Tuesday, May 24, 2016
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Roper St. Francis Hyberbaric Oxygen Program receives accreditation with distinction for third time
The Roper St. Francis Hyberbaric Oxygen Therapy Program has been re-accredited with distinction by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society for meeting the highest standards of care and patient safety.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s program is the longest-running hyperbaric program in the Lowcountry and the only Lowcountry program to be accredited with distinction.
“We are very gratified that our commitment to quality, safety and – most importantly – patient care has been recognized by this survey,” said Dr. Lance Davis, medical director for the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Program at Roper St. Francis Healthcare. “Our highly experienced, credentialed and continuously serving nursing staff and their complete dedication to our mission and purpose helped make this accomplishment possible.”
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is used to increase oxygen flow to patients’ tissues to improve healing. Patients undergoing hyperbaric treatment are placed in a pressurized chamber where 100 percent oxygen is circulated and pressurized two to three times greater than normal. The pressure helps oxygen dissolve faster into the blood and subsequently into tissues. The pressure itself has therapeutic benefit for certain conditions.
This marks the fourth time the program has been accredited since 2006 and the third consecutive time it has been accredited with distinction, the highest possible level of accreditation. Part of its accreditation recognizes the program for being on call for critical care 24 hours a day, seven days a week as well as its use of evidence-based safety practices. The program is led by Davis, who is board certified in hyperbaric medicine and has a military background as a Navy diving medical officer.
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society accreditation involved months of preparation and a rigorous evaluation. A surveyor team of a physician, nurse and technician spent three full days evaluating every aspect of Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s program, including the facility, equipment staff and training to ensure quality.
Some of the emergent conditions that can be treated in the program include air bubble strokes, decompression sickness (the bends), carbon monoxide poisoning, necrotizing infections and compromised surgical flaps and skin grafts. Chronic conditions that can be treated include complex foot wounds, radiation damage from cancer treatments and resistant bone infections.