A new campaign to improve the treatment of serious wounds, such as those causing 75,000 Americans with diabetes to have leg and foot amputations each year, is rapidly gaining support in the medical community.

Several important organizations have now joined the Continuum of Care Coalition, or “C3,” to promote better treatment of wounds and to urge Medicare and Medicaid to change their policies toward these wounds.

Recently joining the Coalition’s list of collaborating organizations are the American College of Certified Wound Specialists (www.theccws.org), the American Association of Long-Term-Care Nurses (www.ltcnursing.org), the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (www.aanac.org), the American Association of Nurse Executives (www.aanex.org), and the National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration-Long-Term-Care (www.nadona.org).

The Coalition, founded by Dr. Heather Hettrick and Michael Watson, is dedicated to ensuring that Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries receive the quality of health care that they deserve and to which they are entitled.  Dr. Courtney Lyder is Honorary National Chair of the Coalition.

While the Coalition sees many areas for improvement, its first goal is to change the way Medicare and Medicaid reimburses caregivers for treating wounds.  Currently, such care receives only routine consideration along with other services. 

Recognizing the seriousness of these wounds and separately reimbursing for their treatment under the Consolidated Billing and Prospective Payment programs will improve health outcomes and save money, the Coalition says.

For more information on C3, visit its Web site at www.deconsolidatenow.org.