Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine specialties are expanding their office space. Sleep services will remain in Suite D-24 and Pulmonary will move to Suite D-21, 25 Newell Road in Bristol, beginning March 25.

Recognition given to Bristol Employee | Bristol Health News

By The Bristol Press

March 15, 2019

A Bristol Hospital employee has been internationally recognized for her work on an algorithm that makes wound care treatment more cost effective for hospitals and outpatient centers around the world.

“It’s helping people reduce redundancies in their own systems,” said Catherine Milne, wound care nurse practitioner with Bristol Hospital’s Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine.

Milne was part of a team of six people from around the country that developed the computer algorithm that took first place for the Cost-effective Wound Management award, which was presented by the Journal of Wound Care - a scientific, healthcare journal - in London, England on March 1. The algorithm helps clinicians understand how to cut down on the number of different wound dressings being used when many of them may be doing the same thing for the patient.

“So instead of using seven different dressings, you may only need one,” said Milne, who does a lot of national work involving peer review journals. “It’s just redundant.”

Kristopher Jones, director of the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, said the algorithm that was used is the same one used at Bristol Hospital’s center, which is known for its cost-effectiveness and better outcomes. The algorithm will save outpatient centers about $35,000 a year.

The national average for wound care treatment takes 20 weeks. Bristol Hospital’s center has an average of 21 days.

Milne said the next step in her work on the algorithm is confirming what she already suspects - that it will also result in better outcomes for patients.

“Although it’s a competitive field, we want to share the success,” Jones said of the algorithm.

“We want every patient to have this opportunity,” said Milne.

Milne worked with her team for a year developing the award-winning algorithm, teaching “the computer how to think,” she said. It was rolled out in August, and the team was nominated by fellow colleagues for the award.

“I was very excited to be recognized,” Milne said.

Jones added, “Cathy gets recognized for a lot of things, but I don’t think I’ve seen her this excited over an award.”

“To be recognized by your peers like that is just amazing,” Milne said.