BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announces the establishment of Vermont's only comprehensive Center for Wound Healing.
Located on the BMH campus, the center provides the most advanced therapies available for the treatment of chronic and non-healing wounds.
According to BMH President and CEO Steven R. Gordon, when the center opens its doors and begins seeing patients on May 9, it will be the first facility of its kind in Vermont, and has been designed to serve the tri-state region.
“Chronic, non-healing wounds are a problem for eight million Americans, many of whom are elderly and managing chronic health problems, including diabetes, venous disease and injuries from radiation therapy,” Gordon said.
Gordon notes that Windham County has the greatest elder population in Vermont, which in turn is the state with the second-greatest elder population, making this new center a vital regional resource.
The public is invited to see the facility and meet the medical staff at an open house Tuesday, May 7, at 5 p.m.
BMH said in a press statement that plans for the center were submitted to the Green Mountain Care Board in September. Soon after receiving approval, it began implementing the program, including renovating 2,500 square feet, training staff, and acquiring technology such as two hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) chambers.
HBOT has been proven highly effective in fighting chronic wounds. The patient enters a chamber that delivers pure oxygen into the blood stream, increasing the body's natural ability to fight infection as well as build new blood vessels and healthy tissue, BMH said.
The center's first medical director is Gregory Gadowski of Brattleboro General Surgery. Under his guidance, physicians, nurses and technicians will work with patients to set up individualized treatment programs utilizing HBOT, negative pressure therapy, bioengineered tissue and biosynthetics to treat open sores and to heal wounds, BMH said.