Expert Wound Care Close to Home

Sutter Tracy opens new wound care and ostomy center

2001

If you have a stubborn wound that won't heal, it may be time to visit the new outpatient Wound Ostomy Center at Sutter Tracy Community Hospital (STCH). The Center offers specialized care for leg and foot ulcers and other wounds often caused by diabetes, circulatory problems, and unhealed surgical incisions.

"One woman came to us for treatment of a leg ulcer she had lived with for years. Within a few months, we had the wound looking 50 percent better, and now it is almost healed," says Liz Baker, R.N., certified wound ostomy continence nurse (CWOCN), and administrator of the Wound Ostomy Center.

Baker works alongside Deanna Holsapple, R.N., under the guidance of STCH surgeon Aaron Margulies, M.D., acting director of the Wound Ostomy Center. Both nurses are specially trained in wound physiology and healing, as well as the care and treatment of ostomy bags and bladder control problems.

"It's hard for most doctors to keep up with the latest advances in wound care or to devote the intense amount of time it takes to treat complex wound problems," says Dr. Margulies. "Liz and Deanna have access to high tech equipment and supplies that doctors generally don't keep in their office. They also deal with these problems on a daily basis and have the ability to spend the necessary time with each patient."

Before the Center opened last January, the nearest medical facilities offering such advanced care on an outpatient basis were in Fresno and Walnut Creek. Now, physicians from all over the Valley can refer patients to the STCH Wound Ostomy Center.

"Physicians usually send patients to us when they fail to respond to standard treatments. We assess the problem and consult with the physician on the best course of treatment," says Holsapple. "We also help patients understand the underlying cause of their problem and what they can do to improve their condition and minimize future problems."
The services offered by the Wound Ostomy Center reflect STCH's commitment to provide high quality care and meet the growing needs of our community, adds Dr. Margulies. Appointments are made by referral only from a physician. For more information, have your physician call the STCH Wound Ostomy Center at 209-833-2461 or 209-833-2462.