Front Lines: Grand View Wound Care Center

  Today’s Wound Clinic recently had the opportunity to interview Jody Hanks, Program Director of Grand View Wound Care Center® (Sellersville, Pa) that recently celebrated its grand opening and public debut.

  Today’s Wound Clinic (TWC): Please tell me about the Grand View Hospital opening the new wound center and the official debut.

  Jody Hanks (JH): The Grand View Wound Care Center opened on February 1, 2010. A $635,000 investment, the 3,500-square-foot center provides outpatient wound care therapy to patients suffering from chronic and non-healing wounds. The advanced center houses two new hyperbaric chambers and five treatment rooms. The Center, located in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, is equipped to treat up to 325 patients each month.

  In bringing wound care to the local patient population, Grand View Hospital has partnered with Diversified Clinical Services (DCS). DCS is the world’s largest wound management company, and with over 300 hospital partners has been the leader in wound care for more than 20 years. Of special importance to Grand View, DCS centers traditionally achieve excellent clinical outcomes, with high rates of limb salvage, an 88% healing rate, median days-to-heal of 31, and over 95% patient satisfaction.

  TWC: Please discuss your role as the center’s Program Director and how you were first introduced to wound care.

  JH: As the program director for the Grand View Wound Care Center, I'm responsible for the implementation, ongoing management, and strategic growth of our program. In close-collaboration with the administration and staff of Grand View Hospital, I oversee day-to-day operations and am responsible for budgeting, revenue and cost management, reimbursement, quality management, performance improvement, marketing, and community education.

  I retired from the US Air Force after 25 years in military medicine. As I was making the transition from military to civilian life, a DCS recruiter contacted me. I have experience in aerospace medicine, so I was no stranger to hyperbarics, but the business of wound care was something new to me. However, my credentials in healthcare management, corporate compliance/oversight, and an IT background positioned me to successfully take on the program director role.

  TWC: Please describe your staff and the roles that each will serve.

  JH: I work with an incredible team at Grand View. The staff is highly trained, and patient-focused. In fact, combined, the Grand View Wound Care Center staff brings more than 50 years of medical and wound care clinical experience to the patients we serve. Our Medical Director, Dawn’c Wilkes, M.D., obtained her medical degree in 1986 and has been a wound care physician for 7 years. She holds certifications from the American Board of Family Practice and the National Board of Diving & Hyperbaric Medical Technology. A former Regional Medical Director for Diversified Clinical Services, she has played an integral role in the development of wound care centers, including staffing, center design, marketing, and education.

  Our Clinical Coordinator, Kathleen Corcoran, RN, BSN, CWOCN, has maintained certifications in Enterostomal Therapy and Wound and Ostomy Care for 17 years. She has practiced in most areas of the healthcare continuum, including acute care, extended care, long-term care, home care, and outpatient settings. Her clinical management experience includes independent consulting roles, wound care program coordinator, staff educator, and field supervisor.

  Our Hyperbaric Safety Technician, Steve Cutrone, EMT-B, brings 8 years of experience in emergency medicine and fire prevention. Assigned as the Captain of the local ambulance company, he not only responded to emergency calls, he was responsible for vehicle and building maintenance, billing, logistics, and staff training and proficiency. He also served as a firefighter/EMT with the city's fire department.

  Our Medical Secretary, Ann Trumbower, has served in medical administration for 14 years, six of those in wound care. Her organizational skills are top-notch and her expertise in patient registration, insurance procedures, and electronic records make her an invaluable member of the wound care team.

  TWC: How significant is Hyperbaric oxygen therapy to the center?

  JH: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an important adjunctive therapy and is indicated in roughly 10-15% of our patients. It is a safe and evidence-based treatment proven to speed the healing process in certain types of wounds. During the treatments, the patient breathes 100% oxygen inside a pressurized chamber, quickly increasing the concentration of oxygen in the bloodstream, where it is delivered to the patient’s wound site for faster healing. Essentially HBO therapy helps heal the wound from the inside out.

  To illustrate the significant role HBO therapy plays in wound healing, consider non-healing wounds of the diabetic foot. Without a doubt, this is one of the most significant complications of diabetes! According to the Centers for Disease Control, almost 24 million Americans (that's one in every 12) are diabetic and the disease is causing widespread disability and death at an epidemic rate. Of those with diabetes, more than six million are estimated to suffer from chronic or non-healing wounds. As many as 25% of these patients will eventually develop foot ulcers, and the recurrence rate within 5 years is 70%. If not aggressively treated, these wounds can result in amputations. It is estimated that every 30 seconds a lower limb is amputated somewhere in the world because of a diabetic wound. Amputation often triggers a downward spiral of declining quality of life, frequently leading to disability and death. In fact, roughly one third of diabetic amputees will live more than 5 years, a survival rate equivalent to that of many cancers. DCS-managed wound care centers effectively utilize HBO therapy to heal more than 35,000 diabetic wounds each year. With the use of systematic HBO therapy, 94% of these patients maintain an intact limb 55 months after therapy.

  TWC: Please expand on how the center will provide this therapy?

  JH: The Grand View Wound Care Center has two monoplace chambers, and is plumbed for three. A typical course of treatment involves the patient spending about 90 minutes a day in the chamber 5 days per week over a 4–6 week period. Of course, the initial treatment schedule is dictated by the severity of the disease process. For patients with diabetic wounds, pressure ulcers with underlying osteomyelitis, and arterial insufficiency ulcers, a prescription for daily treatments may be indicated. However, in the presence of a limb-threatening infection following debridement or compromised surgical flaps following amputation, the patient may be treated twice daily.

  Throughout HBO therapy, the patients are monitored to see if the concentration of oxygen has increased in the blood near the wound. If the oxygen level is higher, the therapy is most likely beneficial to the patient.

  TWC: What companies or manufacturers make your HBOT chambers?

  JH: Our chambers are Sechrist 3200R monoplace hyperbaric chambers (www.sechristind.com).

  TWC: As a brand-new wound center what do you feel are some of the largest operational challenges that lie ahead?

  JH: The largest challenge for me is balancing the time between the operational demands of the Center and forging relationships with area physicians to build the business. Fortunately, the Grand View physician liaison supported me in this role by introducing me to several area physicians. This provided the basis for what has grown into a robust community education program.

  TWC: What are some of the key aspects you are looking forward to for the center and business?

  JH: The most important aspect of the Grand View Wound Care Center is our patient. I'm very proud to be associated with two healthcare organizations that place so much emphasis on quality patient care. Grand View Hospital—a community hospital that's been caring for patients since 1913 has an excellent reputation with patients and area physicians. It is continuously expanding its services to the area, making highly advanced treatments and services like wound care available in the local community. Diversified Clinical Services is the largest wound care management company in the world and with the data gleaned from the treatment of over 2 million wounds; their evidence-based approach to wound healing drives the science of wound care. The resulting synergy gives our patients access to the latest clinical tools and treatment modalities.

  TWC: As a Program Director, what are some of your favorite aspects of the business and what do you find most fulfilling?

  JH: Clinical wound care is a challenge in itself, certainly, but it is also very exciting and incredibly interesting. For me, the ultimate reward is the impact the center and staff have on the patients we serve. It's simply amazing--we literally give people back their lives! Husbands can once again dance with their wives; grandparents can walk again with their grandchildren.

For more information concerning Grand View Wound Care Center, please contact Jody Hanks at 215.453.3360, jhanks@gvh.org, or visit https://www.gvh.org/body.cfm?id=973.