Jo-Ann Raia, an 82-year-old retired Huntington elected town official, has suffered from severe wound infections for a few years. What started as a blister from a pedicure, quickly turned into an infected wound that required immediate attention. Her primary care doctor recommended she see a wound specialist, so she made an appointment at Mather’s Wound Treatment Center.
At the Wound Treatment Center, Jo-Ann met with Dr. Michael Petersen where he tried various treatments to help heal her wound. However, before the wound could heal, Jo-Ann contracted MRSA (an infection caused by staph bacteria that is difficult to treat.) Jo-Ann would need to go to a hospital for further treatment. “The only hospital I wanted to go to was wherever Dr. Petersen was affiliated,” Jo-Ann says.
Jo-Ann spent the next 11 days at Mather Hospital where Dr. Petersen saw her and personally wrapped her with an unna boot. Dr. Petersen informed her that she would need an antibiotic infusion to help treat the MRSA, but no facility on Long Island had it available. Fortunately, Dr. Petersen was able to acquire the medication and get Jo-Ann the treatment she needed. She was then discharged from Mather Hospital and continued her follow up care at Mather’s Wound Treatment Center.
A few months later, Jo-Ann had another wound that needed immediate medical attention. Without a doubt in her mind, she knew she had to go back to Mather’s Wound Treatment Center where she was treated by Nurse Practitioner Mei Liu who successfully debrided her wound and gave her an unna boot. “She gave me a spa-like treatment,” Jo-Ann jokes.
It’s been a little bit over a year since Jo-Ann’s last wound and she’s been doing great. She has been keeping busy with projects around the house and serves on the Town of Huntington Beautification Advisory Council and the Person with Disabilities Committee. Jo-Ann makes sure she’s safe as possible and avoids getting any wounds, but she definitely knows where to go if there’s another occurrence. “If I do get another wound, you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be going back to Mather to see Dr. Petersen,” Jo-Ann says confidently.