- April 26, 2024
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Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center has added a new, $100,000 oxygen chamber, a new sepsis alert system, a new director and a new office.
BY THE OBSERVER STAFF
Citing an over-capacity number of patients in need of treatment, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center has added a fourth, $100,000 hyperbaric oxygen chamber to its facility, to treat chronic or non-healing wounds.
“We had extensive waiting lists and a growing patient demand,” said Joan Hofmann, Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine nurse manager. “We are (now) able to meet the needs of the community without delay.”
During chamber treatments, patients breathe 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber, which allows their lungs to take in three times more oxygen than when breathing normally. The blood then carries this oxygen throughout the body, stimulating the release of stem cells and the growth of new blood vessels.
“One common element of chronic wounds is that they are all hypoxic — meaning low on oxygen,” Hofmann said. “Hyperbaric oxygen treatment … promotes the growth of new blood vessels, thereby increasing wound-healing rates. You can generally see improvement within 20 treatments.”
Non-healing wounds are caused by circulatory problems, poorly functioning veins and immobility. Each year, approximately 5.7 million Americans get chronic wounds. Open wounds that are untreated are at risk for infection, amputation and death.
The five Florida Hospitals throughout Volusia and Flagler counties has also added a new sepsis alert system, to provide early detection of potentially septic patients by monitoring key record data for systemic inflammatory response syndrome and organ dysfunction patterns.
Sepsis affects nearly 750,000 Americans annually.
Florida Hospital workers: Best in the world
Adventist Health System, the umbrella company of Florida Hospital’s five Volusia/Flagler locations and 39 other healthcare centers around the country, has received the Gallup Great Workplace Award for the third straight year, recognizing the hospital’s staff as one of the best-performing and most productive and engaged in the world.
Applicants for the award are compared across a research database composed of millions of work teams in more than 100 countries. A panel of workplace experts assesses each applicant to select winners.
“These award-winning organizations set a new standard for workplace excellence,” said Dr. James Harter, chief scientist. “They have proven track records for improving lives along with performance. The management tenets they practice have proven value in both thriving and struggling economies overall.”
New roles, new digs
Florida Hospital HospiceCare has hired Ormond Beach’s Holly VanHoose as its new assistant director of clinical services. With nearly 30 years of experience, VanHoose most recently served as the Florida Hospital HospiceCare admissions coordinator. VanHoose earned her registered nurse degree from Daytona State College.
Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center neurosurgeon Mark Murphy has opened a second office at Florida Hospital Flagler, in Palm Coast. Murphy has been practicing since 1985. He joined Florida Hospital in 2007. Call 244-9059.
