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An American level Wound Care & Wellness Center is needed locally

Ms Nancy Morgan amongst nurses
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — People with minor to serious wounds can lead to unnecessary amputation if not cared for and treated professionally.

That is Ms Nancy Morgan’s main mission in American Samoa — to create the first American level Wound Care Clinic & Wellness Center south of the equator.

She is the owner and principle of the Nancy Morgan Wound Care, as well as the former owner and CEO of Wound Care Education Institute and Wild on Wounds convention.

Ms Morgan is here this week with her father to visit her Samoan roots at Vailoa and Nuuuli and also to follow up on her 2019 first visit to the Territory. During her current clinics she delivered educational, motivating and comprehensive wound care training.

While here this time she conducted training for the staff of Hope House- Fatuoaiga, the only care facility for the elderly and those individuals who have special needs care. The clinic was also open to the American Samoa Community College nursing students and other agencies to attend.

Samoa News also got the opportunity to attend one of Morgan’s sessions/ clinics and listed to her talk about a lot of different things about wound care — from basic skin wound foot and diabetes care.  The clinic was an in-service training of wound management at the LBJ hospital on Diabetes Skin & Wound issues. More than 20 Nurses took advantage of the training.

She told the nurses a little of her background. Morgan said she’s worked in various places — assisting in creating wound care clinics worldwide. “I can provide education, policies and procedures to assist in developing wound care clinics — that can serve the people.”

Of interest, Morgan also offers an advanced program for nurses that want to take it to the next level — to get certified.

During the LBJ clinic, Samoa News noted one of the interesting ideas that she talked about —  was using the wound care skills learned for business opportunities. Opening up the possibility that participants could actually grow a little business on island using the training they received.

Asking the LBJ nurses if any of them have cut toe nails at the hospital for patients they are treating, she was told “no” — apparently no one is cutting nails at the hospital, with one of the participants saying that they're taken care of by the patient's family members, while another nurse responded that the patient takes care of their own nails.

Morgan noted that taking care of a patient’s toe nails is part of the taking care of a wound, stopping an infection before it affects the wound. And, how can you let a diabetic cut their own nails, when they can’t feel the pain if they cut themselves, she queried the nurses.

“This is one best thing of being a nurse,” Morgan added. In studying wound care, they now would learn how to cut toenails and this could become “a side hustle” — “and they can do that in the village — taking care of their patient’s family. serving them in their own villages, and that would be a nice business model for them.”  

Morgan suggested different ideas that “they can do building a career, building their résumé and elevating their knowledge to serve the people.”

She pointed out that during her first visit to the island she noticed critical health care concerns in the people on island, from swollen ankles, swollen legs, wound fungus on their toes, and amputations.

 “I knew at that point that I needed to return and come back and bring a program that can serve the people that are sustainable for generations to come. 

“My mission is to create the first American level Wound Care Clinic & Wellness Center South of the equator.

“Educate everyone on the island from direct care workers to family members to licensed practitioners

“I want to build a center of excellence for professionals that can come globally and meet here and learn wound care and take it back to their countries.

“This is America and the people on this island deserve an American level of care!  

"And that’s what I want to bring to the island, everything that is related to skin & wound care and wellness programs."

Morgan said she is willing to work on a 3 to 5 year plan whatever is best for the people.

 “I plan on residing on the island at least 50% of the time, if not more.”

She said because there is a need for her service in American Samoa, she revealed that “once we decide after we talk to the governor and all the key individuals on what our plan will be, I have area services and offerings that I can provide to assist with a plan.” 

“Today I will meet with the governor to discuss what I can offer.”