May 01, 2023
WHEREAS, more than 6.5 million people in the United States are living with chronic wounds. A lack of awareness of advanced wound care and benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy leaves many people without access to life-changing care; and,
WHEREAS, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a proven treatment option for wounds, infections, or injuries that have not responded to standard treatment and there are currently 15 indications for HBOT recognized by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other third-party payors; and,
WHEREAS, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is most commonly used for the treatment of diabetic ulcers of lower extremities, radiation injury to bone or tissues, compromised grafts and flaps, chronic refractory osteomyelitis; and,
WHEREAS, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Of the 18 million people diagnosed with cancer in the US, about half of them have received radiation therapy; and,
WHEREAS, Radiation therapy can restrict oxygen in the body’s healthy tissue which is needed for the tissue to thrive. Five to fifteen percent of patients who undergo radiation therapy may develop late radiation tissue injury; and,
WHEREAS, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has emerged as a treatment option for patients who suffer from late radiation tissue injury. HBOT helps patients by stimulating growth of new blood vessels following radiation-induced damage; and,
WHEREAS, over 34 million people in the US have diabetes, and 15 percent of them will develop a foot ulcer, possibly leading to amputation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides necessary oxygenation which is critical in limb preservation; and,
WHEREAS, Hyperbaric Awareness USATM and the Hyperbaric Aware campaign aim to spread national, statewide, and local awareness of available treatment options for people suffering from radiation injury, chronic wounds and diabetes, thus prolonging lives, and improving quality of life;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim May 2023 as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Awareness Month in Michigan.