WoundCentrics Chief Medical Officer has research published in Medical Journal
Press Release: For Immediate Release – January 2020
WoundCentrics Chief Medical Officer has Research published in Medical Journal
In January, 2020, Marcus Gitterle, MD, Chief Medical Officer of WoundCentrics, LLC of New Braunfels, Texas, saw publication of a case series in the Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents entitled:
"TREATMENT WITH NOVEL HYBENX® ROOT CANAL CLEANSER SUGGESTS BIOFILMS BLOCKED HEALING OF HUMAN WOUNDS: CASE SERIES"
The paper* discusses the use of a new anti-biofilm strategy which has been shown to be universally effective at killing all types of bacteria and fungi with a 10 second, one-shot treatment.
While this treatment methodology has seen extensive use in dentistry, its use in wound care is currently novel. This case series illustrates the applicability of such anti-biofilm strategies to wound care in general, and especially the care of chronic, refractory, non-healing ulcers.
WoundCentrics, LLC encourages its clinicians to engage in clinical research, and to publish in peer-reviewed journals, to help advance the state-of-the-art in wound care.
*TREATMENT WITH NOVEL HYBENX® ROOT CANAL CLEANSER SUGGESTS BIOFILMS BLOCKED HEALING OF HUMAN WOUNDS: CASE SERIES, Gitterle, M, JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL REGULATORS & HOMEOSTATIC AGENTS , Vol. 34, No. 1 (S1), xx-xx (2020)
The Clinical Benefits of Sharp Debridement in Wound Care
Update on Wound Care in the LTACH
Wound debridement is considered by most wound experts to be an important aspect of wound management. Debridement facilitates several processes that are essential for wound healing, including the removal of dead and necrotic tissue. This “biological burden” is removed to control bacterial colonization, prevent wound infection and to allow the practitioner to properly visualize and assess the full extent of the wound and involved structures. This guides further treatment, optimizes wound dressings and sets the stage for more advanced treatments, such as engineered skin substitutes.
Sharp debridement promotes wound healing by removing impeding dead tissue and bacterial biofilm; and it is also clear that debridement “resets” cellular signaling proteins to the acute phase of wound healing, allowing wound healing to proceed in a more optimal fashion.
When debridement is performed on appropriate patients in a timely fashion, wound healing can proceed much more rapidly, leading to better outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and lower overall wound care supply costs. When performed by appropriately trained providers, debridement can be effective and efficient, while imposing little overhead on facility operations, or additional burdens to caregivers.
The value of sharp debridement is well documented as a critical approach to managing problem wounds and wound healing. A retrospective analysis assessed wound outcomes in relation to frequency of wound debridement. This study, by Wilcox, Carter and Covington, looked at 154,644 patients with 312,744 wounds of all types over a 4 year period in 525 clinics. The study demonstrated clear evidence of improvement in wound outcomes with increasing frequency of debridement (P > 0.001), and concluded “The more frequent the debridement, the better the healing outcome.”
At WoundCentrics, we believe in evidenced based care and appropriate debridement is a key component of a comprehensive wound care program. Effective, timely debridement can mean the difference between excellent outcomes and high patient satisfaction, and merely average or even sub-optimal outcomes. That is why we train and certify our providers in sharp debridement as an important clinical skill of wound care.
WoundCentrics offers an Inpatient Wound Care Program with trained specialist(s) on-site daily seeing wound patients with the goal to optimize wound progression in the LTACH.
WoundCentrics offers a Complimentary Virtual LTACH Wound Care Analysis
WoundCentrics Completes 2019 as NALTH Visionary Partnership Sponsor
For Release: Immediate November 2019
WoundCentrics Completes 2019 as NALTH Visionary Partnership Sponsor
The National Association of Long-Term Hospitals (NALTH) is a not-for-profit organization that supports member Hospitals and the industry. NALTH is actively involved at the state and national level developing and recommending policy priorities. NALTH works with constituency-level insurers, including private payers, Medicare, Medicaid and HMO Groups to develop and draft new policy initiatives affecting long-term care hospitals, patient admission criteria and payment policy.
