Attendee Information
The Southeastern Interactive Wound Summit is a medical education conference hosted by Wound Summit Outreach, Inc.
Our Mission Statement…
“To Reduce the Number of Lower Extremity Amputations and to Improve the Quality of Life of Our Fellow Citizens Who are Afflicted with Wounds.
We Will Accomplish These Goals by Using Advanced Evidence Based Methods, by Educating Fellow Practitioners and Patients, and through Community Outreach.”
Wound Summit Outreach, Inc. was founded in October of 2005 as a non-profit organization. We are based in Jacksonville, Florida with our specialty in the area of wound management and education. Our Federal Tax Identification Number is: 20–368–6866
“Save a Leg, Save a Life” has become more than our slogan…it captures the essence of our organization.
The cost of a lower extremity amputation is approximately $49,000. Less than 50% of below knee amputees, and less than 25% of above knee amputees will become ambulatory with the use of a prosthesis. The result is many amputees become institutionalized, which can lead to annual nursing home costs of greater than $100,000 per patient. The cost of follow up care in patients where amputation is prevented is estimated at $600 per year, per patient.
Additionally, patients who undergo a lower extremity amputation have a greater than 50% chance of having an amputation of the remaining lower extremity. The life expectancy of the patients who survive the initial 30 day post-operative period is typically less than 5 years.
A $3 Billion per year savings could occur in the United States with a 25% reduction in lower extremity amputations! When compared with others, many patients with chronic wounds of the lower extremity have co-existing medical conditions that put them at a greater risk for a catastrophic event, such as a heart attack or stroke.
Peripheral Arterial Disease, or PAD, is a condition commonly found in the lower extremities in persons with and without diabetes. Risk factors include persons over the age of 50 who have diabetes or smoke, and anyone over the age of 70. PAD affects 12–20 % of Americans age 65 and older and approximately 12 million Americans alone have PAD.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended 5 steps to improve PAD treatment and outcomes per the Prevention of Atherothrombotic Disease Network (PAD Network). The steps are outlined as follows:
- Increase awareness of PAD and its consequences.
- Identify people with symptomatic PAD.
- Screen for patients at high risk.
- Improve treatment for symptomatic PAD cases.
- Increase early detection of symptomatic cases.
“Save a Leg, Save a Life” is our way of creating awareness and implementing the steps recommended by the CDC in our region. Wound Summit Outreach, Inc. is accomplishing these goals through the Southeastern Interactive Wound Summit, the Wound Care Consortium of Jacksonville, and the Wound Care Consortium of Jacksonville Community Outreach program.
Click here to view our faculty