Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine at BMC

The Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine provides comprehensive outpatient wound care for chronic and non-healing wounds. Excellent clinical outcomes, commitment to the best practices in wound care, and very high patient satisfaction have all led to national recognition for the quality of our care.

Dr. Richard Basile, who serves as Medical Director, is board certified in wound care. Nurses treating our patients are also wound care certified.

Berkshire Medical Center has collaborated with area physicians to help patients who are struggling with problem chronic wounds. The Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine in Pittsfield is located on 66 Wahconah Street and has two state-of-the-art hyperbaric oxygen chambers. A similar facility for patients in North Berkshire is located at the North Adams Campus of BMC.

"In our community, we see a growing number of patients who suffer from chronic wounds," said Dr. Basile. "A vast majority of these patients suffer from diabetes and face a high rate of amputation and long hospital stays. Our collaboration focuses on finding more effective ways to care for these patients."

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a treatment in which the patient breathes 100% oxygen while enclosed in a clear, specialized chamber at greater-than-normal atmospheric pressure. While breathing pure oxygen, blood becomes super-saturated, carrying 20 to 30 times the normal amount of oxygen to the body's tissues. The ultimate result is that the body's natural wound-healing mechanisms, which are oxygen dependent, are able to function more efficiently. Continued, intermittent use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy increases the body's immune function and healing response.

"Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been a beneficial treatment option for patients suffering from non-healing wounds for many years," said Dr. Basile. "This type of treatment has been used for nearly 40-years, and results in several specific biological actions that enhance wound healing processes. The Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine will provide clinical wound care combined with hyperbaric medicine, if necessary, and represents the highest level of care for patients with problem wounds. In addition, the staff will provide patients and caregivers with valuable educational tools, and will work closely with them to ensure the most successful outcomes."

The Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine at Berkshire Medical Center has been named a Center of the Year for numerous years. According to Healogics, the largest wound care company in the U.S., the BMC Center was chosen as 2014 Center of the Year in recognition of it's heal rates, days to heal, medical leadership, and overall clinical accomplishments.

The BMC Center has a 94% average heal rate in 28-median days to heal, compared to an average heal rate of 88% and 31-median days to heal at other centers across the US. In addition, over the past five years, the Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine at BMC has successfully treated over 6,000 patients with advanced technology and a supportive and well-trained staff.

Both centers in Pittsfield and North Adams provide a comprehensive wound care program, and actively work with the patient's referring physician. "The Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy component of our program works in concert with other clinical treatments for non-healing wounds," said Dr. Basile. "In addition, it's important that we maintain an ongoing relationship with the patient's physician. As part of our process, we will be updating the referring physician regularly on the patient's progress."

Other services include bioengineered skin grafting and negative pressure wound therapy.

Location:
Berkshire Medical Center             North Adams Campus of BMC         Fairview Hospital
66 Wahconah St.                            Hospital Avenue                                  10 Maple Avenue
Pittsfield, MA                                  North Adams, MA                                Great Barrington, MA
413-496-6870                                 413-664-5689                                        413-854-9930