Danbury Hospital Launches Wound Care Clinic

DANBURY — Danbury Hospital recently announced the opening of its new Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine. Located at the hospital, it is the largest and only surgically based wound care center in western Connecticut. The program specializes in the treatment of problem wounds, a growing health issue spurred by the aging of Americans and the increase in diabetes.

Approximately 18.5 million American have diabetes, and of that population about one in ten will suffer from a problem wound. The Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at Danbury Hospital is an outpatient, hospital-based program that works in conjunction with the patient’s primary care physician.

Any patient with a wound that has not started to heal in two weeks or is not completely healed in six weeks may be a candidate for the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine. Open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, the program operates by appointment and requires a physician referral.

Alan Dietzek, MD, FACS, RPVI, chief, Section of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Danbury Hospital, will serve as the medical director of the program. Dr Dietzek will be assisted by a team of experienced wound care physicians including thoracic and vascular surgeon, John H. DeFrance, MD, Jaime Strachan, MD, director, Endovascular Surgery at Danbury Hospital and Gary Schleiter, MD, who serves as chief of the Section of Infectious Disease at Danbury Hospital.

Each physician will coordinate an overall care plan for each patient, working in partnership with the patient’s referring physician. Dr Dietzek announced the appointment of Nancy Isaacson as program director for The Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at Danbury Hospital.

In her new position, Ms Isaacson will provide administrative, financial, and management direction for support to the clinical team in the center to ensure optimum patient care. In addition, she will work with physicians and others to develop the center’s business.

Ms Isaacson comes to the center with a broad background in business development with Johnson & Johnson and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where she was an academic hospital specialist. She is a graduate of Indiana State University.

“We are very pleased to have Nancy join us as we open our center,” said Dr Dietzek. “Her experience in business development and working with physicians will help us quickly gain community recognition for the services we can provide to patients.”

“Danbury Hospital offers the latest in healing technology, with the comfort of privacy, television screens, and free parking to make the visit to our facility a pleasant experience,” added Ms Isaacson.

For more information, call 739-8170 or visit www.danburyhospital.org and choose “Wound Care Center” under the “Department Listings” drop down menu on the homepage.