Web site spotlight: Wound healing centers benefit hospital financially, strategically
Nurse Leader Weekly, January 18, 2010
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Chronic wound care is among the procedures patients are not putting off amid the economic recession—and hospitals that partner with wound healing centers are reaping the benefits.
"I've definitely seen changes in the payer mix, but the volume is steady," says Reneé Skinner, program director at six-hospital system UNC Healthcare's Wound Healing Center. "When you have this type of issue, people will cut back on the things that are basic healthcare, but when they have an open wound that's painful, that's infective, they can't ignore that. You can see the impact in the individual patients lives [due to layoffs], but the medical need doesn't change with the economic climate of a nation."
Wound healing centers tend to be revenue-drivers for hospitals because of both high demand and high-reimbursement rates. Diabetic, bariatric, and geriatric patients are most at risk for developing chronic wounds and, because of the aging boomer population and climbing diabetes and obesity rates, the number of wound care patients is expected to increase.
Editor’s note: To read the rest of this article, visit “Wound healing centers benefit hospital financially, strategically” found in the Reading Room at www.StrategiesForNurseManagers.com.
Do you need continuing education (CE) credits? Check out this month’s CE article to learn about a successful project that helps facilities prepare for patient falls or visit our archives and view a compilation of CE articles (marked with an asterisk).
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