The Wound Center

The Wound Center at St. Joseph Medical Center is committed to improving the lives of those living with chronic non-healing wounds with reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence. When chronic wounds keep people from doing things they enjoy and living life to its fullest, St. Joseph can help.

Healing Your Wound With Care
Welcome to the Wound Care Center at St. Joseph Medical Center. Each year, approximately five million Americans suffer from nonhealing or chronic wounds. These chronic wounds include pressure ulcers, traumatic wounds, diabetic ulcers, nonhealing surgical wounds or ulcers caused by poor circulation. Left unattended, wounds may last longer than necessary, develop infection and pain, and be costly to treat. The Wound Care Center at St. Joseph Medical Center can heal your wounds and help you get back to living your life to the fullest.

Your Partners In Healthcare
At the St. Joseph Wound Center, your care will be managed with a team approach in order to accomplish timely and maximal healing. Services can include:

• Pain management
• Diabetes education
• Nutritional management
• Physical therapy
• Social work
• Home care
• Physician specialists
• Nuclear medicine
• Radiology
• Laboratory and  vascular studies
  

What to Expect When You Visit The Wound Center
At your first visit, your wound will be carefully assessed and pertinent medical history will be obtained. You will need to bring a list of current medications, past and present wound care products, as well as insurance cards, necessary referrals and a physician’s prescription.

With the unique approaches of the Wound Center, combined with a personal touch, you will be on your way to recovery.

Contact Information
St. Joseph Medical Center Wound Care Center patients may be referred by a physician or by their own self-referral. Appointments are available Monday through Friday. For more information about the Wound Care Center or to discuss your wound care plan, please call 410-337-1845. To schedule an appointment, call 410-427-2335.

The Ostomy Center

• What is an ostomy? An ostomy is a surgical procedure that creates an opening for the diversion of waste from the bowel or the bladder. Ostomies are necessary when part or all of the intestine or bladder are removed, and may be temporary or permanent. Some conditions that may lead to ostomy surgery include cancer, diverticulitis, polyps, birth defects, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease and trauma.
• About our Ostomy Center. The Ostomy Center at St. Joseph Medical Center was developed in 1978 to meet the needs of individuals with colostomies, ileostomies and urinary diversions. St. Joseph is the only hospital with the longest continuously operating  Ostomy Center in the Baltimore area.
• About our Ostomy Nurses. WOC/ET nurses specialize in ostomy care and rehabilitation and assist patients in the hospital as well as in the outpatient setting. Our nurses provide comprehensive teaching, counseling and care for their patients, including:
  - Pre- and post-operative education
  - Selection and skin marking of the stoma location
  - Demonstration and selection of supplies
  - Lifestyle support and counseling
  - Referral to other resources as needed
  - Emergency assistance as needed

Your WOC/ET nurse can answer questions and address the concerns of patients and family members, both in the hospital and after discharge. Our goal is to help you make the necessary adjustments to life with an ostomy.

Reasons to Visit the Ostomy Center
If you have concerns about one or more of the following, a visit to the Ostomy Center can help.

• Appliance failure or leakage
• Where to get supplies
• Clothing adaptation
• Diet or exercise
• Intimacy or pregnancy
• Changes that occur with aging
• Career/job-related issues

Referrals to the Ostomy Center can be made by any physician, nursing agency, home or extended care facility, or supplier. Additionally, the Center sees patients on a self-referral basis with physician approval.

Visits to the outpatient Ostomy Center are covered by most private insurance plans and Medicare. You may require preauthorization from the primary care physician before a visit is made. A prescription is necessary from your surgeon or primary care physician and can be faxed to 410-427-2335.

Visits are by appointment only, call 410-427-5585. Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The Wound and Ostomy Centers are located on the first floor of The Cancer Institute Building A on St. Joseph’s campus.