A Love/Hate Relationship

A Love/Hate Relationship

As the concept for Today’s Wound Clinic (TWC) was conceived and developed, it became clear that there was truly a need for a publication of this type to fill the gap for those of us practicing in this environment. Having attended several different meetings over the past few years, I have noticed that many different groups have tried to characterize what actually ‘qualifies’ as a wound center. To this day the qualification has yet to be defined. Whether attempting to identify our audience for TWC, preparing to present to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on different issues affecting patients receiving care in the outpatient setting, or meeting to organize membership groups representing this unique outpatient setting, the diversity of the location of the actual provision of care always surfaces. The patient with a wound can be found in multiple settings—office based, ‘on wheels’, in the patient’s home, in a nurse run or physician based clinic or office setting. The patient with a wound who is suffering from a disease state creates challenges in healing. However, the wound is the one constant factor, and really, the only one that counts.
Most wound care professionals practice in a hospital-based outpatient setting, and with each issue of Today’s Wound Clinic, the Editorial Board continues to provide practical support, especially in regards to navigating through the maze of reimbursement guidelines under the watchful eye of Kathleen Schaum, MS and those that she brings into our growing list of authors. However, ask yourself, does a reimbursement model define what a wound clinic is? I would say not. Looking back on previous issues of TWC, while the reimbursement piece is always addressed, our topics have primarily focused on clinically relevant concepts relative to the provision of care and the important aspect of the documentation of that care. While documentation is key to reimbursement, it is also the key to continuity, regulatory, and legal factors.

The Summer issue of Today’s Wound Clinic is dedicated to the actual running of the clinic, with topics relevant to leadership and marketing, covering issues such as infection control, hiring, and certification. I’ve been in a management role in outpatient wound care since 2001, but certainly do not consider myself an expert. There are definitely those things, which ‘I love’ and ‘don’t love’ about the management aspect. The ‘don’t love’ list is a short one. I admit that I don’t love paperwork and meetings. The paperwork I do because I have to, and the meetings I attend gratefully because they are our connection to the hospital, the regulatory environment, the administrative support, and the opportunity to provide the connection between inpatient and outpatient wound care. I also ‘don’t love’ anything about resolving conflicts or issues that come up relating to staff and the wonderful people that I work with. Thankfully, my staff is aware of this, and when rare issues arise, we usually can find common ground to resolve any conflict.
My ‘love’ list is much longer and richer. In my mind, this list speaks to the point of what defines a wound center. As I’m sure is the case with our readership, everything revolves around the patient. Marketing, billboards, and advertising are great, but success in a wound center is always about the patient. Do our wound care facilities heal all? Certainly not, but wound care facilities by nature must continue to try. There are many factors critical to the success of a wound clinic, for a web exclusive list of some that I feel are important visit Todayswoundclinic.com.

Dot Weir, RN, CWON, CWS