Brooklyn's Progress
October 2002

Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. And some say this trend threatens to overwhelm the health care system resulting in a decline in the quality of patient care. At the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center they are counteracting that trend. They designed a wound care center specifically for non-healing wounds, a major complication of diabetes. Their demographic study showed the local population, largely Caribbean, was at increased risk of diabetes and its complications. Over the last year, intense efforts with the community have included free diabetes screening, wellness initiatives, mini-health fairs, education seminars and the introduction of new technologies to treat diabetics. Clinical Nurse Manager, Judy Lajoie, says, "We have the opportunity to treat patients with problem wounds of all kinds, applying new research and giving our patients access to the newest wound healing therapies." One innovative treatment option for patients with diabetic foot ulcers is Dermagraft®, a tissue-engineered living dermal substitute designed for diabetic foot ulcers that will not heal. Hyperbaric oxygen, new wound dressings, as well as other wound healing products also meet the needs of patients. One patient with a very large, deep diabetic foot ulcer experienced total healing after just four treatments and remains healed five months later. Joseph Meyers, RN, Program Director, encouraged by the results said, "Our patients have seen dramatic progress, so we are anxious to make these treatments available to all patients in the area who have foot ulcers which are not healing."