CCH Wound Care Center honored for excellence in patient care
Jun. 23—Central Carolina Hospital celebrated Wednesday as its Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine center was recognized with the Center of Distinction award.
"To see the success of the Central Carolina Wound & Hyperbaric Center is proof of the hard work and dedication of our staff to make our communities healthier," hospital CEO Chris Fensterle said.
The hospital's award was presented by Healogics, of Jacksonville, Florida, considered a leader in wound care that works with a network of more than 600 wound care centers.
The CCH center also received the designation in 2015.
Criteria includes outstanding clinical outcomes for one year and a patient satisfaction rate higher than 92%.
The center has two hyperbaric chambers that are used to help patients with chronic or non-healing wounds to heal, said Program Director Dellena Sellars.
Most frequently, patients suffer from multiple chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, age, obesity and cancer, according to CCH-provided information.
Many patients benefiting from wound care are amputees, Sellars said. Amputations at CCH rose 50% during the pandemic lock-down, she added.
Patients spend two hours each week enclosed in a round-shaped chamber that has open views on the sides and top. Only cotton clothing can be worn inside.
Once the chamber is enclosed, it has an atmospheric pressure that is higher than normal, Sellars explained. Patients are then breathing pure oxygen that helps renew the skin and allows the wound to close, she said.
The length of the treatment is determined by the severity of the wound, but the goal is 14 weeks, Sellars said.
