title: Wounds on wheels: implementing a specialized wound clinic within an established syringe exchange program in Baltimore, Maryland.
abstract: People who inject drugs (PWID) experience a high incidence of abscesses and chronic wounds. However, many PWID delay seeking care for their wounds. In 2012, the Baltimore Needle Exchange Program (BNEP) in Baltimore, Maryland, partnered with the Johns Hopkins Wound Healing Center to establish a mobile BNEP Wound Clinic. This clinic provided specialized wound care for BNEP patients. In sixteen months, the clinic treated 78 unique patients during 172 visits overall. On average, each visit cost the program $146.45, which was substantially less than clinic-based treatment. This program demonstrates that specialized wound care can be effectively provided through mobile outreach. A community-based service delivery approach might serve as a model for local health departments looking to improve the health of PWID.
authors.affiliation: At the time of the writing, Natanya Robinowitz and Chris Serio-Chapman were with the Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, MD. Patrick Chaulk is with the Baltimore City Health Department. At the time of the writing, Maria Elisa Smith and Kristine E. Johnson were with the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University.
authors.forename: Natanya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Robinowitz
authors.forename: Maria Elisa
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Serio-Chapman
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chaulk
authors.forename: Kristine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015142:Baltimore; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016730:Program Development; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult