For many people, a minor cut or a sore that breaks the skin isn’t a large cause for concern. With basic medical attention and keeping the site clean, the wound heals on its own.
For others, a wound that won’t heal can be cause for great concern. About 8 million people in the U.S. live with chronic wounds. This puts them at risk for other complications including infection and potential amputations.
Patients living with chronic health conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular disease may be at risk for non-healing wounds. Chronic wounds also happen in people who use wheelchairs or are bedridden. Certain conditions like diabetic foot ulcers, pressure sores or other non-healing wounds will require advanced wound care.
To help those patients, Intermountain Health plans to open the Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic at the Lutheran Medical Office Building in Wheat Ridge in 2026. This is a new service for Intermountain Health patients in Wheat Ridge, Golden, Arvada, Lakewood, and surrounding communities. For years, Lutheran Hospital has provided wound care for hospitalized patients and will soon extend to outpatient wound and hyperbaric medicine. These same services are also available at Intermountain Health Platte Valley Hospital in Brighton.
I’ve provided wound care in Wheat Ridge for 20 years. I lived in Wheat Ridge for a few years, and two of our five kids were born at Lutheran. Being able to provide robust wound care to the entire Front Range is really a dream come true. Adding a new component with the outpatient clinic and hyperbaric oxygen chambers allows us to greatly enhance patient care and elevate the services we provide to our communities.
Caregivers at the wound clinic can help patients with a range of problems including certain non-healing wounds and long-term effects from cancer radiation treatment.
The wound care team includes caregivers from different specialties including medical doctors, podiatrists, nurse practitioners, and wound care specialty nurses.
Wound centers offer specialized care to speed up healing and lower the risk of amputation. Treatment options include learning to use devices and footwear to take pressure off troublesome areas, removing unhealthy tissue (debridement), and using bio-engineered skin substitutes.
Two additional therapies used in the wound care clinics are compression therapy, which is done to improve blood circulation and reduce swelling, and negative pressure wound therapy which involves using a vacuum to suction fluid and bacteria out, leaving a healthier environment for new tissue to grow.
In August, crews used a crane to install the two hyperbaric oxygen chambers on the fifth floor of the medical office building where the clinic will be located. Each chamber measures 8 feet 8 inches by 3 feet 7 inches and weighs approximately 2,200 pounds.
Hyperbaric medicine can help patients with non-healing wounds by speeding up the wound healing process and helping to treat infection. The hyperbaric chambers also can be used to treat long term problems from radiation from cancer treatment, certain bone infections, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy works by placing the patient in a clear chamber that contains 100% oxygen (compared to normal room air that has 21% oxygen). The large volume of oxygen is used to saturate the blood and tissues with the oxygen’s healing properties. This helps the body heal by growing new skin, blood vessels, and tissue. The duration of the treatment and number of visits depends on the patient’s health condition.
Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital is excited to be able to provide a high quality of wound care and hyperbaric services. Bringing these services to our community has the potential of making a huge impact for many years to come for those in need.
Matthew Ethington, RN, is a certified wound ostomy nurse and the director of Wound and Hyperbaric Services for Intermountain Health in the Peaks Region. To learn more about services at Lutheran Hospital, please visit https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/intermountain-health-lutheran-hospital.
