Hudson Valley Hospital Wound Care Center Receives Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Accreditation

HVHC facility is the only one in the region to receive UHMS designation

May 24, 2011

Cortlandt Manor, NY

NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital's Institute for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine has been awarded accreditation by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, the leading authority in hyperbaric medicine.

Hudson Valley Hospital Wound Care Center Receives Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Accreditation

The Institute is the only wound care facility in the region to receive this coveted designation, and is the 4th in New York State. The other UHMS accredited centers in New York are in Brooklyn and Syracuse.

"We are very proud to receive this prestigious designation," said Hudson Valley Hospital President John C. Federspiel. "It means that our Institute for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine has the seal of approval from the one of the leading authorities in hyperbaric medicine and has met the highest performance standards."

In order to receive the UHMS accreditation, the Institute had to submit to an inspection by expert evaluators who rated it on commitment to staffing and training, equipment installation, operation, maintenance, facility and patient safety and standards of care. More than 1,600 individual standards had to be successfully met to receive accreditation.

"This Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Service represents the most advanced integration of hardware, software, staff training and credentialing available to the Northeastern Hudson Valley region," said Glenn Butler, CEO of the Life Support Technologies group, which has partnered with HVHC to develop the Institute. "Being a UHMS-accredited facility demonstrates that the Institute has been thoroughly examined and deemed successful in meeting the national standards set forth by UHMS and The Joint Commission."

The super oxygenation offered by hyperbaric treatments can help those with chronic non-healing wounds caused by diabetes, poor circulation, traumatic injury, radiation therapy and other causes. NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital’s Institute for Wound Care offers two oversized, private hyperbaric chambers where patients can relax, listen to music or watch a movie. More than 5 million Americans suffer from non-healing wounds.

The center is led by Medical Director Stephen Guthrie, M.D., PhD. Integrated clinical support is provided by Eileen Donatelli, CHRN; the New York Group for Plastic Surgery; and, the entire HVHC Physician / clinician staff.

Dr. Guthrie is a renowned expert in Hyperbaric Medicine, having served as Director of Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at a number of institutions including Nassau County Medical Center and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center.