IRON MOUNTAIN – Deb Pugh, RN, has earned the right to add the initials CWS after her name.

A registered nurse in The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine, a service of Dickinson County Healthcare System, she recently completed the requirements to earn the national credential as a Certified Wound Specialist.

The center continues to gain credibility through staff certification. Its benchmark “days to heal” ulcerations is currently at 42 compared to the average of 66 days at the 700 plus wound care facilities nationwide.

“It is imperative to treat problematic wounds as quickly as possible to give the best possible outcome. Diabetic ulcers are now known to be more deadly than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma combined, yet people are referred to us after an ulcer has been present for months,” commented Phil Miziniak, DPT, CWS and center manager. “This illustrates just how important teaching is in our field. And it shows the importance of early intervention.”

Before she could even sit for the certification exam, Pugh needed to provide documentation of three years of hands-on experience in wound care; between working at the Dickinson Center and at Victorian Pines, Deb met that requirement. In addition, she spent nearly 10 months working through a self study program in preparation for the certification exam. Maintenance of her certification will require the completion of nine continuing education credits annually for the next 10 years, when she will be required to take another exam to renew her national certification.

“There is so much to know in this field of medicine, and more is being discovered all the time,” noted Pugh. “In order for our patients to receive the very best care possible and experience high quality outcomes, it is important for us as their wound specialists to stay current with new techniques. The discipline and structure inherent in the certification process helps to ensure our knowledge base so we can translate that into a high standard of care for our patients.”

“I received tremendous support through my self study process,” she added. “Phil Miziniak has been an excellent mentor.”

“As a certified wound specialist and registered nurse at the Wound Center, Deb provides both assessment and direct care of the patient’s wound as well as support to the physician,” Miziniak said. “She is excellent in both areas, and her patients have responded positively to her care. We are very fortunate to have Deb as a member of our wound care team, especially since there are only about 4,000 wound specialists from the American Board of Wound Management nationwide.”

She earned her associate’s degree in nursing from Bay College and began working as a nurse at Victorian Pines. While there, she developed an interest and expertise in wound care and was hired at the center in April 2013; and she continues as a nurse at Victorian Pines as well.

“I love what I do in part because there is a lot of teaching that is necessary in wound care,” Pugh said. “I never expected to find a career in which I could combine science, teaching and nursing but the field of wound care has provided that opportunity.”