Victoria Nelson, Registered Nurse at St. Luke Health Services has added to her professional resume for specialized wound care and healing, to include certification as an Ostomy Management Specialist, from The National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy (NAWCO®).

OMS (Ostomy Management Specialist®) is a specialized board certification in ostomy management. Those earning the certification have demonstrated a proficiency and mastery of essential knowledge and skills regarding the management of the ostomy patient. An Ostomy is often associated with a patient treated for cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), trauma, or other health issue.

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Pictured is St. Luke Health Services Director of Nursing Theresa Makin, RN; as she congratulates Victoria Nelson, RN, who earned her certification as an Ostomy Management Specialist, from The National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy (NAWCO®).

Nelson, who is a member of the St. Luke Health Services Wound Care and Healing Team, holds additional credentials in general Wound Care and in specialized Diabetic Wound Care through the NAWCO, making her the only nurse in Oswego County with advanced training in diabetes and diabetic foot ulcers and the prevention of complications.

The Wound Care and Healing Team at St. Luke has clinical expertise in the treatment of complex and hard to heal wounds that can result from a variety of acute or chronic conditions including venous ulcers, arterial and diabetic wounds, pressure ulcers, surgical wounds or traumatic injuries.

“Through our specialized Would Care and Healing Program, we are able to meet complex care needs locally, either in St. Luke’s Short-Stay Rehabilitation or long-term skilled nursing programs,” explained Theresa Makin, RN, Director of Nursing at St. Luke. “Our team is able to utilize highly specialized Wound Vac therapy, used to treat diabetic wounds and pressure ulcers. We are very fortunate to have the resources and level of expertise here at our disposal, there is no doubt that this contributes to successful outcomes for our patients.”

The St. Luke-John Foster Burden Fund’s Dr. David O’Brien Staff Educational Endowment covered tuition and costs associated with the advanced Wound Care Certification program completed by Nelson.

For more information about the St. Luke Health Services Wound Care and Healing Program click here, or call 315-342-3166.