[Malvern, PA – May 2, 2007] – The Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) awarded Renee Cordrey, PT, MSPT, MPH, CWS a 2007 Distinguished Member Award during the AAWC Membership Meeting at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care on Sunday, April 29, 2007 in Tampa, Florida. Renee is a resident of El Segundo, CA and is employed as a Wound Care Clinical Specialist at St. Francis Medical Center, Lynwood, CA.

The AAWC Distinguished Member Award is determined by the AAWC Awards Committee and given on behalf of the AAWC Board of Directors to one or more persons annually. It is awarded for steadfast commitment to the mission of the AAWC, productive efforts that move the organization forward and consistent, outstanding leadership.

Renee served as Physical Therapy Board Member on the AAWC Board of Directors from April 2003 to April 29, 2007. She continues as an active member of the World Wound Care Alliance (WWCA) Task Force. The WWCA is a program, developed by AAWC in 2006, which aims to bring the basic science of wound care to developing areas of the world. Renee recently traveled to Cambodia to conduct site visits at two hospitals, Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope in Phnom Penh and Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap. These sites were deemed appropriate as potential locations to establish wound care programs by AAWC’s partner in the endeavor, Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO). Renee is currently a member of the HVO Steering Committee, which will develop educational materials and volunteer opportunities for AAWC Members who will be able to travel to teach in Cambodia.

“Renee is eager to suggest ways to expand the WWCA program, both from a financial and educational perspective,” commented John Macdonald, MD, FACS, President of AAWC. “We are thankful that she will continue as an active member of AAWC after serving on our Board for four years.”

Renee has also gone beyond the call of duty for the Advancing the Practice (ATP) Campaign (www.advancingthepractice.org). The campaign was launched in 2004 with a mission to spread awareness of wound care as a profession and to expand the wound care community through education, information and resources.

AAWC’s Executive Director, Tina Thomas, stated that much of the success of the ATP Campaign is to Renee’s credit. “Renee served as the ATP website editor since the site launched in 2004, answering a variety of emails and initiating updates to the site frequently,” Tina noted. “AAWC will continue the campaign without corporate support in 2007, and Renee will handle a very important role on a task force assigned to transition the ATP site content into AAWC’s website.”

Renee’s ongoing, steadfast leadership as a Board Member, coupled with her dedicated committee leadership and commitment to helping advance the practice of wound care both nationally and abroad has made her shine brightly as a true AAWC star in 2007.

Also awarded an AAWC Distinguished Member Award for 2007 was Laurie M. Rappl, PT, CWS for her advocacy for the consumer, work on various committees to create educational materials and products, and for her continued WWCA leadership. Laurie joined Renee on the site visit trips to Cambodia and now will serve as a program director for the Cambodian sites. While dual awards are not given often, a presentation of two awards to two very brilliant and deserving AAWC members was appropriate this year.

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