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Established in 1997, The Wound Healing Program at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ is accredited by The Joint Commission. It is part of Atlantic Health, the primary academic and clinical affiliate in New Jersey of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and The Mount Sinai Hospital.
The center offers comprehensive diagnosis and treatment on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. An interdisciplinary team of vascular surgeons, general surgeons, internal medicine, plastic surgeons, podiatrists and an infectious disease specialist work closely with nurses and technicians skilled in chronic-wound management.
The staff evaluates each patient and works with the multidisciplinary physician panel to create customized care plans utilizing the most advanced treatment strategies that combine both medical and surgical modalities.
While the majority of patients are sent to the center by their physicians or other healthcare professionals, everyday more are arriving based on the center’s growing reputation. In the last two years monthly patient encounters have increased nearly 50 percent. Today, the program is averaging nearly 70 healed wounds per month and an overall 96.4 percent healing rate.
"Our treatment approach is highly individualized," notes Denise Malinowski, RN., nurse manager of the Wound Healing Program. "We look not only at the etiology of the wound, but also at each patient’s overall health, nutritional and immunological status, as well as access to support systems. Assessment here is ongoing, so we’re always prepared to change to another treatment if necessary to keep the healing momentum."
In August, the center began offering hyperbaric oxygen therapy through two hyperbaric oxygen chambers in conjunction with Atlantic Health’s Morristown Memorial Hospital Hyperbaric Oxygen Program, the first hyperbaric program in New Jersey accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.
Overlook Hospital: The Forefront of Hospital Care and Medical Technology
"Overlook Hospital's addition of hyperbaric oxygen chambers illustrates its commitment to our Wound Healing Center patients," said David Eisenbud, MD, FACS, CWS, medical director of the center. "In addition to providing a new way to treat patients' wounds and injuries more quickly, we are also trying to make the experience for patients as comfortable as possible during the course of their hyperbaric treatments."
Overlook's chambers are in a room designed to create a relaxing atmosphere for the patient, while also complying with all the medical and safety standards required. Looking upward while lying down or reclining in the chambers, patients will see softly-lit, tree-and-sky-patterned light fixtures shining down from the ceiling. Patients can pass the time watching television or movies from an extensive catalogue of DVDs and VHS cassettes that can be shown on monitors fixed above the chambers during their 90-minute daily treatments.
New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA): Pressure Ulcer Collaborative
Pursuing the leading medical technologies and treatments to continuously improve medical services and provide the best health care is Atlantic Health's goal. To this end, Overlook Hospital has also participated in the NJHA Pressure Ulcer Collaborative, the first statewide initiative in the country, since 2005.
Focusing on several dimensions of care - assessment, prevention, staging, pressure relieving devices, and nutrition - the Collaborative objective is to improve patient safety, continuity and quality of care across the care continuum.
Prevention is an important part of patient care in hospital settings so Overlook’s inpatient prevention protocol mandates that every patient is assessed within eight hours of admission and re-assessed every 24 hours, using the Braden scale. Individuals at high risk are monitored to assure proper positioning in bed and to minimize skin injury due to friction and shear. Nutrition, skin care and use of appropriate therapeutic mattresses are also emphasized.
"About 25 percent of the wounds treated at Overlook’s Wound Care Center are pressure ulcers," notes Malinowski. "The collaborative is successful because our nurses are dedicated to providing the best care for our patients. Every day we strive to be better at what we do, and this is just one more."
WoundExpert EMR @ Overlook Hospital
In 2006, Overlook implemented WoundExpert Electronic Medical Record (EMR) allowing inpatient, outpatient, and hyperbaric staff to follow their patients’ wounds and plan of care as they move through the care continuum.
Communications between all care settings through WoundExpert, assures continuity of care with secure, HIPAA compliant care provider access to all patients’ electronic medical records.
Furthermore, the implementation of an HL7 ADT (Admissions, Discharge, and Transfer) interface with Overlook’s McKesson STAR hospital information system affords real-time Incidence and Prevalence reports – broken down by unit – accurately populated with hospital census. WoundExpert interoperability with STAR has eliminated data redundancy and improved efficiency, supporting staff motivation, training, and quality of care communications and reporting initiatives.
WoundExpert’s Unit Acquired Pressure Ulcer report allows Overlook clinicians to do a quick assessment of each patient’s Braden score and follow up with patients who may be at risk. It also provides the Braden Skin Assessment allowing Overlook to demonstrate continuity of care and proactively document all prevention measures undertaken.
Click to learn more about The Wound Healing Program at Overlook Hospital’s implementation of WoundExpert EMR.
Atlantic Regional: The Passion to Lead
Given Overlook’s successful participation in this Collaborative, they were the featured speaker at the first WoundExpert User’s Group Meeting held in conjunction with the 40th Annual WOCN Society Conference in Orlando, FL on June 25th.
Susan Tracey, BSN, RN, CWOCN, outpatient case manager at the Center spoke on the topic, "Using WoundExpert to Improve Documentation and Address Prevention, Incidence, and Prevalence." Susan provided meaningful program insights and facilitated an engaging, interactive discussion.
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