WoundCentrics welcomes Donna Willemsen

Donna has been a registered nurse for more than 30 years with experience in multiple areas, including 7 years of experience working in a LTAC setting. She has worked full time with wounds and ostomies for the last 10 years, which lead to a key role in organizing and opening a wound care center that has consistently achieved healing rates of 96% or higher.

Donna has multiple certifications which include CWS (certified wound specialist), CWOCN (certified wound ostomy continence nurse) and CFCN (certified foot care nurse) and will be beginning a FNP program this fall through Texas State University.

Donna's role with WoundCentrics will be muti-faceted. She will be involved in the wound care fellowship training program, and will serve as a resource for all WoundCentrics providers in all settings, and will provide pre-op and post-op ostomy teaching to patients of contracted physicians and in contracted facilities. Additionally, she will be responsible for developing education modules, including various courses with CNE credits through the TNA to be available to our contracted partners. 

WoundCentrics to provide wound care services for Cornerstone Hospital in Round Rock, TX

Recognizing the need for consistent physician services in the outpatient setting and a concerted, programmatic approach to wound care for inpatients, Cornerstone Hospital of Austin/Round Rock has entered into an agreement with WoundCentrics , a national leader in providing advanced wound care programs and services across the continuum of care, to provide these programs starting July 1, 2016.

For many years the long-term acute care hospital’s place in the health care continuum has not been well recognized in the Austin metropolitan market. Under the current leadership of Curt Roberts (Austin and Market CEO) and Brant Robinson (Round Rock Administrator), Cornerstone’s team has worked to educate local providers about the differentiators of the LTAC from other acute and post-acute settings and the message has been well-received. However, challenges remained and some programs were not functioning as well as hoped. One of those programs was the outpatient wound care and hyperbarics center at the Round Rock facility.

Upon meeting Dr. Marcus Gitterle, CEO of WoundCentrics, to discuss their concerns regarding the outpatient services at the Round Rock facility it became apparent that inpatient services where not yet fully optimized and large financial opportunities were being missed.  Further, with payment reform coming later in the year, Dr. Gitterle explained WoundCentrics’ approach to providing management services to LTAC facilities to help them prepare for and implement strategies for accepting and profiting from shorter-stay patients reimbursed under the blended payment model.

Learning of WoundCentrics’ unique ability to provide physician services in the outpatient clinic, optimize current inpatient wound care operations and help prepare for looming changes in the next cost-reporting year, Cornerstone found the case presented by Dr. Gitterle a compelling one and we are pleased to be proceeding as partners in success. As demonstrated with LTAC facilities throughout the United States, WoundCentrics looks forward to working with the leadership and staff of Cornerstone Hospital in Round Rock to provide clinically excellent service and outcomes for patients while cutting costs and enhancing the financial outcomes for the hospital.

Click (HERE) if your facility seeks to create a highly-successful, modern wound care program (inpatient, outpatient or both). Exploring the opportunity to enhance annual revenues by $1 million or more at your facility is free of obligation and completely confidential.

WoundCentrics expands LTAC partnerships into Georgia and Wisconsin

Columbus Specialty Hospital in Columbus, GA and WoundCentrics are pleased to announce their partnership in creating a systems-driven inpatient wound care and outreach program to provide clinical services to patients with wounds throughout the community. Licensed for 50 beds, Columbus Specialty is the only long-term acute care hospital in the city.

Bobby Saulnier, CEO of Columbus Specialty, recognized with mandated changes in admission criteria and reimbursement for wound patients it would be necessary for the hospital to find a partner to help successfully navigate the new realities of wound care. While attending the NALTH wound care conference last fall, Mr. Saulnier attended a presentation by Dr. Marcus Gitterle, CEO of WoundCentrics, that specifically addressed his concerns and led directly to the creation of the new partnership.

Dr. Robert Daniels, a General Surgeon and trained Hyperbaricist, who has decades of wound care experience is the local leader of the program. Lakeisha Dixon, FNP-C, will be on site at the facility daily as the medical provider for inpatients.

Post Acute Medical Specialty Hospital of Milwaukee, WI represents the seventh hospital in the Post Acute Medical system to partner with WoundCentrics. The 54-bed licensed facility is led by CEO Christine Peterson and is a relatively new acquisition for Post Acute Medical.

