Expands Access to Life-and-Limb-Saving Hyperbaric Therapy in the Chippewa Valley

The Chippewa Valley Cooperative Hospital (CVCH) announced the opening of its new Wound Care Center in Chippewa Falls, restoring a critically needed service to the Chippewa Valley. The department is led by Emily Mason, MD, Medical Director for Wound Care.

The Wound Care Center is staffed by experts in wound care treatment and management. The new department offers a wide range of treatments and procedures and features two hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers, tripling the region’s hyperbaric treatment capacity at a time when patients are facing long wait times and limited access to care elsewhere.

“We strive to provide comprehensive, compassionate wound care to the Chippewa Valley,” said Dr. Mason. “We understand that wound healing is a complex process that requires consideration of each person’s unique medical conditions and treatment goals.”

The Hospital’s Wound Care Center treats a wide range of conditions, including:

• Diabetic Foot Ulcers
• Venous & Arterial Ulcers
• Pressure Ulcers
• Traumatic Wounds
• Abscesses and Hematomas
• Burns
• Post-Surgical Wounds
• Wound Infections
• Hypergranulation

To treat this wide range of conditions, the Wound Care Center performs an equally wide range of procedures and treatments, including

• Debridement
• Incision and Drainage
• Topical Anesthetic
• Vascular Assessment
• Wound Management
• Biopsies and Cultures
• Skin Substitute Application
• Compression Wrap Therapy and Edema Management

The Wound Care Center’s Hyperbaric Chambers provide additional oxygen-based procedures for many conditions.

How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Works

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)  is an advanced treatment modality utilized in wound care. HBOT places patients in a pressurized chamber, similar to the experience of a deep-sea dive, where they breathe 100% oxygen. This process dramatically increases the amount of oxygen delivered to damaged tissue, stimulating healing, fighting infection, and restoring blood flow to wounds and injured organs.

Dr. Mason added, “Providing increased access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy will be a tremendous benefit to our community.”

Hyperbaric therapy is used to treat a wide range of issues, including:

• Some chronic and non-healing wounds, including those associated with diabetes
• Burns
• Crush injuries
• Radiation-related tissue damage
• Acute hearing loss
• Certain infections
• Acutely compromised skin grafts and flaps
• Chronic refractory osteomyelitis

Addressing a Dangerous Gap in Care

When St. Joseph’s Hospital closed in March 2024, hyberbaric wound care services in the Chippewa Valley were significantly diminished, forcing many patients to endure extended delays or travel long distances for their daily treatment.

With two hyperbaric chambers now operational, the Chippewa Valley Cooperative Hospital can treat more patients sooner, reduce backlogs, and provide timely care that helps patients heal while avoiding preventable complications.

One More Step Toward Comprehensive Community Care

Mike Sanders, CEO of the Chippewa Valley Cooperative Hospital, emphasized that the opening of the Wound Care Center is part of the larger effort to restore access to comprehensive healthcare access in the Chippewa Valley.

“Every service we restore brings us one step closer to providing the full hospital care services our community needs,” said Sanders. “Reopening advanced wound care is not just about treating wounds, it’s about restoring dignity, preventing disability, and ensuring the Chippewa Valley has the healthcare foundation required for a healthy, thriving community.”

A Community-Owned Model for the Future

The Cooperative Hospital is a service of the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative, a nonprofit, community-owned healthcare organization governed by local members. The Cooperative’s model ensures that healthcare decisions remain local, resources are reinvested into patient care here, and long-term stability replaces corporate cost-cutting.

The Wound Care Center joins the Cooperative Hospital Cancer Center a

nd a growing list of specialty services at the Chippewa Falls hospital campus as the Cooperative works toward full hospital operations later this year.

For more information about the Cooperative Hospital’s Wound Care Center, or to request a referral, call 715-861-0990.

About the Cooperative

The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative is a community-owned healthcare organization accountable to the people of the Chippewa Valley and dedicated to providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality medical services to residents of the Chippewa Valley region. Any resident in the 18-county Chippewa Valley region who is at least 18 years old can join the Cooperative here.