AAWC Update

Welcome Friends!

Welcome to the AAWC Focus Issue of OWM! What is AAWC?

  AAWC is a not-for-profit, non-exclusive, 501c3 membership association dedicated to forming a collaborative community of multidisciplinary healthcare providers and other professionals, students, retirees, patients, lay-caregivers, facilities, and manufacturers. What is the difference between SAWC and AAWC?

  The SAWC is the official meeting site of AAWC Members. Membership provides many benefits throughout the year, including a hefty discount to the conference. The discount more than or nearly covers membership dues, depending on membership category.   Through partnership with the SAWC, AAWC leaders and members are able to
    -participate in the planning of the SAWC conference and lecture in sessions
    -conduct various board, membership, committee, task force, and other meetings
    -receive a 20% discount on conference registration and earn educational credits.

  It is important that all attendees understand that
    -AAWC does not own this conference or the exhibit hall events
    -AAWC receives only modest revenue to participate.

Why should I join my colleagues at AAWC and renew each year?

  As you can see, there are many benefits of membership listed below, and many more are to be added over time. More importantly, since 1995, the AAWC has been the leader in interdisciplinary wound healing and tissue preservation.

  We accomplish this in many ways throughout the year, including
    -encouraging an equal partnership among all individuals, including patients
    -promoting excellence in education, clinical practice, public policy, and research
    -educating the broader community through campaigns and outreach efforts.

  As you can see, AAWC already considers you a member of our community as we are already working for you. However, we need your commitment and support to continue to help you and others who share our same goals. If you have not done so already, why not make it official? Together, we make a difference!

  Be among the first to experience AAWC’s newest wound management educational opportunity – the Virtual Wound™. The basic assessment module is available from our homepage. You must be a member to access the full set. We count on memberships and donations

  To Join: Please use the membership application, or you may join online at www.aawconline.org by selecting “Join/Renew.” Register a new member and receive a chance to win next year’s membership free!

  To Donate: If you wish to provide a donation, regardless of purchasing a membership, you may still use the form and mark your donation under “Total.” You may also contribute online at www.aawconline.org by selecting “Donate.”

Membership Benefits

  Registration Discounts
    SAWC Spring & Fall – 20%
    Wound Certification Prep Course™ – 25%
    Wound Care Business Regional Meetings – 20%

  25% Discount – Scottsdale Wound Management Guide

  15% Discount on Today’s Wound Clinic – Limited time only; now through 12/31/11

  25% Discount – Chronic Wound Care, 4th Edition

  OWM and WOUNDS – Automatic monthly subscriptions to both of AAWC’s official journals

  Discount to the Journal of Wound Care – www.journalofwoundcare.com/aawc

  Scholarship Program – Education, Research, and Travel Grants

  AAWC Global Volunteers – Volunteer to travel to developing countries

  Career Center – Save $100 - $1,000 or more on postings

  Quarterly Newsletter – Multidisciplinary articles, wound care news, and AAWC alerts

  Membership and Facilities Directories – Find who or what you need – fast!

  Wound Image CDs and Educational Brochures – Great discounts on educational tools

  Government Updates – Updates on policies that affect your practice

  Leadership and Networking – Join committees and run for the Board

  Specialty Task Forces –Helping Wound Care to become and identifiable specialty and responding to government and regulatory issues that impact YOUR practice

  Recognition of Membership – Professional Certificate of Membership and Member Decals

  Wound Patient’s Bill of Rights – Patient tool- suitable for framing

  Members-Only Section, the Virtual Wound™, Discounted Members-Only Store, Resource Centers, Guidelines, Educational Brochures, and Online Support

AAWC NEWS

Spanish Versions of Popular Patient Education Brochures Available
  The Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) has developed three educational brochures for the care of skin and treatment of wounds. The brochures contain useful information for persons who face not only skin issues, but also tight budgets. Displayed at many clinics and hospitals, these publications can be purchased from AAWC as well as downloaded and printed at no charge and with no permission necessary.

