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 ADVERTISEMENT 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. !_