St. John Medical Center opens new wound care center

St. John Medical Center recently opened the Advanced Wound Care Center adjacent to the medical center campus. The center is designed for patients suffering from chronic, non-healing wounds.

Chronic wounds affect an estimated seven million people in the United States, with the numbers growing 10 percent every year due to an aging population and a sharp rise in the incidence of diabetes and obesity. Other causes include pressure ulcers, circulatory problems, infection, wounds related to burns, and traumatic and post-operative wounds.

“For most people, it takes time for wounds to go away,” said Nata Mendlovic, MT (ASCP), MBA, center director. “But for some, healing may require advanced treatments from specially trained physicians and nurses.”

The Advanced Wound Care Center specializes in patients with wounds that have not healed after eight weeks or have not improved after four weeks. Therapies include two hyperbaric oxygen chambers, bioengineered tissue substitutes, energy-based treatment therapies, compression therapy, advanced wound dressings and surgical treatments.

Multidisciplinary staff members collaborate to foster the healing process and resolve underlying problems. Staff includes experts from podiatry, vascular surgery, general surgery, plastic surgery, infectious disease and family medicine, as well as respiratory therapists who specialize in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, nurses and case managers. All physician staff members are trained and certified in advanced wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy training.

“The Wound Care Center provides a full assessment and looks for factors that may contribute to the wound’s ability to heal, such as nutrition, medications and medical conditions,” said Mendlovic. “We offer multiple therapies to achieve healing results in the shortest possible time,” she said. Mendlovic said most patient wounds heal within six to 16 weeks, depending on the acuity of their condition.

The Advanced Wound Care Center at St. John Medical Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For an appointment, patients may call the center directly at 440-827-5300, or be referred by their physician.