The George Washington Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit Color Guard marched in precision up the grand ballroom's center aisle as hundreds of conference attendees stood in silent reflection on the morning of September 11, 2011. On the 10th anniversary of that fateful day, wound care professionals joined together to sing the American National Anthem and listened not only with their ears, but with their hearts, as Smith & Nephew's Terry Coggins delivered a beautiful rendition of "God Bless America."
As this year's Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care was held September 9-12 at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, it was fitting that special guest speakers and ceremony were in the spotlight on September 11. Following the flag presentation, US Army Brigadier General Rhonda Cornum, MD, PhD, took the stage to speak on the topic of "Caring for Warriors and Their Wounds." Although soldiers in combat remain in great danger, BG Cornum discussed the improvements that have been made to help protect soldiers in the field, such as body armor and vehicle armor. And, she talked about durable wound dressings that soldiers keep in their cargo pockets, as well as 1-handed emergency tourniquets that the wounded individual can apply to his/her own limb injury if needed. A war survivor herself, BG Cornum's presentation gave valuable insight to some of the advances (medical and otherwise) that military and civilian medicine have made since the Global War on Terror started 10 years ago.
Closing the September 11 afternoon sessions was FDNY Battalion Commander Richard Picciotto, the highest-ranking firefighter to survive the World Trade Center collapse and the last fireman to escape the devastation after the North Tower fell. His compelling story, "Last Man Down," was told with passion, honesty, and even a little humor. Armed with his personal story of tragedy and survival, as well as gripping photos and video, Cmdr Picciotto took the audience on his harrowing journey through the World Trade Center's North Tower and eventually out of its rubble. Convinced he was not going to survive the collapsing floor beneath him, Cmdr Picciotto prayed for "God to make it quick." He told listeners that he was very glad that was one prayer that went unanswered.
The annual symposium was full of many interesting and educational sessions, including a track from the collaborating society partner, American College of Hyperbaric Medicine. Before the official start of the event, several preconference workshops were held. Topics ranged from offloading the diabetic foot to a skills laboratory on debridement techniques and bioengineered and biologically active wound care products.
After welcoming remarks from Sharon Baranoski, MSN, RN, CWCN, APN, DAPWCA, FAAN, symposium director, the symposium's keynote address, "Turn, Turn, Turn: The Reality of Positioning Patients of Any Size," was delivered by Barbara Bates-Jensen, PhD, RN, CWOCN. She discussed various methods and techniques in regard to turning schedules for challenging patients. Attendees learned new ways to achieve effective outcomes for positioning and turning schedules regardless of their patient's size. At the end of her presentation, Dr Bates-Jensen demonstrated a patient-turning technique with a volunteer from the audience.
Next was the grand opening of the exhibit hall where conference-goers visited a wide array of vendors offering the latest in wound care products and technology, networked with colleagues, and enjoyed a delightful buffet.
During the following days, attendees took part in general sessions and numerous breakout sessions, designed for beginners, intermediate, or advanced practitioners. For the second year, the 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 at http://www.webcme.net.
A poster reception was held to allow networking with the poster authors and to announce the 3 winners of this year's poster contest (see 2011 Award Winners).
2011 Award Winners
* The winner of the 2011 Sharon Baranoski Founder's Award was R. Gary Sibbald, BSc, MD, MEd, FRCPC (Med Derm), MACP, FAAD, MAPWCA, professor of public health sciences and medicine, and director, International Interprofessional Wound Care Course and Masters of Science in Community Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; president of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies; and clinical editor, Advances in Skin & Wound Care.
Funding for this award was supported by an educational grant from Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, Fort Worth, Texas.
* Winners of the 2011 Roberta S. Abruzzese Publishing Award were Paul Y. Takahashi, MD; Anupam Chandra, MD; and Stephen S. Cha, MS, for their article, "Risk Factors for Pressure Ulceration in an Older Community-Dwelling Population." Dr Takahashi is associate professor of medicine, Division of Primary Care Medicine and the Kogod Center on Aging; Dr Chandra is senior associate consultant, Division of Primary Care Medicine; and Mr Cha is biostatistician, Department of Biostatistics, all at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota. This award was sponsored by an educational grant from Advances in Skin & Wound Care.
* Laura L. Bolton, PhD, was the 2011 recipient of the Outstanding Peer Reviewer Award. Dr Bolton is adjunct associate professor, Department of Surgery, Bioengineering Section, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey. This award was sponsored by an educational grant from Advances in Skin & Wound Care.
* The Eric P. Kindwall Award of Excellence in Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine was presented to Jeffrey Niezgoda, MD, FACHM, FACEP, FAPWCA. Dr Niezgoda is medical director, Comprehensive Wound Care, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. St Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This award was supported by the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine.
More than 100 poster abstracts were presented this year. Awards were given for the top posters in each of 3 categories: original investigation, case study/series, and education/system/other. The 2011 winners are:
* Original Investigation: Poster 62:
"Ultra-Lightweight, Single-Patient-Use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System Over Dermal Regeneration Templates and/or Skin," by Allen Gabriel, MD; Brinda Thimmappa, MD; Christopher Rubano, MD; and Toni Storm-Dickerson, MD
* Case Study/Series: Poster 24:
"The Use of Active Leptospermum Honey in Common Pediatric Wound Etiologies," by Roxana Reyna, RNC, WCC
* Education/System/Other: Poster 31:
"Impact of Inter-professional Diabetic Foot Centre on Major Amputations in Guyana, South America," by Brian Ostrow, MD, FRCSC; R. Gary Sibbald, BSc, MD, MEd, FRCPC (Med Derm), MACP, FAAD, MAPWCA; Kevin Y. Woo, PhD, RN, FAPWCA; Madan Rambaran, MBBS, MSc; for the Guyana Diabetic Foot Team
The poster awards were supported by Molnlycke Heath Care, Norcross, Georgia.
Another special event held during the symposium was the UCLA Bates-Jensen Wound Reach Foundation 5k Run/Walk. Numerous conference-goers donned their running gear to take part in this charity race, which was held to help improve wound research, education, and clinical health globally. The "Ouch" Races are a series of 5K, 10K, and half-marathon events across the country with the goal of improving wound care in US communities. Proceeds support patients with wounds in the United States and assist with setting up sustainable wound clinics in resource-poor countries.
General sessions on the conference's final day featured a stellar lineup of speakers and topics. Jeffrey A. Niezgoda, MD, FACHM, FACEP, FAPWCA, and Thomas Serena, MD, FACS, discussed "Advances in Wound Healing: What's Down the Road?" The presentation included a review of promising medical devices and pharmaceuticals that have been approved or cleared for use by the US Food and Drug Administration, products still under development, and new indications for established therapies. Next, attendees had the opportunity to participate in an open forum during "Conversations with CMS," led by Shari M. Ling, MD, medical officer, Office of Clinical Standards and Quality, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Baltimore, Maryland. "Wound Infection: From Evidence to Efficacy" was presented by David Leaper, MD, ChM, FRCS, FACS, FLS, who is a visiting professor from the Department of Wound Healing at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. He focused on the definition, incidence, and treatment of acute and chronic wounds. The closing keynote address was given by Caroline E. Fife, MD, CWS, and Kevin W. Yankowsky, JD, who spoke on "The Legal Environment: Avoiding Deposition Disasters." This session provided the rules of the game for averting disasters during a wound care deposition.
Next year, the Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care is scheduled for October 20-23, 2012, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mark your calendars now, and watch for more details in the coming months. We'll see you in Vegas!