TIMES-REPUBLICAN

In keeping with what has quickly become a tradition over the past few years, the UnityPoint Health-Marshalltown Wound Clinic has been honored yet again with multiple awards including the Center of Distinction Award, Center of Excellence Award, President’s Circle Award, and West Division Center of the Year for 2021 by Healogics, the largest provider of advanced wound care services in the nation. This award recognizes the top Healogics clinic west of the Mississippi River and UnityPoint partner.

“This has been a really, really big year for us.” said Chanda Bovenmyer, managing vice president of operations for the Healogics west zone. “Healogics focuses on clinical quality, and these awards were established to acknowledge the hard work, dedication and accomplishments of the center staff that deliver care, treatment, and services in a manner that exceeds the performance of other like centers.”

The Center of Distinction Award requires that a center must achieve 12 consecutive months of exceptional clinical outcomes. Requirements include patient satisfaction being higher than 92 percent, a wound healing rate of at least 92 percent in less than 28 median days to heal, and an outlier rate of less than 16 percent. UnityPoint exceeded these standards for 2021 by attaining a healing rate of 97.95 percent with 21 median days to heal, an outlier rate of three percent, and a 96 percent patient satisfaction rate.

The Robert A. Warriner Clinical Excellence Award requires the same standards plus scoring in the top 10 percent of eligible centers for the calendar year.

In light of an aging population, increase in diabetes, and obesity epidemic, the quality of wound care is more crucial than ever. UnityPoint Health executives recognized these issues, making it possible to handle the higher demand for specialized wound care.

An estimated 6.2 million Americans suffer from chronic wounds, and that number is increasing daily. With the increased need for wound care, the awards achieved hold more meaning for the UnityPoint-Marshalltown team.

“I think it shows our dedication and hard work, and it shows that we care, and frankly that we’re good enough to accomplish this,” said Dr. J. Michael McCune, the medical director.

Tia Bacon, the clinic’s program director, said it is an honor to provide such a high level of care in a smaller market like Marshalltown.

“I just think that it says that we provide consistent clinical outcomes for Marshalltown and the surrounding communities, and just the fact that we have such advanced practices here in such a small community of Marshalltown,” she said.

When asked how the UPH-Marshalltown clinic has been able to give a standout performance in their overall care, both Bacon and McCune gave credit where credit is due.

“Our nursing staff,” McCune said with certainty.

Bacon echoed McCune’s praises.

“I would have to agree that it is nursing staff. It’s just the fact of the employees that have become family, the patients that have become friends, and wound care has become our passion here in Marshalltown,” she said.

As the wound clinic sets high standards for care, the team is committed to maintaining the quality and even improving it in the future, but what steps are taken to live up to the challenge?

“That would go to patient centered care. It’s about seeing the patient as a whole and obtaining why they have a wound versus just healing the wound,” Bacon said.

And of course, as McCune added, it’s a constant learning process. Team members are always striving to educate themselves on best practices and any changes that may be on the horizon.

“I think it’s continuing education not only on the staff’s part, but also the providers, myself, and Kelli Buresh. We are continuing to educate ourselves on wound care,” he said.

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Contact Andrew Ubben at 64-753-6611 or

aubben@timesrepublican.com