  Widely used by clinicians as a resource for patients and their caregivers, the brochures were translated into Spanish due to demand earlier this year. Currently, the association has the following brochures available in English and Spanish for download:
    -The ABCs of Skin and Wound Care, which addresses the care of abrasions, bruises, cuts, and skin tears (EL ABC del Cuidado de la Piely las Heridas)
    -The Skin You’re In, which helps one understand how to protect the skin from the climate and environment (La piel en la que estás)
    -Dress and Compress for Success — a guide to taking a proactive role in healing venous ulcers (Cubrir y Comprimir para Sanar).

  The AAWC plans to develop a series of brochures spanning several types of skin care topics and wound disorders. All healthcare providers —from surgeons to physical therapists to school nurses — can utilize these clear and concise documents, which break down the latest science into easy-to-read language.

AAWC Board of Directors Election News
  The AAWC Board of Directors is the governing body that guides the direction of the association. It is composed of volunteers from the AAWC membership. The AAWC Nominating Committee has the honor and the responsibility of presenting members with a slate of well-respected clinicians, who will run for a seat on the Board of Directors.

  Last year’s Nominating Committee was led by Vickie R Driver, MS, DPM, FACFAS, and assisted by Peggy Dotson, RN, BS; William Ennis, DO, FACOS, MBA; Scott LaRaus, PT, CWS; and Janice Young, RN, BSN, MPH, WOCN. These dedicated individuals were instrumental in bringing and welcoming these newly elected and reelected members to the board:

    Industry Board Member: Janice Young, RN, BSN, MPH, CWON
    Nurse Board Members: Lisa Q. Corbett, APRN, ACNS-BC, CWOCN; Carelyn P. Fylling, RN, MSN, CWS, CLNC
    Physical Therapist Board Members: Tim Paine, PT, FCCWS; Pamela Scarborough, PT, MS, CDE, CWS, FACCWS
    Physician Board Members: Alistair W. Bairos, MD, CWS-P, FACCWS; Thomas E. Serena, MD, FACS, FAPWCA
    Podiatric Physician Board Member: Vickie R. Driver, MS, DPM, FACFAS
    Research Board Member: Barbara M. Bates-Jensen, PhD, RN, CWOCN
  The 2011 Nominating Committee is pleased to acknowledge additional help from Evonne Fowler, RN, CNS, CWON, and Tim Paine, PT, FCCWS. The committee currently is preparing for the 2012 election that will include candidates for the Executive Committee and for the general board.

  The nomination period is open until November 28, 2011
 The AAWC is calling for nominations for the 2012–2014 AAWC Board of Directors. You now have the opportunity to nominate candidates for the AAWC Board. These professionals will provide members with strong, committed, diversified leadership. When your nominee accepts, please direct him/her to the information and required documentation to follow. If you are interested, nominate yourself! Along with a desire to serve, each candidate for a board position must be a member in good standing for 1 year as of April 2012.

  Executive Committee members must be current or past board members. Persons who serve on the general board are nominated from the active membership. Eight Board member positions are open for election: Executive Committee: President-Elect (one), Secretary (one), Treasurer (one), General Board Member: Consumer (one), International (one), Member-At-Large (one), Nurse (one), Physical Therapy (one). All nominees must be AAWC Members in good standing since April 15, 2011 to be considered for positions on the Board. If you are interested in serving the AAWC, nominate yourself!   Take advantage of your membership and plan accordingly. We hope to see you in Atlanta for the SAWC Spring 2012. Visit www.sawcspring.com and/or www.wcpcspring.com for travel, hotel, and more information.

Pressure Ulcer Guidelines Published
  The AAWC’s pressure ulcer guidelines have been published on the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) website. NGC is an initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, US Department of Health and Human Services. AAWC’s guidelines can be found under the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care Guideline of Pressure Ulcer Guidelines.

  Guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist practitioners and patients in decisions about appropriate healthcare. The AAWC Guidelines Task Force developed a comprehensive, content-validated, evidence-based set of guidelines to assist in improving chronic wound outcomes. Independent reviewers from multidisciplinary backgrounds content-validated adaptations of recommendations from all current major pressure ulcer guidelines and searched the literature to provide the best available evidence to support each recommendation. The AAWC refers to its pressure ulcer guideline as the “Guideline of Pressure Ulcer Guidelines,” because it offers more than consensus-based guidelines.

  AAWC President Terry Treadwell, MD, FACS, expressed his appreciation on behalf of the Association to the members of the AAWC Guidelines Task Force for their hard work and dedication in providing these comprehensive guidelines, and he extends his congratulations on the guidelines being accepted by NGC. The guidelines are also available on the AAWC website, www.aawconline.org.

AAWC Members Receive Discount on Today’s Wound Clinic and Scottsdale Wound Management Guide
  For a limited time, AAWC members can receive a discount on a 1-year subscription to Today’s Wound Clinic (TWC). This special runs now through December 31, 2011. The discount includes 15% off (usual cost per year — nine issues — is $99; with discount, $84.15) for new and renewing subscriptions. Subscribers can renew now for another full year at this limited time discounted price.

  TWC contains practical, timely insight into clinical and operational issues important to the success of an outpatient wound center. Plus, TWC provides reader-friendly, interactive feature articles and regular departments that provide information on clinic management, education, billing/coding/reimbursement, marketing, and technology.

  Also, if you purchase Scottsdale Wound Management Guide as an AAWC Member, the AAWC will pay $5 toward your purchase. That’s 20% off the already low list price of $20. This handy pocket guide is a comprehensive, easy-to-read asset for a professional’s daily use, and so small it won’t cramp your style. The Scottsdale Wound Management Guide offers differential diagnosis and treatment options at your fingertips. Only AAWC Members can access the savings through the AAWC Members Only Center at www.aawconline.org.

State-of -the-Art Website Launched
  The AAWC re-launched its world-class website, www.aawconline.org. The new streamlined design is easy to navigate. The AAWC is committed to fostering excellence in wound care by providing a comprehensive body of information and resources that spans care settings, disciplines, practices, and types of wounds. As part of AAWC’s continued dedication to serving our members and the community, our online viewers will enjoy a wealth of information, alerts, and news, as well as two resource centers: one for healthcare professionals and one for patients and their caregivers.

  In addition to the association’s newest evidence-based, content-validated guidelines for managing pressure and venous ulcers, the website carries a series of educational brochures ideal for patient education.

Membership Benefit: The Virtual Wound™
  The AAWC’s new membership benefit, the Virtual Wound™, is an exciting and unique online educational opportunity for AAWC members, available through a partnership with Applied Computer Education Services, Inc. (ACES).

  Wound care medical specialists are encouraged to view the AAWC website to sample the Virtual Wound™ and to join AAWC for full access to the entire set of modules.

  Grounded in best practice and evidence-based medicine, the Virtual Wound™ provides a self-paced, interactive learning experience that blends traditional teaching with advances in technology. The program includes a basic wound assessment tool and five learning modules featuring a wounded avatar (ie, graphical representation of a wounded human being). Module topics include: Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Chronic Venous Insufficiency, Skin Assessment, Pressure Ulcer, and Peripheral Arterial Disease.

  The availability of the Virtual Wound™ modules helps foster AAWC’s goal to broaden awareness of advanced, evidence-based wound care. The experience mimics real-world clinical decision-making. As the learner interacts, examines, and manages the avatar, the wound evolves, providing comprehensive knowledge acquisition that encompasses “successful failure” where learners can make mistakes without harm to real patients.   The public has access to the basic assessment module from the AAWC homepage. Only AAWC members have access to the five additional training modules in the “Members Only” pages. If you would like access to these unique education modules and your membership is not current, please renew or join the Association now.

