Prisma Health Midlands Foundation begins $2 million campaign for new and improved diabetic facilities
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Prisma Health Midlands Foundation launched a capital campaign Tuesday to raise $2 million for a new Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Oxygen Center at Baptist Hospital in Columbia.
According to a statement released by Prisma Health, the center will expand the hospital’s wound treatment in the Midlands area to reduce diabetic limb amputations and the loss of lives.
The Midlands has had issues when it comes to amputations. According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SDHEC), South Carolina had the 8th highest prevalence of diabetes among adults in the nation in 2018. The American Diabetes Association estimates that around 558,570 people in SC, or 13.5% of the adult population, have been diagnosed with diabetes.
“The 29203 zip code is a problem area for amputations in diabetic patients,” said Dr. Robert Klein, Division Chair for Wound Care at Prisma Health. “From Mississippi to the coast of South Carolina, it’s one of the highest areas for lower extremity amputations.”
The new center will offer multi-disciplinary care for diabetic patients, including podiatry, internal medicine, surgery, and hyperbaric medicine. According to the press release, the facility will also house three state-of-the-art Sechrist hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) chambers.
The new HBO chambers will allow patients to breathe 100% oxygen while under pressure in the chamber, allowing more oxygen to be absorbed into the bloodstream and plasma. The oxygen is then delivered to areas of the body that are having trouble healing due to a lack of oxygen in the surrounding tissues.
“The new Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Oxygen Center will be a tremendous asset to the community in so many ways,” said Jeffery Faw, Executive Director of Prisma Health Midlands Foundation. “We are happy to lead the charge in making this facility a reality for diabetic patients and Prisma Health in the Midlands.”
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