MIDDLESBORO, Ky. – Middlesboro ARH Hospital hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to introduce the latest addition to its expanding services — a new state-of-the-art Wound Care Center that will provide Bell and surrounding counties with a local option for specialized treatment for chronic, non-healing wounds.

The Middlesboro ARH Wound Care Center, located on the hospital’s third floor, is a partnership between ARH and Healogics, which operates a network of more than 600 wound care centers throughout the United States.

Middlesboro ARH CEO Michael Slusher said the Center’s cutting-edge technology and expert medical staff will ensure that patients receive the highest quality care close to home.

“We’ve renovated a large portion of the hospital’s third floor for our state-of-the-art Wound Care Center, which includes hyperbaric therapy.  The need for this service is significant. Out of 120 counties in Kentucky, Bell County has the fourth-highest diabetes rate.  In fact, 15 percent of Bell County adults have been diagnosed with diabetes and another 12 percent with pre-diabetes. Kentucky has the 13th highest mortality rate from diabetes in the nation,” Slusher said. “Our Wound Care Center will dramatically improve the rate at which healing occurs and assist patients in getting back to normal life as quickly as possible.”

An estimated 6.7 million people in the U.S. are affected by chronic wounds. That number is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and the late effects of radiation therapy.  If left untreated, chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb.

Wound Care Center Program Director Candice Green said the Center offers an evidence-based, systematic approach to advanced wound care.

Green said 1 in 4 families has a family member with a chronic wound, and 30 percent of untreated chronic wounds may lead to amputation, highlighting the importance of timely and effective treatment.

“Our Wound Care specialists provide world-class care using evidence-based protocols,” she said. “By following these proven protocols, our dedicated and caring team aims to accelerate the healing process for patients, ultimately improving the quality of life and offering hope for a better future.” 

Likely candidates for treatment at the Center, Green said, are patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts and flaps, and wounds that haven’t healed within a reasonable time frame. Those with wounds that have not improved with traditional treatment methods may benefit from a visit to Middlesboro ARH Wound Care Center.

Green said a patient’s individualized treatment plan might include specialized wound dressings, debridement, compression therapy, advanced cellular products and topical growth factors, edema management, or non-invasive vascular assessment. These treatments result from a team approach between the Center’s physicians, nurses, and the referring physician. A treatment plan is developed and scheduled based on the patient’s needs. Once treatment is complete, the patient will return to their primary physician to continue routine care.

The Wound Care Center also offers Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment, which helps promote wound healing by bringing oxygen-rich plasma to tissue starved of oxygen. The treatment requires patients to spend 60 to 90 minutes in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber five days a week. Hyperbaric treatment reduces swelling while flooding the tissues with oxygen. The higher pressure in the chamber increases the amount of oxygen in the blood and can help break the cycle of swelling, oxygen starvation, and tissue damage.

“This latest addition to Middlesboro ARH reflects ARH’s commitment to delivering top-notch healthcare options for our community,” Slusher said. “We’re thrilled to provide this local option to the many patients who so desperately need and will benefit greatly from this service and look forward to helping make their healing journey quicker and more comfortable.”

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Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) is a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores, retail pharmacies, and medical spas. ARH employs around 6,700 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $474 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 1,300 providers on staff across its multi-state system. ARH is the largest provider of care, the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky, and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.

About Healogics Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Healogics is the nation’s wound healing expert. Last year over 350,000 patients received advanced wound care through a nationwide network of over 600 Wound Care Centers®. The Healogics team is made up of almost 3,000 employees, 4,000 affiliated physicians and a Healogics Specialty Physician practice group of nearly 300. In addition to the company’s network of outpatient Centers, Healogics partners with over 300 skilled nursing facilities to care for patients with chronic wounds, and provides inpatient consults at more than 80 partner hospitals. As the industry leader, Healogics has the largest repository of chronic wound-specific patient data in the country. The Healogics Wound Science Initiative, an effort launched in 2017 to provide peer-reviewed research, recognizes the value and relevance of big data and advanced analytics to drive continuous, collaborative learning towards a better understanding of how to efficiently utilize healthcare resources for patients with wounds. For additional information, please visit Healogics.com.