A Member’s Short Story
  This is the story of Sam. Sam is somewhat new to wound care. Suddenly, Sam is charged with the responsibility of running the wound program at her facility. She needs to become certified, and she wants to ensure that she teaches her staff only the best, quality, evidence-based wound care. Although her facility is providing her with a small budget for her education, at times she will have to pay out-of-pocket for courses.

  What does Sam do after visiting the AAWC’s comprehensive website to learn about membership? In October, she joins the AAWC as an Individual/Clinician for one full year of benefits and other intangible advantages, spending $145 (less for students and retires). In November, she attends the Wound Clinic Business regional meeting in Anaheim at a $40 savings because she is an AAWC member. In December, she purchases TWC for her facility before the deadline of December 31 and saves $15. She also purchases the Scottsdale Wound Management Guide as a holiday gift for five co-workers for only $15 each. In January, she wins the “Recruit a Member Challenge” by recruiting Jim and gets a free renewal through October 2013, saving $145 on next year’s dues. In January, she purchases all four of AAWC’s Wound Image CDs to prepare for her inservices and saves $100. In March, she takes advantage of the membership discount to SAWC Spring; by registering early she saves $160 (when combined with super saver rates and membership discount versus regular registration rates). Attending the conference will earn Sam up to 20.75 continuing education credits. Once she is there, she realizes she should attend that appealing SAWC pre-conference session about dressings and earns 4 more credits while saving $50; then, after networking with members for 4 days, her thirst for knowledge and renewed enthusiasm inspire her to attend a post-conference session about debridement, earning her 4 more credits at another $50 savings.

  Back at work, Sam posts a Job Opportunity for her facility on the AAWC Career Center; she saves $100 on a 30-day posting. In June, she purchases the Clinic Directory to announce the opening of her new wound care center, saving $220 in listing fees. In July, she saves $100 when she rents the Membership List to advertise an educational program that her facility is putting on for Members and others in her area to raise funding for the center. Realizing the benefits of continued learning, she applies to the AAWC Scholarship Program in August and signs up for the Wound Certification Prep Course™ in September. It’s now been a year since she joined the AAWC, but she doesn’t need to renew her membership because she won the recruitment challenge in January. Thus, Sam begins year of AAWC membership free of charge, with many new friends and a network of wound colleagues who specialize in wound care. She starts volunteering on AAWC task forces and her career continues to thrive. She’s considering running for the board in a couple of years as the member-at-large representative. When she tallies her expenses, Sam sees that membership cost $145 and that she saved a total of $1,140 on enrichment products and activities as an AAWC member, with a net savings of $995, which does not include the possibility of being awarded that AAWC travel grant of $2,000 that she applied for in August.

  That’s Sam’s story. What will be yours?

Open Enrollment for the 2012 Corporate Advisory Panel and Sponsorship Program
  The AAWC acknowledges the generous support of its 2011 corporate sponsors and announces open enrollment for the 2012 sponsorship campaign. This year’s sponsors include 3M Skin and Wound Care, Advanced BioHealing, ConvaTec, Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, KCI Medical, Milliken, Mölnlycke Health Care US LLC, Smith & Nephew, and Wound Expert (Net Health Systems, Inc.).

  Sponsors participate in AAWC’s Corporate Advisory Panel (CAP), including in-person meetings at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) in the spring and fall. The panel was formed to increase communication and collaboration between AAWC and corporate members on a variety of wound care issues, including evidence-based education and government and regulatory affairs.

  Another example of AAWC’s commitment to industry was a free seminar for corporate representatives with AAWC President, Terry Treadwell MD, FACS, in Las Vegas this past October at SAWC Fall. The topic of discussion was “What You Can Tell Me to Make Me Want to Buy Your Product.”