NALTH provides its members the opportunity to participate on task forces to develop strategies to address the challenges that long-term care hospitals face in the changing healthcare environment and to influence policies impacting payment reform and the ability to care for those who need an LTACH level of care.
As a professional organization, NALTH provides opportunities for research, education, standards of care, input on payment policy and networking within the industry.
NALTH has two (2) Annual Conferences each year, the Spring Clinical Conference at various locations throughout the U.S. and the Fall Leadership and Advocacy Day Conference, held annually in Washington D.C. in conjunction with a day of member lobbying with their Congressional representatives.
NALTH, as an organization, is funded by member dues and partner sponsorships such as those of WoundCentrics. WoundCentrics as been an organizational partner/sponsor since 2014 and this past year, participated in a special opportunity offered by NALTH at a new, higher level of vendor sponsorship, known as the “Visionary Partnership”.
As a long time NALTH partner/sponsor, WoundCentrics was honored to be the first annual “Visionary Partner” for this important LTACH industry organization.
WoundCentrics will continue to be an Advocate Partner in 2020 and beyond, the highest level of sponsorship currently available. As an Advocate Partner in the new year, WoundCentrics will be exhibiting at the NALTH Spring Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, April 22 – 24, 2020.
We hope to see you there!
Marcus Gitterle, M.D. and Kaye Moseley, RRT, of WoundCentrics Present at the UHMS Gulf Coast Chapter Meeting in Dallas
News Release: For Immediate Release September 9, 2019
Marcus Gitterle, M.D. and Kaye Moseley, RRT, of WoundCentrics Present at the UHMS Gulf Coast Chapter Meeting in Dallas
Marcus Gitterle, M.D., FACCWS, Chief Medical Officer for WoundCentrics and Kaye Moseley, RRT, RCP, CHT, CHWS, WoundCentrics' Corporate Director of Compliance, were presenters at the Fall Meeting of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Society (UMHS) in Dallas, Texas Saturday Sept 6, 2019.
Dr. Gitterle lectured on “New Technology in Non-Invasive Vascular Testing” and Kaye Moseley presented information on “How to Prepare for a Target, Probe and Educate Audit for HBO2”.
Dr. Gitterle’s presentation highlighted the importance of understanding the emerging trend of non-invasive vascular testing for wound care patients that suffer from chronic, non-healing leg wounds. Understanding the vascular component to chronic non-healing wounds is a critical precursor to their treatment and vascular testing is the standard of care for lower leg wound patients. Non-invasive vascular testing opens new options for assessing lower extremity blood flow in patient who are not able to tolerate traditional assessment techniques.
Ms. Moseley’s lecture focused on The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) continued increase in auditing of claims for hyperbaric medicine services and the importance of documentation in managing an audit in hyperbaric clinics today. Kaye’s information provided the process and information required for a clinic and clinicians to be adequately prepared to manage a CMS audit on hyperbaric claims and protect themselves from recoupment of payment on otherwise covered services.
The Gulf Coast Chapter of the UHMS mission is to promote educational activities for physicians and allied health professionals in the Gulf Coast Region based on a needs assessment of the members and in collaboration with the UHMS' Panel of Experts. These activities are intended to improve the scientific and practical knowledge of attendees in the areas of hyperbaric oxygen treatment and diving medicine.
Both presentations were accredited for Continuing Medical Education units for both physicians and other allied health professionals.
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WoundCentrics facilitates opening of new wound care center with Baptist Health
WoundCentrics facilitates opening of new Wound Care Center with Baptist Health Corbin;
The Hospital posted the following Press Release on their eNews site;
* See copy below:
Baptist Health announces opening of Wound Care Center
The Wound Care Center at Baptist Health Corbin will provide specialized treatment for chronic or non-healing sores or wounds that have not significantly improved from conventional treatments.
Chronic wounds affect more than 6.5 million patients in the U.S., and the incidence is rising fueled by an aging population, increasing rates of disease and conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy.
The regional wound program will serve patients that suffer wounds that are associated with inadequate circulation, poorly functioning veins, infection and immobility; non-healing wounds lead to lower quality of life and ultimately can lead to amputations. When such wounds persist, a specialized approach is required for effective healing. The new Wound Care Center will offer leading-edge treatments including debridement, specialty dressings, negative pressure therapies, bioengineering tissues and biosynthetics.
