Major Accomplishments

Based both on our clinical and basic science findings, our most significant discovery is the finding that every patient has the potential to heal, given access to the proper care. The achievements that have helped contributed to this change of clinical paradigm for non-healing wounds include:

1. Established one of the only dedicated inpatient units in the world specific to chronic wounds.
2. Current NIH support for the development and use of a new wound medical informatics system with the aim of decreasing amputations and preventing stage IV pressure ulcers. The Wound Electronic Medical Record (WEMR) also facilitates the evaluation of outcomes in patients with wounds, and improves patient safety by having the complete skin exam easily available to care providers.
3. Current NIH support for the basic science research laboratory for wound healing and regenerative medicine, studying the pathogenesis of pressure ulcers and chronic wounds, and new treatments for diabetic foot ulcers.
4. Discovery of c-myc, the first gene known to impair healing.
5. Published evidence-based protocols for treating diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers and venous ulcers. The development of new clinical protocols for the treatment of pressure ulcers and diabetic ulcers, which have proven effective in accelerating time to closure, and preventing pressure ulcers from progressing to stage IV.