Wound-care equipment improves Skin Healing Program at Rocky Mountain House Health Centre
May 11, 2011
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE — Patients with chronic wounds can expect better outcomes closer to home thanks to new specialized equipment in the Skin Healing Program at the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre (RMHHC).
The equipment — an Acti VAC and VAC Via wound vacuum — was funded by the fifth annual Charity Gala dinner, which raised $129,000. The Skin Healing Program provides regularly scheduled treatment for a variety of skin health conditions across the region.
“Wound care can be extremely complex,” says Shirley Hope, site manager at RMHHC. “It often requires very specialized approaches.
“Those with healing challenges will benefit from the extra support provided by the program and this new equipment. With the funds raised we were able to purchase many specialized wound-care tools, including our wound vacuums, which are highly beneficial in promoting healing.”
A wound VAC uses suction or a vacuum process to drain excess fluid from a wound. In doing so, it improves circulation.
It also reduces edema or swelling, and appears to promote rapid tissue granulation, an important stage in the healing process. This technique treats several types of wounds, especially large and chronic wounds, as well as burns.
“These new pieces of equipment will enhance the treatment options available for patients, helping them return to their normal lives more readily and avoid further complications to their health,” says Tracy Sommerfeld, Executive Director of Community and Rural Hospitals, AHS Central zone.
The VAC Via — a portable, battery-operated wound vacuum — gives freedom and mobility to clients at home. Having this equipment on site as part of the Skin Healing Program also reduces wait times for patients who require this specialized care.
Established last fall, the Skin Healing Program provides regularly scheduled treatment for up to 19 patients per week for skin-health conditions such as cuts or wounds sustained as result of injury or surgery. The clinic also treats skin conditions, or breakdowns, brought on by other health complications, including heart disease, diabetes, paralysis, poor nutrition and infection.
Through the program, a multidisciplinary team of health care providers with advanced skill in wound management deliver a standardized approach to wound care to residents in Rocky Mountain House and surrounding area.
“Even though equipment is important, it is education, best practice, standardized care and collaboration that make the impact in patient wound care,” says Dr. Stephanus VanZyl, who helped establish the program. “Using best care practices, we can improve the outcomes for our patients.”
Home Care nursing staff sees patients between clinic visits, working closely with the clinic staff and physicians on the care plans of patients, providing treatment and monitoring progress. Nurses from the Sunchild, O’Chiese and Bighorn First Nations Health Centres also work with the clinic team, which links with occupational therapists and physiotherapists as well as a dietitian and a pharmacist.
Leonard Leslie, who attends the clinic for treatment on his foot, says the level of care he receives is making a difference in his recovery.
“Between the clinic and home care visits, I get lots of good care,” he says, “and I don’t have to travel somewhere else for treatment, which is nice.”
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 3.7 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
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