Holyoke Medical Center Receives Two Hyperbaric Chambers

HOLYOKE — In preparation for the opening of Holyoke Medical Center’s Wound Care Center this fall, two hyperbaric oxygen chambers were delivered this week to support the facility’s efforts to treat serious chronic wounds.

The Wound Care Center is a major strategic priority of HMC, as it makes investments that will strengthen the level of community-centered care to effectively address patients’ critical healthcare needs in the Pioneer Valley.

Weighing nearly 2,000 pounds each, measuring approximately nine feet by four feet by five feet in size, the chambers will treat serious chronic wounds for approximately 10{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of the patients seen in the wound center. The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps to heal chronic conditions, including diabetic foot ulcers and circulation ulcers, chronic bone infections, trauma, and damage from radiation treatment.

“HMC is committed to delivering efficient, high-quality healthcare to our patients close to home. These hyperbaric chambers are only one component of our long-term efforts to bolster community-centered care,” said Carl Cameron, the hospital’s chief operating officer.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of the state-of-the-art treatment practices and protocols to be offered at the new Wound Care Center. Others include negative-pressure therapies, bioengineered tissues, and biosynthetics. Chronic wounds affect more than 8 million people in the U.S.

The HMC Wound Care Center is a member of the Healogics network, the industry leader, which employs a rigorous scientific approach that explores, tests, finds, and develops the clinically proven methods, protocols, pathways, and technologies that reintroduce the body’s innate ability to heal. The Wound Care Center will be located at 18 Hospital Dr., Holyoke.