Springtime flood rains in Nashville couldn't dampen the spirits of those planning to attend the 25th Annual Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care. Originally scheduled in Tennessee's Music City, floodwater damage forced the silver anniversary event to relocate to the land of the happiest place on earth. Nearly 800 attendees filled the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, September 30 to October 3, 2010, to experience a wide array of activities, including general education sessions, specialized breakout presentations, preconference workshops, keynote speakers, poster displays, and 123 exhibits.
Preconference workshops filled the first day's program, including sessions on "Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Treatment Guidelines: The Transition from Guideline to Practice Reality" and "Compression: When and How to Use Elastic, Inelastic Systems, and Modified Bandage Techniques for Mixed Disease and Lymphedema." The opening festivities got under way with reflections from Sharon Baranoski, MSN, RN, CWCN, APN, DAPWCA, FAAN, symposium program director. Commemorating the symposium's silver anniversary, she presented "25 Years and Still Growing, Going, and Leading." The symposium has evolved from being attended by nearly all nurses to include physicians, podiatrists, physical therapists, physician assistants, dietitians, healthcare administrators, and researchers. Ms Baranoski and Richard "Sal" Salcido, MD, symposium course director, were presented with gifts to mark the 25 years of symposium events.
The first official conference session kicked off with an exciting interactive mock jury and trial that was part of the keynote address, "Litigation Trends in Wound Care: You Bethe Jury!" Led by Caroline E. Fife, MD, CWS, and Kevin W. Yankowsky, JD, the audience of wound care specialists had the chance to listen to evidence presented in a medical litigation case and cast their vote on the outcome. Then a 12-member, nonclinical, sequestered jury was summoned to the stage to hear the evidence and render a verdict. Mr Yankowsky did an excellent job of demonstrating how easily a jury, without the benefit of clinical practice knowledge and with specific evidence showcased, can be swayed to rule in favor of the litigator's client. The jury's response was not what the clinical audience anticipated.
Next, it was off to the grand opening of the exhibit hall, where conference-goers visited the 123 different vendors for the latest offerings in wound care products and technology, networked with colleagues, and enjoyed a buffet feast. The evening was capped with an under-the-stars party, complete with a disc jockey, dancing, karaoke, and more good food to celebrate this special anniversary.
In the following days, attendees participated in general sessions, satellite symposia, and numerous breakout sessions that ranged in educational opportunities from basic to intermediate to advanced. And for the first time, this year's symposium included live streaming of popular sessions for those who were unable to attend in person. The sessions were also archived for on-demand learning. The exhibit hall was also open at specific times to give everyone a chance to visit the exhibit and poster displays.
Participants commented that highlights of the symposium included opportunities to learn interactively from faculty and other attendees, exhibits that offered product information relevant to clinicians' practices, networking with faculty and colleagues, excellent satellite symposia, great clinical content and speaker expertise, and educational posters.
On the final day of the conference, sessions closed with a dynamic presentation from keynote speaker Keith Harding, MB, ChB, MRCGP, FRCS. "Dr Harding's presentation took us on a voyage of 25 years in wound care. He shared what has evolved, what has changed, and what has remained the same. As always, his presentation style involved the audience and made you think," said Ms Baranoski.
Dr Harding left attendees with several important points to ponder regarding the challenges wound care clinicians will face, such as changing demographics of the population, demand for high quality of care within specific timeframes, a global rise in chronic disease, and financial, moral, legal, and ethical dilemmas.
Next year, the annual Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care is scheduled for September 9-12, 2011, at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Washington, District of Columbia. Mark your calendars now and plan to join us for another exciting and educational experience. See you there!
2010 Award Winners
* The winner of the 2010 Sharon Baranoski Founder's Award was Elizabeth A. Ayello, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, CWON, MAPWCA, FAAN, faculty at Excelsior College of Nursing, Albany, New York; senior advisor, The John A. Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York, New York; President, Ayello, Harris & Associates, New York; and clinical associate editor, Advances in Skin & Wound Care.
Funding for this award was supported by an educational grant from Healthpoint, Ltd, Fort Worth, Texas.
* James McGuire, DPM, PT, CPed, FAPWCA, was winner of the 2010 Roberta S. Abruzzese Publishing Award for "Transitional Off-loading: An Evidence-Based Approach to Pressure Redistribution in the Diabetic Foot," published in the April 2010 issue of Advances in Skin & Wound Care. Dr McGuire is certified in wound care by the Council for Medical Education and Testing; is associate professor, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, Department of Podiatric Medicine and Orthopedics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Director, Leonard S. Abrams Center for Advanced Wound Healing, Philadelphia. This award was supported by an educational grant from Advances in Skin & Wound Care.
* Caroline E. Fife, MD, CWS, was the 2010 recipient of the Peer Reviewer of the Year Award. Dr Fife is associate professor of internal medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas; and director of clinical research, Memorial Hermann Center for Wound Healing, Houston. This award was supported by an educational grant from Advances in Skin & Wound Care.
A total of 129 poster abstracts were presented this year. Awards were given for the top posters in each of 3 categories: original investigation, case studies/series, and education/systems/others. The 2010 winners were as follows:
* Original Investigation: Poster 11:
"A Multicenter Random Controlled Trial Comparing Negative Wound Therapy with the SNAP Wound Care System vs VAC Therapy System for the Treatment of Lower Extremity Ulcers," by David Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD; William Marston, MD; Alexander Reyzelman, DPM; and Robert Kirsner, MD
* Case Studies/Series: Poster 127:
"Misuse and Abuse of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy," by Jeremy Tamir, MD, FAPWCA
* Education/Systems/Other: Poster 12:
"A Nurse-Driven Skin Saver Pilot Performance Improvement Project: Collecting and Transforming Data into Quality," by Michael Willis, APRN-BC, CWOCN, CCRN, CEN; Marie Mellon, RN; Yvette Tabernilla, BSN, RN; and Nora Villalon, MSN, RN
The poster awards were supported by Molnlycke Health Care, Norcross, Georgia.