I challenge any nursing, medical or other specialty to surpass Wound Care providers in passion for their work or dedication to their patients. We are a special breed of clinicians with a unique passion for our work and dedication to our patients. However, uniqueness comes with a price: an obligation to advance wound care beyond its rudimentary beginnings. The AAWC has dedicated itself to providing forums that challenge the status quo, promote new ideas for practice and research and, most importantly, share information that immediately enhances the care we provide to the patients that so desperately need our expertise. To advance as a specialty our educational programs must not focus on novices and consist of redundant sanitized content; it requires open debate and critical evidence-based analysis. AAWC education is the best investment of your 2019 CME/CE time and money.

AAWC’s Pressure Ulcer Summit in Atlanta February 8-9 will take a deep dive into the evidence for the treatment of pressure ulcers. There are new confusing and frustrating changes in staging for pressure ulcer treatment. And it is controversial. We will debate it, review the evidence, and discuss alternative approaches. We need your perspective and want your opinion. Join us.

In April AAWC will hold its first Wound Infection Summit examining the problem of bacterial bioburden in chronic wounds. New evidence will challenge long held beliefs on the role of bacteria in healing chronic wounds. We will debate the importance of biofilms, challenge the ability of clinical examination to diagnose infection in chronic wounds. Also, we will take a hard look at diagnostics and discuss antibiotic stewardship for the wound care clinician.

As the 2019 AAWC educational program evolves, there are several more Summits across the country in development. In addition, there are new tracks in collaborating society events such as the Cardiovascular Catheter Therapeutics: Advanced Endovascular and Coronary Intervention Global Summit (C3). The AAWC will host an education track focused on a multidisciplinary approach to wound care issues such as chronic infection, pain management, edema/lymphedema treatment, use of advance wound care products, developing a clinical research program.
These AAWC 2019 educational seminars are the places where passion for our practice expands. We look forward to hearing from you, learning from one another, and sharing our skill set for the advancement of wound care.