Smith & Nephew Purchases BlueSky Medical Group

       Smith & Nephew (Largo, Fla) announces that its Advanced Wound Management business has agreed to purchase BlueSky Medical Group, Inc. (Carlsbad, Calif).
       Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is a technology used to treat chronic wounds, such as diabetic ulcers, pressure sores, and post operative and hard to heal wounds. Because Smith & Nephew does not currently operate in this market segment; the two founders of BlueSky will assist in integrating the business into Smith & Nephew’s Advanced Wound Management business.
       Visit http://www.smith-nephew.com or http://www.blueskymedical.com for more information.

Swiss-American Skin and Wound Care Program Offers Promising Outcomes

       Swiss-American Products, Inc. (Dallas, Tex) has analyzed historical data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to evaluate long-term care quality measures.
       Data proved that pressure ulcer incidence was 17% lower than the national average in facilities that use Swiss-American’s Collective Learning Education And Resources Program (Clear Choice™). The program is designed to help manage patient skin and wound care.
       The program is a clinically proven skin and wound care program that offers managed outcomes, education, and a cost-effective fee structure. The program is effective in a variety of patient care facilities and has been used to treat long-term care residents for more than 8 million patient-bed days to date.
       Visit http://www.elta.net for more information.

KCI Announces Results From Clinical Study

       Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (San Antonio, Tex) recently announced the acute phase results of a randomized, controlled, clinical trial (RCT) on the use of the V.A.C^® Therapy in the treatment of complex diabetic foot ulcers where the use of V.A.C. Therapy resulted in various benefits.
       Results showed a significant increase in the number of wounds that completely closed, improvement in the overall time to achieve wound closure, and significant improvement in the formation of granulation tissue.
       Visit http://www.kci1.com for more information.

Greystone Pharmaceuticals and 3M Finalize Distribution Agreement

       Greystone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Fort Myers, Fla) announces an agreement with 3M Health Care Limited (Loughborough, England) for the supply and distribution of Greystone’s advanced wound care dressing, DerMax^® in the United Kingdom.
       Under the agreement, 3M Health Care Limited will brand and distribute the dressing in the United Kingdom, while Greystone’s European wound care products subsidiary, Dermagenics Europe, BV, will manufacture the product for 3M.
       The dressing’s intended use is a wound dressing that will manage pressure ulcers (Stages I–IV), stasis ulcers, diabetic skin ulcers, skin irritations, cuts, and abrasions. It is the first wound care product able to claim the ability to down regulate the production of certain protein enzymes called matrixmetalloproteinases (MMPs).
       Visit http://www.greystonepharmaceuticals.com or http://www.3M.com for more information.

Nutrition-Based Web Site Offers Free Credits for Clinicians

       Nestle Nutrition (Glendale, Calif) is making it easier than ever for clinicians to stay up to date with information all while earning continuing education credits at their own pace. Nestle’s 2 new online courses are available at Nestle-Nutrition.com.
       Each course merits 1 CEU upon completion. Nutrition in the 21st Century: A Discussion of Pre and Probiotics covers what pre- and probiotics are, the relationship between the two, and the latest research about their benefits.
       Enteral Management of Children with Special Health Care Needs is an hour-long presentation educating clinicians on how to perform a nutrition assessment, identify strategies to address nutritional challenges, and increase knowledge of GI-related issues of children with special healthcare needs.
       The online courses are available at no charge to clinicians registered as medical professionals.
       Visit http://www.nestle-nutrition.com for more information.

Sunrise Medical LTC Reclaims Original Name and Completes Acquisition

       Sunrise Medical LTC (Stevens Point, Wis) has recently restored its original name, “Joerns Healthcare.” While the announcement of the Joerns Healthcare name change is significant, the new world class organization it represents is just as monumental. What once was a prosperous division of Sunrise Medical Inc. is now its own separate legal entity with a global presence.
       Coupled with this strategic move, the company also acquired TriLine Medical (Van Nuys, Calif), which substantially increased leadership positions in key product categories and core market segments.
       Visit http://www.joerns.com for more information.