The SL² Initiative seeks to elevate care coordination, specifically between podiatrists and vascular specialists, by introducing the combination of digital health technology and best practices in wound management. The Initiative’s aim is defined as:

Reduce preventable limb loss through adoption of best practices in wound management, timely and accurate detection of vascular insufficiency, and greater access to specialty medical care.

You will receive all of the following at NO COST.

• Use of digital health technology that offers:
  • Wound image capture via any smartphone or tablet with a camera
  • Automated wound measurement with >95% accuracy
  • Automated surface area trending
  • Standardized documentation consistent with CMS requirements
  • Electronic consults with vascular specialists (billable under CPT 99452)
  • Electronic referrals to other physicians
  • Patient self-reporting and telehealth
  • DME ordering of patient-tailored wound dressings and CTP
  • Support for MIPS measure ID REGCLR6
• Educational guidance on best practices in wound care, with a focus on how to identify cases that may require vascular testing and/or treatment and how to mitigate malpractice risk
• Access to a panel of vascular specialists in your local vicinity for consults and referrals
• Ability to add SL² Initiative participation to your curriculum vitae, website, social media accounts and any other promotional channels

[With your express authorization] Recognition as an Initiative participant in various announcements and other publications

Evidence has shown that inadequate and contradictory documentation, variability in wound care practices, failure to perform or order appropriate diagnostics studies, and lack of timely referrals to specialists are significant contributors to preventable limb loss and medical malpractice.

An initiative that utilizes digital health technology to facilitate performance improvement in all of these areas has the potential to make a demonstrable difference in the outcomes, lives and livelihoods of wound care patients and the providers who serve them.

This is especially important now that the effects of pandemic-related delays in care are being fully realized, and the healthcare community is seeing a surge in patients with untreated and unmanaged non-healing wounds and acute-on-chronic complications.

The SL² Initiative will be governed by an advisory panel of physicians in the fields of podiatry and vascular medicine. The panel will work collaboratively to: (a) develop study protocols, (b) establish a framework for best practices in wound care, interprofessional consults and referrals, and (c) analyze results and findings. Recruitment of advisory panel members is underway, with current commitments from:

• Mohammad L. Raja, MD
• Matthew G. Garoufalis, DPM, FASPS, FACFAOM, CWS
• Paramjit Romi Chopra, MD
• Alton Johnson, DPM, FACPM, FASPS, CWSP

The advisory panel will be directed by Christopher Bromley, DPM.

CarePICS is providing the digital health technology as well as the technical and human resources required to support Phase 1 of the SL² Initiative.

You can continue to work with the specialists in your professional network who do not have CarePICS while participating in the SL² program.

We can also refer you to vascular specialists in your area that are also participating in the SL² .

Please complete the form below and an SL² Initiative manager will reach out to coordinate your enrollment.