During Nutrition Awareness month, the staff at Davis Medical Center and Broaddus Hospital Wound Care Clinics are emphasizing the value of good nutrition and advising their patients to eat balanced meals to speed wound healing.

Though often overlooked as a factor in wound healing, good nutrition is an extremely important part of the healing process. Wounds must be well-fed to heal, requiring increased amounts of calories, protein, water and specific vitamins and minerals.

“Because nutrition is so vital to wound healing, nutritional assessments are an important part of what we do,” said Jim Severino, RDN, LD, CDE director of nutritional services. “Poor nutrition before or during wound healing may slow or delay the rate of healing.”

Davis Health System’s Wound Care Clinics work in conjunction with a patient’s primary care provider to create an ongoing plan for improvement and recommend dietary plans to promote healing. Other tips Davis Health System’s Wound Care Clinics recommends that patients:

• Eat balanced meals that include the right amount from each food group.
• Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in each meal.
• Stay well-hydrated throughout the day to ensure vitamin and mineral absorption.

Davis Health System’s Wound Care Clinics provide a comprehensive approach to treating patients with non-healing wounds. The team features clinicians with advanced training in wound care:

• Venous/Arterial Ulcers
• Gangrene
• Neuropathic Ulcers
• Cellulitis
• Decubitus Ulcers

For more information about wound care or to schedule an appointment, call Davis Medical Center at 304.637.3894, or Broaddus Hospital at 304.470.4122 Patients will be seen on the ground floor of the Davis Medical Center outpatient offices by Josette Batsenikos, FNP-BC and in Phillipi at Broaddus Hospital in the Medical Professional Buildling by Emily Starks, APRN, FNP-C.