Genesis Wound & Ostomy Clinic Has New Location
DAVENPORT, IOWA - Twenty years ago, doctors who treated chronic wounds had little to offer their patients. Today, new advancements in wound care are making a positive impact on hard-to-heal wounds that haven’t responded to traditional treatment.
“Wound care has finally come of age and really has a lot to offer people,” said David A. Arnold, D.O., FACOS, who is medical director of Genesis Medical Center’s Wound/Ostomy Clinic. “Now, we know much more about the physiology of chronic wounds, and we have so many new products that can positively impact those wounds.”
The Genesis Wound & Ostomy Clinic has a new clinic location, located on the Genesis West Central Park campus, in Pavilion II, 1351 W. Central Park, Suite 1225. The new, larger location has more exam rooms and has more convenient access for those patients in wheelchairs and having other special needs.
Among the advancing technologies in wound care are synthetic skin grafts that help people heal. Some skin grafts are actually grown from human skin in the laboratory; some are taken from animal intestines. There also are ointments that stimulate various chemical reactions in the body that are part of the healing process, he said.
Aging Baby Boomers and an increase in the number of people with diabetes have increased the need for wound care. Diabetes causes small arterial vessels to shut down over time, which decreases blood flow and increases the chance of injury to people’s extremities, particularly their feet. Compounding the problem for people with diabetes is that they also lose the pain sensation in their feet.
“People with diabetes have a double problem: Not only do they not get sufficient blood supply and oxygen to their feet, but they also cannot feel injury,” Dr. Arnold said. “We’re seeing so many more of these patients, it just makes wound care that much more important.”
Dr. Arnold is Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery and the American Board of Hyperbaric Medicine. He is impressed by the expert support of the wound care nurses at Genesis.
“The nurses are certified in wound/ ostomy care and are very knowledgeable people,” Dr. Arnold said. “They are devoted to continuing medical education and are genuinely dedicated to improving wound care in the Genesis program.”
The Genesis Wound & Ostomy Clinic is dedicated to the management and care of problematic wounds and the ongoing care of ostomy patients. It uses a multidisciplinary approach to assist in the healing and rehabilitative process and provides assessment, evaluation and treatment recommendations for wounds and ostomies of all types.
Upon initial evaluation, a plan of care is developed for the patient. Consultation with other services or health care professionals may include the expertise of the primary care physician, endocrinologist, infectious disease expert, clinical nurse specialist, nutritionist, diabetes educator and home care nurse. A general or vascular surgeon, urologist, rehabilitation physician, an occupational or physical therapist, as well as social services and orthotic/prosthetic services may be utilized.
For information, call (563) 421-1585.
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