Sierra View Medical Center Wound Healing Offers Tips During National Foot Health Awareness Month in April

6.7 million Americans are living with a chronic wound, and more than two million of those are suffering from a diabetic foot ulcer. April is National Foot Health Awareness Month and a time when the experts at Sierra View Medical Center’s (SVMC) Wound Healing Center and national partner, Healogics a group that specializes in the treatment of chronic wounds and non-responsive conditions, advise people take a moment to stand up for their feet.

With shocking nation-wide statistics of people living with a chronic wound, SVMC Wound Healing is using the month of April to bring insight to their community to make sure they know foot wound risks and how to prevent them. Some of the primary risk factors for wounds of the feet include: neuropathy, deformity of the foot, history of foot ulceration, absent or diminished pulses and prior amputation.

There are preventative measures everyone can take to improve foot health. SVMC Wound Healing offers the following foot care tips:

• Check your feet for red spots, cuts, swelling, blisters, sores or other injuries daily.
• Wash your feet every day and dry them with care, especially between the toes.
• Trim your toenails as needed after you’ve washed and dried your feet.
• Wear properly fitting shoes that do not rub or pinch your feet.
• Always wear socks or stockings with your shoes, and never walk barefoot or while wearing just socks.
• Physical activity can help increase circulation in your feet. Consult your healthcare team to see which physical activity is right for you.

In addition, anyone who may think they are at risk or need to take preventative measures, are to alert their doctor of any problems with their feet during their next doctors visit. SVMC Wound Healing offers comprehensive wound care and leading-edge treatments including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, negative pressure wound therapy, bio-engineered skin substitutes, biological and biosynthetic dressings and growth factor therapies.

For more information on the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers or chronic or infected wounds, contact SVMC Wound Healing at (559) 791- 3911. The Wound Healing Center is located at 370 N. Villa Ave., Porterville, CA 93257.

About SVMC Wound Healing

The Wound Healing Center is an outpatient department of Sierra View Medical Center that opened in January 2015. As a Healogics Specialty Physician center with surgeons specifically trained in advanced wound care and hyperbaric medicine, the Wound Healing Center’s clinical staff are trained to heal wounds using an evidence based approach that allows them to heal wounds faster with better healing outcomes thus providing a higher quality of care in the Central Valley. SVMC has received the Robert A. Warrnier III Center of Distinction and Excellence award in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

About Healogics

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Healogics is the nation’s wound healing expert. Last year over 330,000 patients received advanced wound care through a nationwide network of 700 Wound Care Centers®. The Healogics team is made up of nearly 3,000 employees, 4,000 affiliated physicians and a Healogics Specialty Physician practice group of almost 300. In addition to the company’s network of outpatient Centers, Healogics partners with over 300 skilled nursing facilities to care for patients with chronic wounds, and provides inpatient consults at 85 partner hospitals. As the industry leader, Healogics has the largest repository of chronic wound-specific patient data in the country. The Healogics Wound Science Initiative, an effort launched in 2017 to provide peer-reviewed research, recognizes the value and relevance of big data and advanced analytics to drive continuous, collaborative learning towards a better understanding of how to efficiently utilize healthcare resources for patients with wounds. For additional information, please visit Healogics.com.