  AAWC Board Members also participate on the advisory panel, allowing for direct interaction among corporate representatives and the AAWC Board. Participating AAWC Board members include: Terry Treadwell, MD, FACS — President; William Ennis, DO, MBA — Past President; Robert J. Snyder, DPM, CWS — President-Elect; Barbara Bates-Jensen, PhD, RN, CWOCN –— Research Board Member; Vickie Driver, MS, DPM, FACFAS — Podiatrist Board Member; and Janice Young, RN, BSN, MPH, WOCN — Industry Board Member.   Open enrollment for the 2012 AAWC Corporate Advisory Panel via AAWC sponsorship is underway. AAWC Corporate Sponsorship includes Gold, Silver, and Bronze support level opportunities. In addition to advisory panel involvement, sponsors are acknowledged at SAWC Spring and Fall. Sponsors receive additional exposure to the wound care marketplace and other valuable opportunities throughout the entire year.   If you are interested in corporate sponsorship of AAWC and you want to enjoy a seat at the CAP table, please contact the AAWC for full information. Please note this sponsorship is completely separate from anything your company may sponsor at SAWC. For accurate and up-to-date information and an explanation of annual sponsorship benefits, call Karen at (800) 237.7285, extension 113.

AAWC’s 2011 Corporate Sponsorship
  The Association for the Advancement of Wound Care expresses gratitude and deep appreciation to the following companies for their generous financial support in 2011. These companies not are only AAWC members, but they also have contributed significant funds to support AAWC initiatives. The representatives from these companies meet quarterly with the association’s leadership, working to elevate the principles and technologies of evidence based wound care.

    Gold Sponsor — $20,000: Mölnlycke Health Care

    Silver Sponsors — $10,000: 3M; KCI; Advanced BioHealing

    Bronze Sponsors — $5,000: ConvaTec; Smith & Nephew; Milliken; Healthpoint Biotherapeutic; WoundExpert

Quality of Care Task Force News
  Catherine T. Milne APRN, CWOCN — Co-Chair;
Valerie Sullivan PT, MS, CWS — Co-Chair;
Allen Sawyer PT, MS, CWS;
and Tim Paine PT, CWS — Board Member Liaison and former Co-Chair/Member

  Shortly after publication of the AAWC Conceptual Framework for Quality Systems in Wound Care in Ostomy Wound Management in 2008, the members identified a gap in the research base regarding definitions used in wound care. A quick review of the literature confirmed that the terms describing physiological processes, procedures, and outcomes had different interpretations, so the committee set out to define these terms. These words are used by industry, clinicians, and payors managing day-to-day clinical care and reimbursement; legislators and government officials make coverage determinations and other decisions that impact the patient using words and their definitions. For future generations of providers, a content-validated list needed to be developed.

  In 2009, the committee developed a list of more than 350 words with definitions determined from a variety of wound care literature. For the fiscal year 2010–2011, the committee designed and implemented a content validation process for these wound care terms, first with AAWC members and subsequently reaching out to other wound care organizations. Final content validation using accepted statistical analysis was completed in April 2011. The list of words, and their accepted content-validated definitions, will be posted on the AAWC site for access within the next several months.

  The committee is currently investigating other methods of dissemination, including cell phone application and other electronic means as well as print methods. Committee members thank the AAWC Board and its management staff for the support given the project volunteers. Committee members look forward to operationalizing the Conceptual Framework to improve outcomes for patients with acute and chronic wounds and enhance the education of its members.

Update from the AAWC Liaison to the National Quality Forum
  Caroline E. Fife, MD
  There are a great many advantages to being part of a powerful organization, or any organization, particularly when rules are made that will affect your future. Right now, every medical specialty in the US is involved in the process of deciding how quality will be measured. Payment (or penalties) will be attached to these quality indicators. This process is occurring through the (NQF), a private, not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to endorse consensus-based national standards for public reporting of healthcare performance data. The NQF is funded by membership dues (the AAWC pays to be a member), and significant public and private support, including foundation and corporate grants. At this time, the AAWC is the only wound care organization among the several hundred members. The AAWC has been appointed to the Provider Council; I am the AAWC representative.

