On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Community Healthcare System’s St. Mary Medical Center cut the ribbon on their newly renovated Wound Care Center in Portage. Located inside the Willowcreek Health Center (3170 Willowcreek Rd), the facility offers advanced treatment options for patients with persistent or slow-healing wounds.
Thanks to a partnership with Healogics®, one of the nation’s largest providers of advanced wound care equipment, St. Mary Medical Center offers the latest technology to effectively treat all types of wounds. While the facility began serving patients in September, the new renovations have added hyperbaric chambers to foster rapid healing.
“These additions in wound care technology expand our abilities to treat patients with chronic wounds,” said Brittany Pankiewicz, Director of the Wound Care Center at St. Mary Medical Center. “One of the greatest things these chambers do is aid in limb salvage. Chronic wounds can occasionally lead to amputation which dramatically shortens life expectancy. By using a chamber, in most cases, amputation can be prevented. This is lifesaving technology for people with acute chronic wounds.”
Due to an aging post-industrial population, St. Mary Medical Center is prioritizing wound care to make sure that anyone who could benefit from their services has access. As the largest city in Porter County, Portage serves as the perfect central location for these lifesaving tools and professionals.
“If you’re familiar with the area, you know just how many people in the community are dealing with old injuries,” Pankiewicz said. “With this facility, it’s so easy for them to come in and find out if those injuries are something that they can heal.”
The ribbon cutting also served as an open house for members of the Portage Chamber of Commerce who are longtime supporters of St. Mary Medical Center.
“This is huge. I’m so glad that they brought this to Portage,” said Nancy Simpson, Executive Director of the Portage Chamber of Commerce. “Having such specialized treatment right in our backyard, especially knowing that the need is here, is super important and very exciting.”
St. Mary Medical Center CEO Janice Ryba was present to help cut the ribbon. She shared her excitement for the facility and partnership with Healogics.
“Our obligation as a nonprofit is to take care of the community, and this wound care facility fits right into our goal,” Ryba said. “We really want to heighten awareness around the community not only about the need to treat their wounds, but to visit facilities like this that can help them identify the root cause of their wound to prevent any other wounds in the future. We’re just so excited to get started, especially here in Portage.”
Advanced wound care is available through St. Mary Medical Center in Portage at the Willowcreek Health Center and also at Outpatient Rehabilitation of St. Mary Medical Center, 320 W. 61st Ave., Hobart. For more information, visit COMHS.org.
