AAWC Update: Reflecting on a Year of Success

 The AAWC would like to thank its members, board members, staff, volunteers, association partners, and corporate sponsors for a prosperous 2013. Because of your continued membership, volunteer spirit, and time and support given to our special programs, the AAWC has been able to achieve a 60% increase in membership over the last 2 years. The AAWC is proud to have developed and/or continue to offer the following benefits and services over the last year. All are available at www.aawconline.org.    • Reduced rates on Clinician Dues, along with even lower rates for VA/Military healthcare personnel, to help ease the financial burdens so many of us face
    • Free lifetime memberships and resources for patients and their lay-caregivers
    • Scholarships for education and travel
    • A Fellowship Grant program
    • The AAWC Career Center, so you can post and search for wound care related jobs
    • Knowledge on government and regulatory affairs that impact your practice. Current alerts are found at www.aawconline.org (right side of homepage); archived alerts are found at www.aawconline.org/archived-articles
    • Enriched Corporate Advisory Panel relationships that are resulting in the development of an educational program for the generalist practitioner
    • Enhancement of the AAWC Speakers Bureau to foster quality wound care
    • New education and resources, including brochures, guidelines and implementation tools, research poster development information, a module on skin care, a new wound image CD for teaching and learning, and more. View or purchase online
    • Continuation of our Global Volunteers program in partnership with Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) to send AAWC volunteers to Cambodia, Haiti, Peru, and India
    • Formation of the US Volunteers program — a new arm of our Global Volunteers initiative. This new program includes collaborative dialogue with those in Indian Country as well as a partnership to provide AAWC member volunteers to assist the Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association (DebRA)
    • An increased focus on the diabetic foot and limb preservation through partnership with the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC)
    • Expansion of our “One Voice” campaign. The AAWC partners with like-minded associations across the globe to accomplish worthwhile initiatives. An example is our collaboration with the Australian Wound Management Association (AWMA) and the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) to continue development of a paper on the multidisciplinary approach to wound care
    • Progress toward new evidence-based “guidelines of all guidelines” for wound infection and diabetic foot ulcers — coming soon! In fact, the wound infection control guidelines are now in the validation phase. Participate in our wound infection control content validation survey now at www.aawconline.org. You can help shape wound infection control for years to come
    • A completed strategic planning process where the AAWC Board of Directors developed a new long-range plan that includes exciting new association goals and activities, which will be reported in January.

  As we approach 2014, let’s join together in celebration of what we have accomplished and look forward to what we can continue to achieve together. Not a member? Please join. Find out more at www.aawconline.org. For questions about anything you’ve read here, contact info@aawconline.org.

  About the AAWC: As the leading organization dedicated to interprofessional wound healing and tissue preservation, the AAWC provides valuable membership benefits for healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, healthcare facilities and industry.

  To donate: There’s no better time to give than now. As the AAWC enters a brand new year, please consider a donation to our organization. You can apply the donation to the program of your choice and/or donate in honor of a colleague, supervisor, mentor, friend, patient, or family member. We can notify them of your donation. To learn more, visit www.aawconline.org/donate.

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This article was not subject to the Ostomy Wound Management peer-review process.