  Suffice it to say that NQF priorities are set mostly by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); unfortunately, wound care gets left behind. Despite the billions of dollars spent on wound care each year, only one of the 173 NQF quality measures in 2011 pertains directly to wound care (the venous ulcer measure), and it is deeply flawed in its design. I have as yet found no opportunity to influence this process to correct.

  Our best chance for wound care to exert its influence is for the AAWC to develop a “wound care measures set” superior to those previously suggested. Currently, “quality measures” are the way that advanced practitioners and hospitals get bonus money from the CMS. However, by 2015 clinicians will start to see deductions in their Medicare payments for not reporting quality measures. The problem is that wound care practitioners do not have applicable measures to report. We can’t report measures if we don’t have any, and we can’t get any because no one views wound care as a specialty that needs measures.   As such, this committee ought to be renamed the “Quality Measures Committee,” rather than the “NQF Committee.” If there are AAWC members who have experience with measures development, we need your help with these complex initiatives. Please email me at Cfife@intellicure.com.

Regulatory Committee Update
  Peggy Dotson, RN, BS
  The many accomplishments of this committee over the last year include: presenting at the AdvaMed Congressional Briefing on Advanced Wound Care Technology in Washington, DC on behalf of the AAWC on issues facing patient with wounds; providing AAWC input to the AAHomecare for development of their recommendations to the CMS for updates to the Surgical Dressing Policy; providing AAWC input to the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders on the development of a Device Standard Document for NPMT devices; developing ALERTS for the AAWC website to inform membership on a variety of policy/coverage issues affecting their practice; submitting AAWC comments on numerous important concerns to the Center for Medical Technology Policy (CMTP), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), National Government Services (NGS), and WellPoint, Pinnacle, Cahaba, and Trailblazer Medicare contractors; and submitting quality measures for wound care developed by Dr. C. Fife for inclusion in the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) to the CMS.

Patient/Caregiver Wounds In Need (WIN)
  The AAWC is dedicated to supporting chronic wound sufferers and their caregivers. The association created a Committee in 2010 to build this membership category and develop benefits for these members. The working group leading these efforts is called the Wounds In Need (WIN) team. At present, members include patients, caregivers, industry, and clinicians: Laurie M. Rappl, PT, CWS (Chairperson and a T-12 paraplegic), Dawn Hinterberger (teacher, lab technologist ,and Epidermolysis Bullosa sufferer), Pat Hudson, (Vice President Clinical Service, patient advocate), Charles Rakis (a T-10 paraplegic), Mary Ferguson (professional wound sufferer), Char Popovich (WOCN for spinal cord injured), and Louise Wanstall (LPN, patient and caregiver advocate).We welcome others to join this initiative.

  The WIN committee decided to take advantage of social media to provide information and support to those interested in chronic wounds. Currently, 275 people “like” AAWC Advocacy for Patients and Caregivers on Facebook. The page is kept current with new information.

Patients and Lay-caregivers Enjoy Free-For-Life Membership
  Membership for patients and their lay-caregivers is now free for life. Members will receive newsletters and information throughout the year, as well as an annual summary of AAWC’s progress toward advancing wound care. Contact Karen at kstrauss@aawconline.org for more information.

Financially Speaking
  The economy and its impact on the professional associations to which we belong are at the top of our concerns. The AAWC financially is stronger than ever and will continue to be your one-stop resource for education and information. We have taken steps over the years to ensure reserve funds are on hand to protect the association during a challenging economic environment like we are experiencing today. Be assured your finances are safe, secure, and handled properly. The AAWC is audited by an independent accounting firm and has passed every annual audit since its inception in 1995 with flying colors. Financial documents are on file and available at any time by calling the business office at (866) AAWC-999 or by emailing tthomas@aawconline.org.

Social Networking Opportunities
  Become a fan of the AAWC on Facebook. Please join us!
  Joining LinkedIn is free and it is a great way to find our members and those interested in wound care. Follow the AAWC on LinkedIn.

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