Yoakum Community Hospital announced today that the YCH Wound Healing Center, an outpatient facility offering a comprehensive approach to healing patients with non-healing wounds, has added hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy to its service offerings.

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is a treatment in which the patient breathes 100% pure oxygen while inside a pressurized chamber. The air pressure inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber is about two and a half times greater than the normal pressure in the atmosphere. This “hyperbaric” (or high pressure) dose of oxygen helps the blood carry more oxygen to organs and connective tissues to promote wound healing. It also activates the white blood cells to fight infection.

“Since non-healing wounds rarely result from a single cause, we begin with a thorough evaluation and diagnostic testing to determine the underlying cause of the wound,” said Karen Barber, Chief Executive Officer. “A treatment plan, which may include HBO, is then developed to give patients the best chance for healing.”

The YCH Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center is equipped with one hyperbaric chamber and staffed by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses and technicians with advanced training in wound care. Dr. R. Martin Lambert, Medical Director, and Dalena Dekowski, FNP, serve as the providers for this program.  Their approach to wound care is aggressive and comprehensive, coordinating traditional and advanced therapies and techniques that are proven to reduce healing time and improve healing rates.

The Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center at Yoakum Community Hospital is open Monday through Friday. For more information about wound care or to schedule an appointment, call 1-877-295-2273.

Pictured with the HBO Chamber: Christi Jacobs, RN (HBO Technician) and Karen Barber, CEO