5330 or email sfmc@sfmc.net.

*Healing rates were calculated through internal analysis using data collected between 7/1/05 and 6/30/06.