The Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at St. Joseph's Health Awarded National Accreditation with Distinction

Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health announced today that its Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine has received full accreditation with distinction from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS). This accreditation is awarded to centers that meet or exceed highest industry standards and best practices in hyperbaric treatment. Out of 1,100 wound care centers nationwide, the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine is one of only 51 in the nation to be awarded the title of Accreditation with Distinction.

"Providing quality care is a top priority for us," said Dr. Joseph Byrne, Medical Director. "We are very proud of receiving accreditation with distinction, the highest level of accreditation available through UHMS, and we’re committed to seeing that our facility serves as an industry benchmark for high standards and exceptional care.”

The Wound Care Center is operated with the assistance of Healogics, Inc., which represents approximately 28 percent of all the UHMS-accredited wound care programs nationwide, more than any other single organization. The 7,330 square-foot state-of-the-art facility is the largest in Upstate New York, boasting four hyperbaric chambers and 12 treatment rooms. The staff can treat up to 880 patients each month.

The rigorous accreditation process took approximately six months to ensure the highest standards of quality care are achieved. UHMS sent a team of experts to examine the Wound Care Center's staffing and training, equipment installation, operation and maintenance, facility and patient safety, and standard of care. The Wound Care Center was awarded accreditation with distinction after this comprehensive review.

The Wound Care Center has partnered with Healogics since 2004, offering community specialized care for chronic or non-healing wounds. Healogics-managed Wound Care Centers effectively utilized HBOT and other advanced modalities to treat more than 300,000 wounds last year. HBOT is a safe and evidence-based treatment proven to speed the healing process in certain types of wounds. This therapy can help reduce swelling, fight infection and build new blood vessels, ultimately producing healthy tissue. Additionally, it is effective in fighting certain types of infections, improving circulation and stimulating growth of new blood vessels.

About St. Joseph’s Health

St. Joseph’s Health is a regional non-profit health care system based in Syracuse, NY. St. Joseph’s has been an innovative leader in health care since our founding in 1869 as the first hospital open to the public in the city of Syracuse. Offering primary, specialty and home care, a Magnet-recognized hospital, and collaboration with community partners, St. Joseph's Health advances the well-being of the communities we serve through an expanding range of services to ensure our patients achieve optimum long-term health. St. Joseph’s is ranked by Consumer Reports among the top 15 heart surgery centers in the country, a designated Stroke Center and a U.S. News “Best Regional Hospital.” St. Joseph’s Health is affiliated with Franciscan Companies and St. Joseph’s Physicians, and is a member of Trinity Health. For more information on our founding Sisters of St. Francis including Saint Marianne Cope, our legacy and our innovations, visit www.sjhsyr.org/legacy.

About Healogics, Inc.

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Healogics is the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. Healogics and its affiliated companies manage nearly 600 Wound Care Centers® in the nation and see nearly 200,000 patients per year through a connected network of centers, partner hospitals, academic medical centers, patients and families. Leveraging its scale and experience, Healogics utilizes an evidence-based systematic approach to chronic wound healing in treating an underserved and growing patient population. For more information or to find a Wound Care Center near you, please visit www.healogics.com.

About UHMS Accreditation

The UHMS began the accreditation process in 2000 due to the growth in hyperbaric medicine, and since 2001 the UHMS has had a clinical hyperbaric medicine facility accreditation program. The organization evaluates quality assurance among wound care centers using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) nationwide. The medical industry has responded to the growing need for comprehensive wound care with new treatments and technology including the very effective adjunctive modality, HBOT.

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