The Wound Care Center® at J.C. Blair Hospital in Huntingdon, a member of the Healogics network, is helping to raise awareness of chronic wounds during the sixth annual Wound Care Awareness Week, June 3 to June 7. The Wound Healing Center at J.C. Blair Hospital offers advanced therapies to patients suffering from chronic wounds.

Wound Care Awareness was established by Healogics in 2014 to bring attention to the chronic wound epidemic and the 6.7 million Americans who are currently living with non-healing wounds. Program directors across the nation will dedicate the entire week to educating physicians, patients and the general public about the chronic wound epidemic and the advanced wound care solutions available.

J.C. Blair’s Program Director Lisa Hart kicked off the week with a pie social and presentation on wound care at the Alexandria Memorial Library on Thursday, May 30, and will be at the new Orbisonia Senior Center at the Church of the Nazarene, 594 Meadow Street, on Thursday, June 6, at 10:00 a.m. to share information about wound care and services available locally.

While there are already millions of people living with chronic wounds, the incidence is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy. If left untreated, chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb. Even more alarmingly, 50 percent of people die within five years of amputation.

Dr. Jim Schall, Medical Director of J.C. Blair’s Wound Center reports that “Diabetic foot wounds are particularly problematic because diabetes frequently causes a loss of sensation in the feet that allows injuries and wounds to enlarge and become seriously infected without any pain at all.”

To support the underserved and growing population of people living with chronic wounds, the Wound Healing Center at J.C. Blair Hospital, in partnership with Healogics, offers an evidence-based, systematic approach to advanced wound care. A patient’s individualized treatment plan may include specialized wound dressings, debridement, compression therapy, advanced cellular products and topical growth factors, edema management and/or non-invasive vascular assessment. These treatments are the result of a team approach between the Center’s physicians, nurses and the referring physician. A treatment plan is developed and scheduled based on each patient’s needs. Once treatment is complete, patients return to their primary physician to continue routine care.

People with wounds that have not improved with traditional methods of treatment may benefit from a visit to the Wound Healing Center at J.C. Blair Hospital. Visit www.woundcareawarenessweek.com to learn more about Wound Care Awareness Week and to hear from patients about how wound healing changed their life. To schedule an appointment, please call (814) 643-8367.

J.C. Blair’s Wound Healing Center is one of Healogics’ network of nearly 700 Wound Care Centers® nationwide, treating over 330,000 patients last year with advanced wound care. J.C. Blair’s Wound Center has a 95% healing rate with 28 median days to heal, and a 98% patient satisfaction rate. For additional information, visit www.jcblair.org or Healogics.com.

Pcitured are Naomi and Norman Fritz who travel from Stoystown in Somerset County to J.C. Blair’s Wound Care Center to see Dr. Jim Schall. Both have been patients in the Center.