2001

RMC Opens Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine(3/4/01)
The Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine
is located at 24451 Sandhill Boulevard in Deep Creek, and treats many of the most difficult, non-healing wounds.

Nearly 5 million Americans suffer from wounds caused by diabetes, circulatory problems and a variety of other conditions. Sadly, the effects of these wounds extend beyond the physical, often significantly impacting patients' independence and quality of life.

A New Treatment
A new treatment, called hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), has the unique ability to speed healing, and in some cases prevent amputation. The main reason a wound won't heal is because of inadequate circulation, which is often the result of injury, infection, radiation therapy, diabetes or arterial disease. Therapies used to speed healing include medications, nutrition management, diabetic education and wound debridement.

HBOT was perfected years ago by the U.S. Navy, which used it to decompress divers from the bends. Over the past 10 years, it has been used internationally for the treatment of chronic wounds. The center's multidisciplinary approach is reflected by its variety of team physicians, which includes endocrinologists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, nephrologists, nutritionists and exercise specialists.

How It Works
In HBOT, the patient lies down in a clear, circular chamber. The chamber is an oxygen-rich environment that "super-charges" the patient's plasma with oxygen as he or she breathes in and out. HBOT maximizes the blood flow to the wound, and permeates the wound tissue with the oxygen needed to heal. The high concentration of oxygen recruits many of the body's own natural healing factors to the wound site, and stimulates the growth of new blood vessels.

A physician is always on site, and patients are monitored continually by a certified HBOT operator who can talk with them throughout the session. Each patient's case is individual, however, and successful results may require from 15 to 50 daily sessions. With a physician's prescription, Medicare and most insurance companies cover HBOT.

To learn more about The Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, or to make an appointment, call 205-752-5050.

Safety Programs Provides Valuable Information at Accident Scenes (8/6/00)
You're driving north on US41 with your spouse when the unthinkable happens. A truck runs a stoplight and slams into the driver's side door. When County Fire & EMS arrives, they find you both unconscious. Worse yet, you have a chronic medical condition that may affect the manner in which paramedics and hospital personnel administer treatment. With both of you unable to communicate, who will tell them?

None of us like to think that we would ever find ourselves in such a grim scenario. However, life is unpredictable and preparation is your best defense. For that reason, Regional Medical Center has teamed up with County Fire & EMS to bring you the Safety on Scene (SOS) program.

"The goal of this valuable program is to provide important medical and emergency information to rescue workers at the scene of an accident, " explains Dee Hawkins, public information officer for County Fire & EMS. "This information makes it easier for the injured person to receive the care they need in a timely fashion- and in some circumstances, seconds count."

SOS Speaks When You Can't
The premise for the program is simple, according to Danielle Dreher, director of marketing at Regional. "A plastic business-card-size folder holds all of your basic information, including your photo, address, phone number, medications, allergies, medical history, and emergency contact. This small folder should be kept in your glove compartment at all times," she explains. "A SOS sticker is placed on the back of your rearview mirror so that rescue workers know that you participate in the program."

A living will, organ donation card and/or a do not resuscitate order (D.N.R.O) can also be placed inside if desired, says Hawkins. "You only include the information you want and you can choose to add additional information and paperwork."

When rescue workers reach the scene of an accident and see a red and white SOS sticker on the back of your rearview mirror, they will immediately retrieve the folder from your glove compartment. "Even if you are conscious, you may be very shaken and upset, making it difficult for you to speak clearly and accurately. The SOS program helps ensure that rescue workers will have the information they need even if you aren't able to give it to them," says Dreher. "Once you reach the hospital, paramedics give the SOS information to the emergency room personnel."

How Do I Participate?
People of all ages are encouraged to take part in this valuable program, says Hawkins. "Everyone can be involved in a traffic accident, so participation in this program is very valuable regardless of your age," she says.

Once you've enrolled, it's vitally important to keep the information updated. "The folder is useless if it doesn't contain accurate information. If you move, change medications, or anything of that sort, please take the time to update it. It will make all the difference in an emergency situation," says Dreher.

Call County Fire/EMS at 941/205-752-5050, Mondays through Fridays, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to obtain your free S.O.S. packet.


Lil' Bit Child Safety Seat Program

There's A Lot Riding On Your Tires
The most precious cargo you carry in your automobile is your child. Sadly, however, a shocking 51 percent of infants to five year-old children are not restrained in car seats*. The result? Car accidents are unnecessarily claiming the lives of thousands of children each year.

Regional Medical Center has teamed up with County Fire & EMS to do something about it! Together, they have launched the Lil' Bit Child Safety Seat program. "Our program has two primary goals. First, we want to raise awareness about car seat safety and help parents make sure they are installing car seats properly," says Dee Hawkins, public information officer for County Fire & EMS. "Our second goal is similar to that of the SOS program (see article on this web site). We want to provide rescue workers with basic information about the child at the scene of an accident."

Vital Information At Hand
Installing a car seat properly is not always an easy task, admits Hawkins. "Several of our staff members recently attended the National Highway and Traffic Safety Training Session on proper installation of Child Safety Restraint Systems," she says. "The course was 32 hours long! With so many types of car seats and so many types of cars, it can be a real challenge to install a car seat in the way the manufacturer intended."

While at the checkpoint and as a part of the program, parents will be given an informational sticker to place on the back(or bottom for rear facing seats) of their child's car seat. The sticker will provide rescue workers with basic, but vital, information at the scene of an auto accident. "It will contain the child's name, address, medications and emergency contact. This is extremely important if the child's parent is knocked unconscious during an accident," says Danielle Dreher, director of marketing at Regional. "Similar to the SOS Program, a sticker will be placed on the back of your rear view mirror to alert rescue workers to your participation in the program."

Source: Fatality Analysis Recording System