St. Croix Hospice has launched a new specialty program focused on wound care.
The Minnesota-based provider has hired a number of board-certified wound and ostomy clinicians to operate the new program, its eighth specialty care service. St. Croix Hospice is a portfolio company of the private equity firm H.I.G. Capital.
“The Wound Care Specialty Program builds upon the existing high-quality wound care that St. Croix Hospice has long provided to patients,” said Chief Clinical Officer Mandy Cogswell in a statement. “As patients approach the end of their life, they may become more at risk of developing chronic wounds, and we recognize the great benefit in making sure all patients have access to board-certified wound experts.”
Many hospice patients can benefit from wound are for tumors, ulcers, lesions and pressure ulcers, among others. Tending to those wounds can have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life. Patients can experience wound‐related symptoms such as pain, infections, malodour, bleeding and discomfort during basic tasks like dressing, according to a study published in the International Wound Journal.
Patients may also see a negative psychological and social impact associated with their wounds, the study indicated.
The new service follows the establishment of a fall prevention program at St. Croix Hospice in March 2022.
The company services as many as 4,000 patients daily across its ten-state footprint, which is concentrated in the Midwest.
It has been growing in 2023. The company has opened four devo locations so far this year in Kansas, Iowa and Wisconsin. This is in addition to six that launched in 2022.
St. Croix’s new wound care team will provide specialty care planning, treatment and clinical documentation. They can also provide wound care to patients in facilities as well as family caregivers.
“Chronic wound care is all about managing pain and addressing symptoms,” said Cogswell. “The Wound Care Specialty Program sets St. Croix Hospice apart by providing access to clinicians who specialize in wound care in addition to the traditional hospice care team. The program ensures that patients experience the very best comfort and quality of life, which is what hospice care is all about.”
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