The Wound Care Center will be under the Medical Directorship of Dr. David Lauber and will have specialty trained nurses and staff providing clinical care to the patients in the region.
“We are pleased to offer specialized wound care to the patients in Corbin and southeastern Kentucky,” said Anthony Powers, hospital president. “As part of our mission, we are committed to advancing wound healing by creating and sharing our wound care expertise; everywhere we can, for every patient who would benefit, by the best means available,”
“The Wound Center uses an interdisciplinary model of care using the newest approaches to care, technologies and treatments for challenging wounds,” said Sherrie Mays, MSN, RN, VP, Chief of Nursing. “The Wound Care Center will coordinate the focus on wound care with the other disease states that includes infectious-disease management, physical therapy, occupational therapy, laboratory evaluation, nutritional management, pain management, diabetic education, radiology testing, and debridement to address total patient health.”
The new Wound Care Center will be located in the same area as the Infusion Clinic at 1 Trillium Way, Corbin, KY. The wound care services are designed to complement your physician’s care. Patients are frequently referred by their primary care physician, and the program operates by appointment. Based on extensive evaluation, a customized treatment plan is developed to optimize the therapies best suited to address the patient’s needs. Care is usually administered on an outpatient basis.
Types of Wounds We Treat
We treat the following types of wounds at the Baptist Health Corbin Wound Center:
Arterial
Burns
Diabetic ulcers
Infected or slow-healing surgical wounds
Ostomy Care
Pressure ulcers
Skin grafts/Flaps
Skin tears/Lacerations
Venous stasis
Coming for an appointment
Wound Care is located at entrance C2 of the main campus in the Infusion Clinic across from our Outpatient Surgery Center.
Call us at 606.523-8602 for more information or visit BaptistHealth.com/Corbin. Providers from all specialties can refer a patient; however, you do not need a physician referral to schedule an appointment.
ContinueCARE Hospital at Baptist Health Madisonville Adds WoundCentrics Wound Services
Press Release: For Immediate Release
WoundCentrics, LLC of New Braunfels, Texas, announced that has expanded its relationship with CHC ContinueCare to provide its specialized in-patient wound care services to ContinueCARE Hospital at Baptist Health Madisonville (KY).
ContinueCARE Hospital at Baptist Health Madisonville is a 36 bed Long Term Acute Care Hospital LTACH located on the fourth floor of Baptist Health Madisonville, a 410 bed facility located in Madisonville, Kentucky.
ContinueCARE Hospital is a “hospital-within-a-hospital,” that is a separately licensed acute-care hospital with the ability to provide intensive and complex medical treatment including complex wound care. Their specialty programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of long-term, acute-care patients and WoundCentrics is pleased to collaborate in offering its specialized in-patient wound care services as part of the exceptional care already being offered.
“We are excited to continue our relationship with CHC ContinueCARE, they are an exceptional organization that is truly focused on providing exceptional care to the patients they serve. Our in-patient wound program will be a compliment to the excellent clinical care already being provided and fits well with WoundCentrics' mission to bring the best wound care possible to our partner facilities. We are proud to now offer services to CHC ContinueCARE in four states and eight hospitals.” stated Stuart Oertli, Chief Operating Officer of WoundCentrics.
ContinueCARE Hospital at Baptist Health Madisonville opened in the summer of 2015 and is located at 900 Hospital Drive, 4th Floor, Madisonville, KY 42431.
WOUNDCENTRICS COMPLIANCE OFFICER ATTENDS ANNUAL UHMS MEETING
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Annual Scientific Meeting
Wyndham Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf and Beach Resort June, 2019
Each year the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) holds an international scientific meeting to provide a forum for professional scientific growth and to improve the knowledge and competence of hyperbaric medicine providers in order to improve patient outcomes.
The meeting provides a basis for exchange of ideas, both scientific and practical for physicians, researchers, and other health care professionals. The UHMS Annual Scientific Meeting consists of abstracts, poster presentations, plenary sessions, and social events. The Annual Scientific Meeting affords an opportunity for participants to meet and interact with past and present leaders of the UHMS and to become more active in Society affairs.
