May 5-11, 2024: Hyperbaric Awareness Week

WHEREAS, an estimated 7 million people in the US are living with chronic wounds. Lack of awareness of advanced wound care and the 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. There are currently fifteen indications for HBOT recognized by the Centers for 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 tissue, compromised grafts and flaps, and chronic refractory osteomyelitis; and,

WHEREAS, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Of the 18 million cancer survivors in the United States, about half of them have received radiation therapy; and,

WHEREAS, many patients who undergo radiation therapy discover a hidden complication that may not come to light until years after they complete treatments. Radiation therapy can restrict oxygen in the body’s healthy tissue which is needed for the tissue to thrive. If there is a break in the integrity of the tissue, infection, and non-healing wounds can occur. An estimated 5-15 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 the growth of new blood vessels following radiation-induced damage; and,

WHEREAS, over 38 million people in the US have diabetes, and 15-25 percent of them will develop a foot ulcer, possibly leading to amputation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides necessary oxygenation which is critical in preventing amputation; and,

WHEREAS hyperbaric Awareness USA^TM and the Hyperbaric Aware^TM 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, avoiding amputations, and reducing the cost of care and improving quality of life;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim May 5 – 11, 2024 as Hyperbaric Awareness Week in Michigan.