A new treatment center for people suffering from acute to chronic wounds opened at Mercy Regional Medical Center last week, marking the first service of its kind in the Durango area.

Mercy’s Wound Care Center aims to help patients whose open wounds will not heal through a variety of treatment options. Marshall “Chip” McRight, program director for the center, said most of those patients tend to be seniors with medical conditions such as diabetes or peripheral arterial diseases.

“In America, a lot of health care trends follow the general population, and our general population is aging, so the incidents of diabetes continues to grow,” McRight said.

“Out of those, a good portion could develop wounds that don’t heal,” he said. “This kind of program really facilitates a much quicker healing rate. It’s local now, which is very exciting for the citizens of Southwest Colorado.”

Medical conditions such as diabetes, pressure ulcers and skin damage from radiation can harm circulation throughout the body. So if patients experience a major or even a minor cut, wounds can have a hard time healing.

“Basically, it just doesn’t stop,” McRight said. “(The patient) thinks they’ve addressed it, and that’s often not the case. As a result, the general health declines.”

The Wound Care Center uses a variety of treatment options, including proper nutrition, maintaining healthier blood levels and effective dressings, among others. But Mary Bloom is most excited about the implementation of the hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) chambers.

“We use it to create revascularization,” said Bloom, who is an HBO chamber technician and the center’s safety director. “It does what it does really well.”

The HBO chambers essentially use 100 percent oxygen to create a pressurized environment that encourages blood flow. Patients who qualify usually undergo 20 to 40 treatments, sitting in the chamber about two hours for each session.

“It’s a big commitment for our patients,” Bloom said. “But if you want to save a limb, how big of a commitment is that? Ninety-five percent of our patients get better. It’s an awesome thing for me to watch them get better.”

Portia Wagner, nurse manager at the Wound Care Center, worked in the field for seven years at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington before transferring to Mercy. She said most of her patients previously had to travel to Farmington, Colorado Springs or Denver to receive the same care.

“So many of these patients have issues that don’t get addressed with conventional care,” Wagner said. “They have multiple problems, and the wounds manifest because of those problems, so there’s no one provider dealing with that.”

Wagner said when patients deal with difficult chronic situations for long periods of time, they tend to lose hope. Because of its highly effective healing rates, she said the wound center oftentimes is the place where things turn around for them and their care.

“People are excited about it,” she said. “It’s actually really special that it’s here. It’s a specialized care that a lot of communities just don’t have, so we’re really fortunate.”

Kalisha Crossland, program manager for care coordination services at San Juan Basin Health Department, agreed. She said additional services in the area are a good thing for the region’s residents.

“As care coordinators, we are excited to have a local wound care facility in our community to refer our clients to,” she said. “Any additional services provided locally benefit Mercy’s clients, our clients and the community as a whole.”

In just its second week of operation, the Wound Care Center reached its 15th referred patient. With four examination rooms and two HBO chambers, McRight said the facility could see 20 to 30 patients on a busy day.

However, with diabetes rates showing no signs of slowing down, health officials are prepared to take in even more clients.

“Eventually, as volume grows, we’ll continue to grow,” McRight said. “But the important thing right now is our role to heal the wound. We are just a part of the continuum of care, but when it comes to taking care of the wound, we have the most advanced therapies out there.”

jromeo@durangoherald.com