Kaye Moseley, WoundCentrics Director of Compliance and Regulatory Reimbursement and an active board member of the UHMS attended this year’s meeting in Puerto Rico. The meeting provided valuable information on topics such as the accepted uses of hyperbaric oxygen in clinical and diving medicine, critique of current decompression schedules and the development of safer protocols, pathophysiology and treatment of toxic and anoxic disorders in which hyperbaric oxygen is used either as he primary or as an adjunctive modality. Participants were also introduced to new diagnostic, research or therapeutic techniques and equipment pertaining to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
In addition to the main scientific lecture sessions, the Associate Members of the UHMS (Non-physician) held a one-day breakout session with lectures and poster presentations geared more toward hyperbaric operations. These lectures covered topics such as new mechanical ventilator technology for use with multi and mono-place chambers, infection control practices, patient education, facility accreditation, The Joint Commission updates and probes, CMS and third party payer requirements for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, biological skin substitutes, and debridements. At the end of the Breakout session Kaye led a Round Table discussion on Compliance, Reimbursement and Preparation for a CMS Target, Probe and Educate audit of HBOT.
Across the country, the hyperbaric industry is experiencing a decrease in the number of treatments provided and the negative financial impact of CMS and third party payers’ control over payment for HBOT. Unfortunately, the impact on our patients in need of the therapy is far greater. As an active board member of UHMS, Kaye is able to keep WoundCentrics’ partners abreast of actual and planned regulatory changes to minimize the clinical and operational impact on their wound clincs.
Everyone who attended the meeting agreed, compliance with the local MAC’s LCD and adhering to the clinical documentation requirements are critical to ensure we can continue to offer Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy to patients. Through education and legitimate clinical research, the UHMS continues the quest for approval of new HBOT indications while trying to maintain our current indications.
Kaye, through her participation in UHMS, continues to support WoundCentrics and its partners in advocacy for hyperbaric medicine’s utility and efficacy.
Kaye Moseley
WoundCentrics Director of Compliance and Regulatory Reimbursement
Associate Representative, UHMS Board of Directors
UHMS Finance Committee Member
President-Elect Gulf Coast Chapter of the UHMS
WoundCentrics is a Visionary Partner for the Spring 2019 NALTH Clinical Conference
WoundCentrics will be a major sponsor and exhibitor at the National Association of Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals (NALTH) Spring 2019 LTCH Clinical Education & Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 1 to Friday, May 3rd in Las Vegas at the Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.
WoundCentrics is a Visionary Partner with NALTH, which is the highest level of sponsorship, and includes participating in the Table Top Topics sessions by providing WoundCentrics management as guest faculty. The Visionary Partnership also includes participating in the Vendor Exhibits that will offer information on the WoundCentrics clinical and business model, advertising in the conference program and having company personnel attend the Spring Conference educational programs.
The theme for WoundCentrics at the NALTH Spring Conference will be a focus on the company’s clinical wound care services provided in the LTACH.
Advanced Wound Care designed for the LTACH
Wound care is a unique challenge and focus for the medical staff and management in every LTACH due to the high acuity and complex patients admitted to the long-term acute care hospitals. WoundCentrics has developed a specialized wound care program specifically designed for the LTACH.
The WoundCentrics model provides fully-aligned wound care specialist providers which complements the current day LTACH model. Our program features:
✓ Daily rounding by WoundCentrics Providers
✓ Improved clinical outcomes
✓ Reduce re-admissions
✓ Standardize formulary for cost containment
✓ Optimizing length of stay and revenue opportunities.
Our wound care program is system-based with daily provider rounds and coordinated case management. We deliver maximum value by assuring that all services which can be effectively delivered within the LTACH are available at the bedside. This prevents case cherry-picking by non-aligned providers, sharply reduces outmigration due to wound-related complications as well as transfers to other facilities for surgical debridement.
Let’s talk at the NALTH Spring Conference 2019 about the WoundCentrics wound care program. Our goal is to establish your LTACH as a true center of excellence, while improving length of stay, controlling costs and maximizing profitability with LTACH compliant admissions.