Recognizing the success of wound care program partnerships with WoundCentrics in other facilities and the Milwaukee facility’s needs for a coordinated, systems-driven approach, the decision to collaborate proved a natural fit.

Dr. Niraj Sawhney is a hyperbarics trained, Infectious Disease specialist with a long history of affiliation with the facility. He is serving as Medical Director of the wound care program. Tiffany Schwabe, FNP-BC is the on-site daily wound care provider.

For more information on how WoundCentrics can provide wound care solutions for your facility, please contact us by using this form.

WoundCentrics’ COO to Participate in Astellas Pharma, US Transitions of Care National Broadcast Panel

WoundCentrics’ Chief Operating Officer, Stuart Oertli, was invited by Astellas Pharma to participate in the company’s national broadcast for transitions of care for patients with invasive fungal infections. Given his background in healthcare administration throughout the acute and post-acute continuum of care, Oertli was a natural fit to discuss the challenges faced by healthcare providers in ensuring timely, safe and cost-effective transitions of care. The panel also includes Dr. Mark Levis, an oncologist from Johns Hopkins, Melissa Johnson, an infectious disease pharmacist from Duke University Medical Center and Laura Ostrowsky, Director of Case Management at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Although the program is specifically geared towards transitions of care for patients with invasive fungal infections, the material applies to antimicrobial stewardship and transitions through the continuum of care in general. Antimicrobial stewardship is a growing concern in healthcare and a focus for WoundCentrics given our role across the post-acute continuum of care.

WoundCentrics’ new ABX Steward program engages clinicians, including both physicians and pharmacists, as well as healthcare administrators to utilize CDC recommendations and evidence based practices in their antimicrobial prescribing practices.

Utilizing state-of-the-art software, ABX Steward enables your facility to capture key clinical data and deliver HIPAA-compliant patient information to our on-call panel of world-class antibiotic stewardship experts. Their best-practice recommendation is then delivered to the facility within one business day.

Unlike on-site ID physician-based programs, ABX Steward is extremely cost-effective. Whereas typical on-site programs are associated with hefty, per-hour review fees and schedule-based review timing, the ABX Steward system is always ready for consultation and monthly system costs are a fraction of typical on-site review programs.

To view the Astrellas Pharma, US Transitions of Care national broadcast this Thursday, April 14th, you can click on this link www.AstellasNB.com to register.

To find out more about ABX Steward, please call 210/701-0909 or click here to reach the Contact page on our website.

WoundCentrics adds Director of Operations

The WoundCentrics Operations team is excited to announce a new member – Stephanie Lawhon, RN. 

Stephanie has more than 14 years of extensive experience in the skilled nursing facility setting. During this time she has served as a floor nurse with exposure to wound care and later as an assistant to the Administrator where she developed a thorough understanding of SNF regulations/guidelines. 

For the past 6 years she has served as Nurse Manager at St. David’s (Georgetown, TX) in the inpatient rehabilitation hospital where she was instrumental in achieving tremendous success in outcomes for patients and in employee engagement.

Stephanie’s role with WoundCentrics will be multi-faceted. She is charged with further enhancement of the WoundCentrics wound care fellowship training program and training and education at contracted facilities. In addition, she will support WoundCentrics providers and facilities through regular on-site visit as well as perform business development activities for the WoundCentrics Outreach program.

Welcome, Stephanie!!

WoundCentrics and Warm Springs Specialty Hospital of Luling expand partnership.

Warm Springs Specialty Hospital in Luling, Texas.

WoundCentrics has recently assumed clinical responsibility for the outpatient wound care and hyperbarics clinic at Warm Springs Specialty Hospital in Luling, Texas.

Jana Kuykendoll, CEO of Warm Springs – Luling remarked, “the long-standing partnership between our facility and WoundCentrics in servicing the inpatient population for wound care has been a great success. When it came time to make a change in providers servicing the outpatient clinic, we looked at two things: 1) the experience we have had with WoundCentrics and 2) the demonstrated expertise of WoundCentrics in outpatient wound care and hyperbarics. These two factors made the decision to expand our partnership with WoundCentricsto include outpatient services an easy one and we are confident based on the early results that it was the right decision.”

