InnovoMed, Inc., is committed to creating comprehensive wound care centers that provide the best available wound care for inpatients and outpatients from expert, compassionate practitioners. Our team has at their disposal the latest therapies and medicines which have demonstrated evidence-based effectiveness for diagnosing, treating and healing all types of problem wounds, including:

• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Lower leg ulcers
• Pressure ulcers
• Bone infections (osteomyelitis)
• Gangrene
• Skin tears or lacerations
• Radiation damage
• Post-operative infected wounds
• Slow or non-healing surgical wounds
• Failing or compromised skin/muscle grafts or flaps
• Over 60-day-old wounds failing multiple treatments/therapies
• Spider bite wounds from poisonous Brown Recluse spiders (found in the southern U.S.) and Hobo spiders (in the northwestern U.S.)

We use state-of-the-art equipment and wound dressings specifically tailored for each patient’s individual needs, along with a team approach to healing. At InnovoMed, our centers partner with primary care physicians and coordinate wound specialists, surgeons, internal medicine specialists, dermatologists, and radiologists as needed to help our patients receive optimal treatment. Each center ensures holistic, quality care through adjunctive therapies such as: infection control, wound care education, nutrition management and pain management. We know that pain affects healing, so we help our patients tactically manage pain to maximize comfort throughout their treatment period and beyond.

InnovoMed ... "We Care."

1. What is a wound center?
2. What is a problem wound?
3. Why do we need specialized wound centers?
4. Where did the idea of wound centers come from?
5. What do you mean by a "team approach" to healing?
6. What types of wounds do you treat?
7. What are some of the treatments you offer?
8. What is V.A.C.® therapy?

Specialized wound centers are a relatively new development in the field of medicine. Although some have been in existence for 30 years, most have developed in the last 5 to 10 years. In fact, the number of such centers has increased exponentially since the start of the new millennium and continues to grow in response to increasing demand — it is estimated that between 4 and 7 million people in the United States suffer from problem wounds.

Our comprehensive wound care centers are committed to providing the best available care for inpatients and outpatients from expert, compassionate practitioners. Our team has at their disposal all of the therapies and medicines which have demonstrated evidence-based effectiveness for healing problem wounds with a financially responsible approach.

Most wound centers provide care for a broad spectrum of problem wounds; that is, wounds that don’t heal like normal wounds. The term "wound" is used to describe any injury that causes a break in the skin, including injuries, ulcers, surgeries, and more. Some examples of problem wounds are: venous stasis ulcers, pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, non-healing surgical wounds, and radiation damage (usually producing internal damage years after radiation treatment in a small percentage of cancer survivors).

Our staff is trained in diagnosing and treating all types of problems wounds; we use state-of-the-art equipment and wound dressings specifically tailored for each patient’s needs.

All physicians are trained in the care of acute wounds. Many surgeons and emergency physicians receive extensive training in treating them, and the vast majority of acute wounds heal rapidly and well. Problem wounds, including chronic ulcers, act differently and usually require different treatment approaches and dressings that are not available in most doctors’ offices. Care for these wounds is also time-intensive, often demanding one- to two-hour appointments several times a week.

By centralizing experienced personnel and specialized equipment, InnovoMed specialists are able to take care of these problem wounds in a fiscally responsible manner. Indeed, published research supports the concept of wound centers and shows that such care is not only more successful in healing ulcers, but is also typically far less costly than care provided in other clinics.

Wound centers have been in existence for some time, but their recent recognition and growth may be connected to the success of "burn centers" in the past 30 years. The establishment of burn centers has dramatically increased the survival rate of patients with serious burns and decreased the chronic side effects experienced by burn victims. Volumes of scientific research in the area of burns have led to many advancements in other fields of wound care. Considerable research has been done or funded by pharmaceutical companies developing new treatments for specialized wounds. Credit must be given to these pharmaceutical companies for our ability to heal wounds faster and for being able to heal some wounds that were previously "unhealable."

