May is Hyperbaric Awareness Month: Advancing Healing Through Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
- mdavis107
- May 2
- 3 min read
Updated: May 7
Why May Matters: Raising Awareness About HBOT
Each May, the healthcare community observes Hyperbaric Awareness Month, an initiative supported by the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) to highlight how hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)¹ can help prevent loss of function, preserve limbs, and support better outcomes. While this advanced therapy has been used for decades, awareness among patients—and even some providers—remains limited.
Whether you’re a hospital executive, physician leader, or administrator evaluating strategic service lines, May is the perfect time to explore how HBOT supports healing, reduces complications, and preserves limbs.
What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a specialized medical treatment that delivers 100% oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure inside a hyperbaric chamber. This elevated pressure allows oxygen to dissolve more effectively into the bloodstream, dramatically increasing oxygen delivery to damaged tissues².
Clinically, this supports accelerated healing, reduced inflammation, and improved tissue viability—especially in wounds and conditions that aren't responding to standard care.
What Conditions Can HBOT Help Treat?
HBOT is FDA-approved and covered under Medicare for a defined set of conditions outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)⁴ and supported by the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS)¹ and other clinical guidelines. Some of the most common include³:
Chronic non-healing wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers
Radiation injuries resulting from cancer treatment (e.g., radiation cystitis, osteoradionecrosis)
Chronic bone infections (osteomyelitis)
Compromised skin grafts and flaps
Crush injuries and traumatic wounds
For the access to the CMS National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy visit: https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/ncd.aspx?ncdid=12.
You can also review the full list of approved UHMS indications here: https://www.uhms.org/resources/hbo-indications.html.
Is HBOT Safe?
Yes—when delivered by trained healthcare professionals in a properly equipped setting, HBOT is safe, well-regulated, and clinically supervised. Treatments are guided by nationally recognized protocols, and hyperbaric facilities are expected to follow stringent operational and safety standards.
Patients are monitored throughout each session, and most report a calm, pressure-controlled experience. HBOT technicians are trained in chamber operations and patient care protocols, helping ensure a consistent, attentive experience.
Why Hyperbaric Awareness Matters
Many patients don’t learn about HBOT until other treatment modalities have failed. But early referral can be the key to faster healing, lower risk of amputation, and better long-term outcomes. Shared Health Services partners with hospitals and providers to promote awareness, guide appropriate patient identification, and support access to timely, evidence-based HBOT when it’s needed most. Hyperbaric Awareness Month offers an opportunity to amplify these efforts by helping to:
Raise awareness about wound healing protocols and advanced adjunctive therapies
Strengthen referral pathways and engagement among physicians and care teams
Promote limb preservation, especially in diabetic and vascular patients
Equip hospital and clinic-based wound care teams with insights that support timely intervention that may help prevent loss of function, preserve limbs, and improve patient outcomes
Advancing HBOT Access and Awareness
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy offers tremendous clinical potential, yet it remains underutilized or inconsistently applied across the healthcare landscape. Some hospitals offer HBOT but rely on management models that may overlook qualified patients within their service area. Others provide wound care services without a hyperbaric component—or lack both entirely—creating missed opportunities for earlier intervention and stronger alignment with national standards.
As healthcare organizations seek to improve wound healing outcomes, reduce preventable amputations, and advance performance on key quality measures, HBOT presents a valuable—though often underrecognized—adjunct to care. Shared Health Services works directly with hospital and physician practice leaders to uncover opportunities, guide the development of sustainable HBOT programs, and support timely, appropriate patient identification through peer-based clinical collaboration.
SHS Spotlight: Supporting Hospitals with Sustainable HBOT Programs
With more than 25 years of experience in wound care and hyperbaric medicine program development and operational support, Shared Health Services equips hospitals and healthcare providers with the resources, tools, and peer-to-peer expertise needed to build successful, sustainable HBOT programs. We work directly with center staff—serving as trusted liaisons—to provide clinical guidance, compliance support, and training aligned with nationally recognized standards of care. Our goal is to provide wound care support that helps teams drive measurable improvements in healing outcomes, patient access, and program sustainability.
References
Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society. "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Indications." https://www.uhms.org/resources/hbo-indications.html
Thom, S.R. (2011). Hyperbaric oxygen: its mechanisms and efficacy. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 127(Suppl 1), 131S–141S.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Patient Information and Indications." https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/general-hospital-devices-and-supplies/hyperbaric-chambers
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (20.29)." https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/ncd.aspx?ncdid=12
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