Wound Care Specialists of America Merges with WoundCentrics of New Braunfels, Texas
Wound Care Specialists of America of Lubbock, Texas, announced that it has merged with
WoundCentrics, LLC of New Braunfels, Texas effective October 1, 2018. The new entity will continue
operating as WoundCentrics, LLC and consolidate the most of its operations to a new corporate office to
be constructed in New Braunfels, Texas with expected completion in late 2019.
Wound Care Specialists was formed in 2009 and manages hospital based and physician owned wound
care & hyperbaric medicine clinics. Wound Care Specialists started with the acquisition of 2 Christus
hospital wound center contracts and has grown to managing 4 Christus hospital programs, including
both inpatient and outpatient wound care services.
WoundCentrics was formed in 2012 in New Braunfels, Texas, operating with a provider-based model
focusing primarily on post acute wound care services to Long Term Acute Care Hospitals.
WoundCentrics has grown from its first single LTACH location to 27 Long Term Acute Care Hospital
clients located in 14 states and provides its specialized wound care services to numerous Skilled Nursing
Facilities, Rehabilitation Hospitals, and Acute Care Hospitals. The merged companies will also operate 13
outpatients wound and hyperbaric centers.
“Wound Care Specialists merging with WoundCentrics will allow both companies to create synergies and
operate under one umbrella in the markets we serve together,” stated Rodney Franklin, MD, CEO of
WoundCentrics. “WoundCentrics will have a larger footprint in the wound care market and allow for us
to serve our clients better and afford our team more resources for scaling our clinical and business
operations.” Dr. Franklin explained.
Stuart Oertli, WoundCentrics Chief Operating Officer, shared his thoughts on the merger saying “it is an
exciting time for the company as we grow, starting new partnerships and expanding others. While such
rapid growth can be challenging at times, we have seen how much our services mean to the patients
and organizations we serve.”
WoundCentrics Launches Wound Services Program at ContinueCARE Hospital at Baptist Health Paducah
WoundCentrics, LLC, of New Braunfels, Texas, has announced that it has recently launched its Specialized Wound Care Services program at ContinueCARE Hospital at Baptist Health Paducah, a Long Term Acute Hospital (LTACH) located in Paducah, Kentucky.
The WoundCentrics program will focus on aligning the wound care team at the 37-bed LTACH located, within Baptist Health in Paducah, which began in July 2018. Dr. Peter Ward, a Plastic Surgeon in Paducah, is leading the clinical delivery of the WoundCentrics specialized wound services program and has completed advanced wound care training with the company and he is currently treating wound care patients at ContinueCARE Hospital in Paducah.
“Working with the management and clinical team at ContinueCARE Hospital at Baptist Health Paducah, our wound care program will provide a wound care specialist physician who will round in the hospital daily and deliver clinical expertise for the Hospital’s wound service program,” according to Stuart Oertli, Chief Operating Officer at WoundCentrics.
Len McDade, Chief Executive Officer at ContinueCARE Hospital at Baptist Health Paducah stated “as a hospital-within-a-hospital, located in the Baptist Health Hospital in Paducah, we are a separate yet fully licensed acute-care hospital with the ability to provide intensive and complex medical treatment. Our specialty programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of long-term, acute-care patients. The Wound Centrics wound program will increase our focus on patients with serious, complex wounds and our ability to provide high level wound care for our patients,” he explained.
“Our community and the region are fortunate to have a long-term acute care hospital to care for patients with complex medical conditions including providing expertise for complex wounds,” Len McDade stated. “We provide high quality care in a compassionate environment for very sick patients – every day. WoundCentrics will assist in our daily goals to provide the best care possible for patients with complex wounds.”
ContinueCARE Hospital, located at 2501 Kentucky Avenue, 5th Floor, Paducah, Kentucky 42003, serves the needs of patients with medically complex conditions, especially those suffering from multisystem complications and needing extended recovery times – often 25 days or more. The ability to provide these specialized services is possible through cooperation between Baptist Health Paducah and CHC ContinueCARE of Plano, Texas.
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