InnovoMed’s wound care centers work with other specialty clinics and centers in the local area. Our staff is constantly training to stay up-to-date on the latest medical advances and often participates in clinical research. We do not contract with or accept gifts from pharmaceutical or other companies, so our patients can be assured that all of our efforts are directed solely at what is best for them.

Although problem wounds are a small area of focus in medicine, there are certain problem wounds that are so specialized that they require even more specialized care. Serious burns are usually referred to burn centers; some rashes destroy the skin and need attention from dermatologists.

A common complication of all wounds is infection; infectious disease specialists may be consulted to help direct care, and surgeons may need to excise (or debride) the wound to culture bacteria or help with healing. Some wounds are so large that plastic surgeons close the wound with skin grafts or flaps once healing has progressed to the point that such surgeries will help.

InnovoMed’s wound care centers pull all of these resources together, so the patient doesn’t have to decide which specialist to visit first and where to go next. Our teams coordinate wound specialists (physicians, nurses, physical therapists and technicians), surgeons (vascular, orthopedic, general, plastic, oral maxillofacial, ENT [ear, nose & throat] and podiatrists), internal medicine specialists (infectious disease and endocrinologists), dermatologists and radiologists to help our patients receive optimal care with as little inconvenience as possible. Most importantly, our teams will coordinate and report all patient care to his or her primary care provider, so that test results, procedures and outcomes become part of the patient’s permanent medical records.

InnovoMed’s comprehensive wound care centers treat all types of wounds. Specifically, venous ulcers and diabetic ulcers are the most common problems we see in our centers. Pressure ulcers are often quite common as well, although many of these patients are seen in the hospital or other long-term care facilities (for example, nursing homes). Each situation requires a different approach for healing, and the specific treatment prescribed will depend on the stage and status of the wound. The patient’s general condition and other medical problems are considered, and insurance authorizations also play a part. Our centers are always careful to consider any special requests the patient may have when deciding on a course of treatment.

In our centers, the patient always has the final say. We will do our best to present all of the options and indicate the strengths of each one, even recommending those we think are the best. However, every patient is encouraged to express concerns, questions, fears, etc., and will always be the final decision-maker. There are no repercussions from the staff for choosing or declining what we offer. We want to partner with the patient to address any health concerns.

We begin with a thorough assessment of the patient’s health and determine what other problems are contributing to the difficulties in healing. We work with the patient’s primary care provider to optimize control of problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and rheumatological diseases (like scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis). We screen for vascular disease (that is, problems with blood supply to the limbs) and may recommend more in-depth testing if indicated. We typically screen (or review tests done by the patient’s doctor) for anemia, diabetes, thyroid disease, and infections. We are dedicated to treating the wound, as well as the underlying problems associated with it.

In addition to medicines and dressings, InnovoMed uses V.A.C.^® therapy, off-loading devices, total-contact casting, ultrasound (diagnostic and therapeutic), electrical stimulation, and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

V.A.C. is short for Vacuum Assisted Closure^®. It’s a unique and advanced therapy system that applies a vacuum, or negative pressure, to help promote wound healing. During the V.A.C. procedure, a piece of foam is placed directly over the wound and a drain tube is placed over the foam. A large piece of transparent tape is then placed over the area, including the surrounding healthy tissue, to secure the foam and drain the wound. The tube is connected to a vacuum source, and excess fluid and bacteria that may hinder wound healing is drawn from the wound through the foam into a disposable canister. This also improves blood flow to the wound bed, helping the wound to heal.

Overall, V.A.C. therapy helps:

• Promote granulation tissue formation through the promotion of wound healing
• Uniformly draw wounds closed by applying controlled, localized negative pressure
• Remove interstitial fluid allowing tissue decompression
• Remove infectious materials
• Provide a closed, moist wound healing environment

V.A.C. therapy may be used for patients with chronic wounds, including those due to diabetes and pressure ulcers, acute and sub-acute wounds, and skin grafts and flaps, and is associated with very few side effects.