Bedford, OH–University Hospitals Bedford Medical Center will open a Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center on May 1. The new outpatient center will specialize in the comprehensive treatment of problem wounds, a growing issue spurred by our aging population and increasing incidence of diabetes. Of the approximately 21 million Americans who have diabetes, an estimated 1.8 million will suffer from a problem wound in their lifetime.
UH Bedford Medical Center has partnered with nationally known Diversified Clinical Services, a quality-driven, outcome-oriented company that is a market leader in the clinical treatment of chronic wounds and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). UH Bedford Medical Center will be one of only three health care facilities in the region to offer both wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy with an extensive medical specialty staff.
Designed to serve as an extension of the primary care or referring physician's practice, the center will work in partnership with the referring physician, offering services that will complement and enhance the overall healthcare plan for each patient. Appointments are necessary, and patients must be referred to the Center by their physician.
S. Kwon Lee, MD., has been named Medical Director of the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center. Dr. Lee is a board-certified general surgeon, certified wound specialist and national speaker on wound healing. He will be assisted by a team of experienced wound care physicians, technicians and staff. The specialty-trained staff will be dedicated to providing comprehensive wound treatment using the most technologically advanced therapies. In addition, the team will provide valuable education for patients and caregivers about wound care.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) will be offered as a potential treatment for problem wounds that meet specific criteria. HBOT involves having the patient rest inside a pressurized chamber filled with 100 percent oxygen. Breathing pure oxygen quickly delivers high concentrations of the essential gas to the bloodstream to speed healing. Up to 16 percent of the wound care patients may meet those criteria.
The Center will be housed in Bedford Medical Center, 44 Blaine Ave. in Bedford. For more information, please visit the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine page or call 440-735-4755.
University Hospitals Bedford Medical Center is a 110-bed private, non-profit, full service, acute-care, community hospital. Services include a 24-hour emergency department, intensive and medical/surgical care units, state-of-the-art outpatient surgery center, Heart &Vascular Institute, a wide-range of diagnostic services, rehabilitative services and educational programming for the community.
