On Tuesday, the Hugh Chatham Memorial hospital's Regional Wound Center celebrated it's 10-year anniversary with a reception for staff and community members.

"The anniversary of the regional wound center is just another example of the dedication of the Hugh Chatham Foundation's commitment to provide quality health care to residents of the area," HCMH Foundation Director Jeanette Hendrick said.

The regional wound center is a comprehensive outpatient facility that provides medical treatment for chronic non-healing wounds.

The specialists at the wound center treat arterial ulcers, problem surgical wounds, skin grafts, burns, pressure ulcers and bedsores, and non-healing diabetic wounds.

Family physicians and surgeons refer patients to the wound center to help stabilize and heal wounds on patients whose immune systems may have been compromised by infection and poor health as well as those with diabetes, whose wounds are slow healing in relation to the life-threatening disease.

"On average, we see approximately 100-150 patients every two weeks," Director of the Wound Center, Angie Mastin said. "We deal with chronic non-healing and pressure ulcers and we specialize in treatments and dressings to improve a patients healing.

"With wound treatment, a patient has a greater chance of the wound healing quickly without the threat of infection," she said.

The wound center offers treatment to patients using the V.A.C.® Therapy system which is a negative pressure system created by Dr. Louis Argenta and Dr. Mike Morykwas from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, and FDA approved.

"Our center has a medical directors board of physicians who specialize in wound care," Mastin said. "Dr. Roque Arias, Dr. David Stauffer, and Dr. Tamas Soos are our primary physicians and board members.

"We also have a group of registered dietitians from HCMH who provide nutrition support for wound treatment."

HCMH has had a year full of celebrations with the new medical tower, new CEO, revitalized and updated state-of-the-art emergency room, cardiac care unit, cancer center and pulmonary unit.