Local residents dealing with chronic wounds received a boost of confidence in early October when a Boca Raton company made a donation to a local nonprofit hospital to help advance the treatment of these wounds.

The partnership between Bethesda Memorial Hospital, 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., and the Boca-based National Healing Corporation started more than 13 years ago in 1996, when the two organizations started a wound-healing center for chronic wounds.

To further strengthen the partnership, NHC donated $50,000 to the Bethesda Hospital Foundation’s corporate partnership program.

Kristin Calder, Bethesda Memorial spokeswoman, said the $50,000 contribution supports new technology and new equipment for the hospital.

She said it would also go to the addition and expansion of services and facility improvements in the Hospital’s Centers of Excellence including the Bethesda Heart Institute, the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Cornell Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine, the Driskill Endovascular Center and the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Program.

Calder said a wound that is slow to heal is most likely because of an underlying health problem. Bethesda seeks out the cause of the wound and works with the patient to develop a treatment plan to stop future wounds.

Kay Harvey, executive director of Bethesda’s Foundation, said now more than ever in the struggling economy, donations are critical to maintain a certain level of standards that patients at the hospital have become accustomed to.

“National Healing was a founding member of our corporate partnership program six years ago,” Harvey said “Their continued support distinguishes them as a civic-minded corporate leader who has made a commitment to the growth and stability of our community hospital. “

As for NHC, the company accounts for 30 percent of all managed and outsourced wound centers in the nation.

Bethesda’s Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Program sees more than 1,600 patients a year for wound care and an additional 125 patients for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

NHC CEO James Patrick said with Bethesda being the company’s flagship and first hospital, it was more than happy to make the donation.

Patrick said NHC has programs in more than 150 hospitals in 32 states.

“Supporting this hospital was very important since it takes care of its community,” he said. “Nonprofit hospitals are still the key to healthcare in America.”

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.