912-274-7789
Contact Us
Client Folder

Webinar Recap: Bridging the Gap – Wound Care Solutions for Rural Communities

On June 18, 2025, Strategic Healthcare Partners (SHP) and Corstrata co-hosted an insightful webinar exploring a significant challenge rural healthcare providers – wound and ostomy care. Titled “Bridging the Gap: Wound Care Solutions for Rural Communities,” the session brought together clinical, operational, and financial leaders to unpack the burden of unmanaged wound care—and how virtual models can close this gap efficiently and sustainably.

The conversation didn’t end there. Following the webinar, SHP sat down with Joe Ebberwein, Co-Founder and CFO of Corstrata, for a deep-dive podcast interview. That episode will air next month as part of SHP’s ongoing series highlighting innovative, data-backed solutions for rural hospitals and clinics.

Below is a full recap of the webinar content—and a preview of the insights you can expect from the upcoming podcast.

The Rural Wound Care Crisis: What’s at Stake

Wound and ostomy care is high-risk and resource-intensive—especially in rural areas lacking specialized personnel. The impact on hospitals is often hidden but significant:

  • Up to 75% of wounds in rural hospitals are mismanaged
  • Readmission rates for ostomy patients approach 38%, averaging $49,000 per readmit
  • Mis-documentation leads to missed billing and compliance opportunities
  • Pressure injury lawsuits can result in verdicts over $1 million

As Joe Ebberwein said during our podcast: “This isn’t just a clinical issue—it’s a business risk, a compliance risk, and a reputational risk all rolled into one.”

The Problem with Traditional Wound Care Models

Rural hospitals face unique constraints that make staffing wound care programs in-house nearly impossible:

  • A typical WOC nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:1,050
  • Ongoing staff burnout due to high wound care burden
  • Limited swing bed capacity due to unmanaged wound patients
  • Specialist deserts, with many communities lacking local expertise entirely

All of this reduces care quality, increases transfer rates, and leads to financial leakage—when rural hospitals lose patients and associated revenue to larger systems.

A New Solution: Virtual Wound & Ostomy Care

Corstrata’s approach offers a scalable, tech-enabled alternative. Their team of board-certified wound and ostomy nurses operates across all 50 states, providing:

  • Live video consults for inpatient, swing bed, and post-acute settings
  • Store-and-forward consults using images and EMR data
  • Wound program design support, including protocols, KPIs, and education
  • Comprehensive wound care outsourcing for high-need settings
  • No software integration required

The results speak for themselves:

  • 30–40% faster wound healing
  • 50% reduction in nurse utilization/visits
  • 98% of ostomy patients avoid ER visits
  • 99 Net Promoter Score for ostomy support

Clinical & Financial Impact: Real-World Examples

The webinar included impactful case studies, such as:

  • A 78-year-old paraplegic with a necrotic sacral pressure injury was over 500 miles from a tertiary center
  • Corstrata’s virtual team managed the patient locally, progressing to full healing
  • Avoided a $80K MedEvac and preserved $1,976/day in swing bed revenue

Wound Care Market Share & Retention

  • A case study of a GA Critical Access Hospital was used to pinpoint community and facility impact.
  • Data showed that wound care patients retained locally generated significantly more revenue than those transferred
  • Even capturing just 15% of outmigration wound ER volume could drive six-figure increases in net revenue

Joe expanded on this during the podcast: “When we help hospitals reduce transfers, it’s not just cost avoidance—it’s top-line growth.”

SHP’s Role: Modeling the Opportunity

SHP works closely with rural clients to quantify the opportunity and create a roadmap to implementation. Our custom modeling includes:

  • Swing bed optimization
  • Coding improvement through better staging and documentation
  • Market share retention analysis

During the podcast, Joe noted how SHP’s data-driven approach complements Corstrata’s clinical expertise.

Why It Matters for FQHCs and Value-Based Organizations

The webinar and podcast both emphasized the importance of virtual wound/ostomy care in value-based environments:

  • Early intervention reduces ED visits and hospitalizations
  • Ties into TCM, CCM, and RPM billing workflows
  • Supports quality metrics and accurate risk adjustment for ACO participation
  • Prevents fragmentation across transitions of care

Action Steps for Rural Providers

Here’s what your organization should do now:

  1. Assess your current wound care outcomes and gaps
  2. Request a consult or data review with SHP and Corstrata
  3. Tap into grant opportunities (HRSA, USDA, FCC, state-level) to support virtual care investment
  4. Subscribe to SHP’s podcast to hear the full conversation with Joe Ebberwein when it airs next month

Final Thought: Better Care, Closer to Home

The takeaway from the webinar and our podcast with Joe is clear: rural doesn’t have to mean limited. By embracing virtual wound care, hospitals and clinics can protect patients, retain or supplement your revenue stream, and strengthen local access to needed care.

For more information or to request a modeling session:

Stay tuned for our upcoming podcast episode with Joe—airing next month—where we expand on these insights and explore what’s next for virtual care in rural health.

Back To Top
Search