PORT ANGELES — Olympic Medical Center wants to continue leasing a high-tech material that has shown the potential to be more effective in preventing bed sores and pressure ulcers than the bulky, expensive air mattresses currently in use.
The Port Angeles hospital tested 20 cushions provided by Oregon Aero in a 90-day “homeostatic mattress overlay trial.”
“We’re the first organization in the world to trial this,” said Dr. Robert Watkins in Wednesday’s OMC board meeting.
OMC extended a contract with Oregon Aero to lease the soft, breathable and waterproof material.
Like human flesh
“This material has all the attributes of human flesh,” said Mike Dennis, president and CEO of Oregon Aero, in a presentation to the six hospital commissioners.
“This is a world that Newton wouldn’t recognize.”
Oregon Areo developed the material, called Multi-Wrap, for military helmets and seat cushions.
By eliminating aches and pains on extended military missions, pressure sores also were eliminated, Dennis said.
The Scappoose-based company has 20 years’ experience in the field and wants to expand to health care.
“Its purpose is not for treatment,” Watkins said. “Its purpose is for prevention.”
Eric Lewis, CEO of Olympic Medical Center, said the test results have been “unbelievably promising.” He said the hospital intends to expand its use of the overlay.
“This could be ground zero of every hospital in the country,” Lewis said.
No pressure ulcers
The trial produced 1,640 patient days of data. High-risk patients using the overlay showed no signs of pressure ulcers.
Nursing staff “enjoyed the ease of the application,” said Lorraine Wall, chief nursing officer.
“They said it was unobtrusive. It didn’t interfere with patient care.”
One patient complained after being transferred into a bed that didn’t have the material.
“The first thing that the patient did was turn on their light to complain, ‘Where is my overlay?'” Wall said.
Watkins, an orthopedic surgeon, proposed the overlay to hospital staff after conversations with Oregon Aero about eight months ago.
Dennis said he approached Watkins because of his reputation for finding practical solutions to problems.
“This company thinks, ‘What if? What if you try this?'” Watkins said after the presentation.
“They’re looking for someone who will respond to ‘What if?’ If that someone thinks in the same direction, he says, ‘Why not?'”
Military pilots and crews that use the Multi-Wrap “essentially forget there ever was a problem, since now they don’t have pressure sores,” Watkins said.
First to benefit
“We are really the first institution to benefit from that application,” he added.
Watkins showed before-and-after slides of a pressure ulcer that virtually disappeared after three weeks of the trial.
“This result suggested that pursuit of this material is worthwhile,” Watkins said.
Between 1.3 million and 3 million adults have pressure ulcers, costing $11 billion per year, according to a report prepared by Wall and Watkins.
Treating these ulcers can range from $500 to $40,000 per occurrence.
“Thanks for making us a part of your experiment,” board president Jim Leskinovitch told Dennis.
“It looks really exciting.”
Mammography units
In other news, the board unanimously approved a $3 million limited tax general obligation bond with Cashmere Valley Bank to purchase three digital mammography units, electronic medical records, IT servers or other items approved by board resolution.
The 5 ½-year bond has a 2.9 percent fixed interest rate.
“It fits in with our goal of being debt-free by 2014 with one month to spare,” said John Lowe, OMC controller.
The hospital considered leases, tax-exempt bonds, public debt offerings and quotes from other banks before signing with the small Central Washington bank.
“We really like the interest rate and the structure of this,” Lewis said.
Later in the meeting, Lewis presented a selection team’s recommendation of Everett-based Radia for professional services.
The 67 radiologists at Radia provide 24/7 coverage for 10 hospitals. The board will vote on the professional service agreement July 1.
“I think the thing that differentiates Radia from other groups is cooperation,” Lewis told the board.
Lewis also gave a report on physician recruitment.
Doctors Wade Austin, Eric Swanson, Jennifer Swanson, Ianir Divinsky, Cynthia Brooke, Watkins and Gregory Harrah have been hired by OMC this year.
Nurse Anesthetist Miriam Talley started in May.
“We got seven physicians and one CRNA, and we’re working on more,” Lewis told the board.
“We’re definitely spending a lot of time recruiting, but we’re trying to recruit the right doctor. We’re not just making offers to anybody.”
Meanwhile, Olympic Medical Center’s marketing team was recognized for its third-place award in a national contest.
Marketing manager Jeff Anderson designed posters OMC used in its anti-smoking campaign.
The OMC campus went smoke-free in November.
No action was taken following an executive session at the end of the board meeting.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
