Bayhealth Wound Care Center wins Center of Distinction Award

The Bayhealth Wound Care Center has won the Center of Distinction Award, given by Diversified Clinical Services (DCS).  The Center of Distinction Award recognizes wound care facilities with high patient satisfaction rates, exceptional healing results, and outstanding clinical outcomes for wound care management and related services.

Diversified Clinical Services, located in Jacksonville, Florida, is the nation's leading wound care management company with more than 300 hospital partners.  The Center of Distinction Award is based on clinical data from the past 12 months documenting success in treating and curing chronic or non-healing wounds.  The Bayhealth Wound Care Center demonstrated: 

• Patient satisfaction greater than 95 percent.
• Average number of days to heal chronic wounds was fewer than 35.
• Successful healing outcomes were greater than 89 percent. 

The Bayhealth Wound Care Center partners with DCS to ensure quality in providing specialized treatment for patients suffering from chronic and non-healing wounds, and to prevent complications which could lead to amputation of limbs and dramatically impaired quality of life.  Non-healing wounds are associated with inadequate circulation, poorly functioning veins and immobility, and they occur most frequently in the elderly and in patients with diabetes and other chronic diseases.  

The Bayhealth Wound Care Center teams up with referring physicians to determine the most effective course of treatment.  The Center uses an interdisciplinary approach to provide advanced services including debridement, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, dressing selection, and patient education.  When wounds persist and resist conventional treatment, this specialized comprehensive approach is required for healing.

"It's a privilege to be part of a great collaborative effort between Bayhealth and Diversified Clinical Services.  Together, we are able to heal patients in our community, and return them to fulfilling, healthy lives," said Bayhealth Wound Care Center Director Bonnie Ashford.

Bayhealth Medical Center's mission is to improve the health status of all members of the Bayhealth community.  Central and Southern Delaware's largest healthcare system, Bayhealth is comprised of Kent General and Milford Memorial Hospitals, Middletown Medical Center and numerous satellite facilities.  Bayhealth was ranked Best in Delaware for Cardiac Surgery by HealthGrades 2009 and was recognized by J.D. Power and Associates for the third year for providing an "Outstanding Inpatient Experience."  Bayhealth is a technologically advanced not-for-profit healthcare system employing over 2,900 with a medical staff of 458 physicians.  Bayhealth is a member of the Penn Cancer Network and is an affiliate of Penn Cardiac Care.  In the 2009 fiscal year, Bayhealth recorded 75,916 emergency department visits, 17,168 patients admitted to beds and 2,211 births.  Last year, as part of its mission, Bayhealth provided more than $33.6 million in unreimbursed care to patients.