Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace has opened a new center specifically for the treatment of persistent, nonhealing wounds, serving patients that formerly had to travel an hour to hospitals in Baltimore or Delaware.
“This has been a dream of mine for many years. ? It?s something Harford County and Cecil County needed desperately,” said Dr. Sherif Osman, medical director for the new center.
People who are diabetics or suffer from vascular problems are most likely to get wounds that last more than four weeks without healing, said Robin Luxon, the hospital?s assistant vice president of clinical services. Patients who are bedridden or weakened by cancer therapy can also be vulnerable.
The wound center will offer specialized bandages, skin grafts and other procedures and accessories to treat persistent wounds, and a staff of 14 physicians and nurses will take a cooperative approach to treatment, Luxon said. Hyperbaric oxygen chambers, which are sometimes used to treat persistent wounds, will not be included at the center but may eventually be brought to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, she said.
By bringing together doctors from different disciplines, the center can work on a wider variety of wounds with a broader range of treatments, Surgical Director Dr. Mark Gonze said.
“The collaboration really helps speed up the healing process,” he said.
Plastic surgeons, podiatrists and vascular surgeons will provide a broad base of knowledge to draw upon, Osman said.
Hospital spokeswoman Kim Lovett said the center will also offer educational components to help patients understand their treatments and better do their part at home, and assistance for getting medical supplies for at-home care.
The center has seen about 50 patients since opening its doors earlier this month, though that number is expected to “ramp up” when the hospital eventually increases the center?s staff to 20 or more, Luxon said.