WoundCentrics and Guadalupe Regional Medical Center partnering on outpatient wound care and hyperbarics

Guadalupe Regional Medical Center

WoundCentrics and Guadalupe Regional Medical Center (GRMC) are pleased to announce a partnership in operating an outpatient wound care and hyperbarics clinic for patients in Seguin, TX and surrounding counties.

GRMC is licensed for 125 beds and is city/county, non-profit hospital that does not rely upon tax dollars - a unique facility in the State of Texas. The hospital has operated a wound center for many years but recently reached out to WoundCentrics seeking our management expertise and unique approach to clinic operations to improve outcomes for patients. 

After coming to agreement that this partnership would be mutually beneficial, Dr. Marcus Gitterle, CEO of WoundCentrics, led an effort to educate the local medical community regarding our approach and his efforts solidified much-needed support for the program - a critical component to success.

The Medical Director for the clinic is Dr. Michael Chaney. Dr. Chaney is a Plastic Surgeon as well as a certified Hyperbaricist and he has very quickly led a positive transition of staff and culture in the clinic that is appreciated by clinical and administrative personnel at GRMC. 

In addition to the outpatient services, clinic-affiliated providers are now rounding on wound patients in the GRMC inpatient population which helps create a more cohesive and coordinated approach to wound care at the facility.

The WoundCentrics model of true partnership and shared goals with facilities and our extension into the greater continuum of wound care has fostered greater confidence in the clinic as well as improved volumes in a very short time. 

For additional information on the wound care and hyperbarics program at GRMC you can contact WoundCentrics at (210) 701-0909.

Opening of outpatient wound care clinic at Laredo Specialty Hospital

In collaboration with Ernest Health Inc, WoundCentrics is pleased to announce the opening of an outpatient wound care clinic at Laredo Specialty Hospital, 2005 Bustamante Street in Laredo, Texas.

Utilizing a multi-disciplinary, team approach the Laredo Specialty wound care clinic will deliver advanced wound care utilizing the latest modalities and, where indicated, hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a comprehensive strategy to address complex patient wounds. These strategies are tailored to the specific need of the patient in a plan of care that supports the healing process and is designed to improve overall health of the patient. Dr. Gilberto Garza-Lozano, a trained hyperbaricist and Internal Medicine specialist with extensive ties to the Laredo community, serves as Medical Director for the clinic. 

Complications from diabetes is a major issue in South Texas. Laredo Specialty recognized the need for a wound care clinic dedicated to addressing wound issues related to diabetes as well as soft tissue or surgical infection, radiation damage and other causes. WoundCentrics was chosen to partner with Laredo Specialty due to our commitment to treating the whole patient with clinical best practices as well as our involvement and engagement with the entire health care continuum in the community. The whole goal is to ensure patients with wounds in the Laredo community receive the very best of care.

This differentiated approach to the full-spectrum treatment of wound patients, performed in conjunction with our sister company (Wound Care Specialists of America), has proven extremely effective at our 5 clinics in the San Antonio metro area. It is why we are being approached to replicate this model in other communities throughout the country.

If interested in finding out how to partner with WoundCentrics to provide inpatient or outpatient wound care services, please contact us.

National Association of Long Term Hospitals (NALTH) Wound Care Symposium San Antonio, TX September 28-29, 2015

A note from Dr. Gitterle,

The future of wound care in the long-term acute care hospital setting is a troubling concern. Without a clear vision and plan for dealing with impending changes to admission requirements for wounds and acceptance of IPPS patients, some fear that LTACHS will no longer be able to provide the critical capabilities they offer to patients with limb and life-threatening wounds.

The National Association of Long Term Hospitals (NALTH) is conducting a wound care symposium in San Antonio, TX on September 28-29, 2015. At this conference I will be giving a presentation specifically devoted to addressing these concerns. 

WoundCentrics Extends Partnership with Post-Acute Medical

In May, 2015, WoundCentrics extended our growing relationship with Post Acute Medical, by deploying inpatient woundcare services in the Post Acute Specialty Hospital of Corpus Christi, North.

In addition to providing woundcare specialty services in both the North and South Corpus Christi LTACs, WoundCentrics is rolling out a community-wide woundcare outreach program, servicing the Corpus Christi Metro area.