The
St. Joe's
Experience
Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric
Medicine Promotes Healing and Improved Health
Judaism promotes the concept of healing
both spiritually and on a physical level in many
ways. For example, at Shabbat services, we recite
the Mishaberach prayer for curing the body and
spiritual healing. In the Torah, we read that if we
seek G-d's help and follow His commandments
Oakland
we are on our way to good health (Exodus 15:26).
The Torah also teaches us that although G-d is the
ultimate source of healing, if we are ill, we must see a doctor and take medications when
necessary. As Jews, preserving life (pikuah nefesh), is of primary importance.
At St. Joseph Mercy Oakland (SJMO), we have many ways of preserving life and restoring
your quality of life. The newest is our Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, which
opened earlier this month. Located in our ambulatory surgery center on campus, the new
state-of-the-art facility will see patients who come for treatment of non-healing wounds with
advanced equipment, including two hyperbaric chambers, making the wound care center
one of the most convenient, comprehensive and sophisticated wound treatment facilities in
Southeastern Michigan.
We opened our Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine to provide our patients
with the safest, highest quality and comprehensive care possible in the area of wound
treatment. As we see an increasingly aging population with diabetes and chronic diseases,
the problem of wound treatment increases. By providing state-of-the-art treatment with the
latest techniques and procedures, we will enhance the health of the population, reduce healing
time and foster full recovery.
We are privileged to have Firas Karmo, MD, plastic surgeon from the SJMO Medical
Staff, as the medical director of the new facility. Program Director is Matthew Davis, BSN,
RN, CWOCN. The wound care center staff includes physicians specialty-trained in wound
management and hyperbaric medicine, certified or specialty-trained wound care nurses and
highly trained clinical hyperbaric managers and staff.
By
Jack Weiner,
President and CEO
St. Joseph Mercy
The center will take a whole body approach to wound healing that includes:
• Nutritional assessment and counseling
• Diabetic education
• Patient and caregiver counseling
• Referrals for special needs pressure relief, including beds, seat cushions and footwear.
Among the conditions the SJMO Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric
Medicine will treat are:
• Diabetic wounds
• Any non-healing wound
• Surgical wounds that have opened
• Skin grafts or surgical flaps that are not healing post-surgery
• Open wounds caused by radiation therapy
• Bone infections
Pressure ulcers
• Venous wounds
• Internal injuries where no open wound exists, such as select
Firas Karmo,
acute traumatic and crush injuries, radiation cystitis or proctitis
MD
and reconstruction of the law or bone.
According to Dr. Karmo, the addition of hyperbaric chambers, where patients receive
pure oxygen needed to speed up the healing of their wounds, will provide a more advanced
treatment option for those who qualify. The hyperbaric treatments work in combination with
traditional wound care treatments. Oftentimes, the hyperbaric treatment is the only one
available for a particular condition.
The Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine also provides access to multiple
resources for the patient, including advanced dressing, bioengineered skin substitutes and
many other treatment modalities," adds Dr. Karmo.
We hope that if the need arises, you will ask your physician for a referral to our new
Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine. L'Chayim!
DISCOVER
REMARKABLE
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54
September 27 2012
health &
es s 3 a Asthma
VI Ara re wit=
hdre
erg
with her science
fair display about
allergies fast year
Walk For Allergies
Local family with allergic child
urges support of annual event.
A
ndrea Hochberg of
Farmington Hills is a smart,
energetic 101/2-year-old
who is among the growing number
of young people who have to contend
with life-threatening food allergies.
In Andrea's case, she cannot touch
or ingest foods she is allergic to —
dairy, eggs, many vegetables, fruits,
peanuts and tree nuts — and must
beware of insect bites, bee stings, envi-
ronmental allergies and some medica-
tions.
Only eight foods account for 90
percent of all reactions in the United
States: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts
(walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.),
wheat, soy, fish and shellfish (lobster,
shrimp, etc.). Sesame seems to be
growing rapidly as well, and more
companies are labeling for this in
Canada and elsewhere.
The prevalence of food allergies
among children in the U.S. is higher
than previously reported, with 8 per-
cent, or one out of every 12 children
affected, according to the findings of
a new study. The study, published in
Pediatrics, the Journal of the American
Academy of Pediatrics, also revealed
that among the 5.9 million children
with food allergies, 39 percent have a
history of severe reactions and 30 per-
cent have multiple food allergies.
The Hochbergs — Bryan, Ellen,
Andrea and Marissa — will participate
in the Seventh Annual FAAN (Food
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) Walk
for Food Allergy on Saturday, Oct. 6,
to educate the community and help
find a cure to protect people with life-
threatening food allergies. The walk
will benefit FAAN in its efforts to
raise funds to provide education and
advocacy, and to advance research on
behalf of all Americans affected by
food allergies and anaphylaxis.
For Andrea, such things as going out
to dinner or stopping for an ice cream
on a hot day don't come easily. The
family has a small list of restaurants
where she can eat, only if stringent
accommodations are made. A trip for
a non-dairy sorbet means thoroughly
cleaning the scooper and opening a
fresh carton. Even that has landed her
in the hospital.
"Over time, we have established
a list of safe processed and fresh
products that we share with our fam-
ily, friends and anyone charged with
Andrea's care," said her mother, Ellen.
"Soy products, apples, potatoes and
pareve chocolate are a large compo-
nent of her safe meals and treats. She
also enjoys vegetables, poultry and
beef. As her mother, I take it as a per-
sonal accomplishment that despite her
dietary limitatiOns, Andrea has been
able to maintain a normal weight for
kids her age."
Andrea is very committed to raising
awareness and understanding of food
allergies in her school and community.
Last year, she entered her elementary
school science fair with a display about
allergies and asthma. She showed that
the management of allergies and asth-
ma is a combination of identification,
avoidance, preventative and reactive
treatment.
Andrea also says she is thankful for
how accommodated she's been made
to feel and how much everyone in her
life cares about her health and well
being.
Registration for the FAAN walk
begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at
O.E. Dunckel Middle School, 32800
W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills.
The walk begins at 10 a.m. There will
be allergy-friendly samples, tons of
fabulous raffle prizes, games, crafts,
a DJ and more. To register for the
Oct. 6 walk or to donate, go to www.
FoodAllergyWalk.org .
If you would like to support Andrea's
efforts in this year's walk, visit her per-
sonal Web page at http://tinyurl.com/
AndreaFAANWalk2012. !_