First in Nevada to Receive Certification
May 12, 2009, Henderson, Nev.) – The Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals–Rose de Lima Campus is the first – and only – in Nevada to receive UHMS (Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society) certification. The Center earned certification in late February 2009.
“Earning Nevada’s first certification from UHMS – the gold standard certification for hyperbaric chamber operations – reinforces St. Rose’s ongoing focus on quality and clinical excellence in all aspects of our business,” says Rod Davis, president/CEO for St. Rose Dominican Hospitals.
The Center voluntarily participated in the UHMS accreditation program, which has been in place since 2001, to demonstrate its commitment to patient care and facility safety. UHMS was invited to perform an accreditation survey, and three UHMS experts conducted an on-site survey of the facility on December 8 and 9, 2008, to examine staffing and training, equipment installation, operation and maintenance, facility and patient safety and standards of care.
“Earning the UHMS certification speaks volumes to our ongoing hard work and dedication to patient safety,” says Heidi Montgomery, wound care program director at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals–Rose de Lima Campus. “Hyperbaric oxygen treatments are one of the few options for people with wounds that won’t heal, such as those caused by severe bone and skin infections, radiation injuries and diabetic ulcers. A lot of clinical expertise and equipment safety measures are required to deliver the treatments safely and successfully. UHMS certification gives third-party validation to the practices we have in place to ensure that our patient safety and outcomes are the highest caliber possible.”
With hyperbaric chambers, wounds heal at a more rapid pace because the patient breathes 100 percent oxygen at higher pressures than that of the normal atmospheric pressure. Hyperbaric treatment takes place in a specially designed compartment that delivers the prescribed amount of oxygen to the patient’s body tissue so the healing process can begin. This procedure is also beneficial for individuals who experience carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation or decompression sickness.
St. Rose recently opened a second wound healing center at its San Martín Campus. Treatment at a wound healing center is typically facilitated via a doctor’s referral, but patients can pursue treatment without a referral. For more information, patients or doctors can call (702) 616-4870.
