SAWC Spring 2023 Award Recipients Announced

The recipients of awards for outstanding contributions to the wound care field were announced at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Spring in National Harbor, Maryland, in April 2023.

Peter Norris, former EVP of HMP Global, received the Evonne Fowler Founder’s Award as a sign of appreciation and gratitude for the tireless service and significant contributions he has made to the mission and goals of SAWC throughout his many years of work with the company. He is particularly recognized for his extraordinary efforts as a liaison, forming meaningful relationships between SAWC and the Wound Healing Society (WHS), Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC), American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), and American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Mr. Norris was also key to the development of HMP Global’s Why Wound Care? initiative, creating an educational path and wealth of resources for students and professionals in the field of wound care.

The John Boswick Award, the most prestigious honor in the field of wound care, was given to Christopher E. Attinger, MD, in recognition of his global, selfless leadership in improving the scientific understanding or care of persons with wounds, lifelong achievement, and dedication in the field of wound care.

Also recognized at this event, the SAWC Difference Makers are a group of inspiring individuals who actively seek to advance the practice of wound care for their patients, positively impact their communities, value being a part of an interdisciplinary care team, and most importantly, disseminate their wound care knowledge with colleagues. They are selected by leaders within the Wound Healing Society (WHS), the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), and the APTA’s Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology & Wound Management - Special Interest Group (ACEWM-SIG). The Difference Makers Scholarship Awards recipients (scholarships given by SAWC/WHS) are Briana Angeleri, PT, DPT, CLTLSU (Wound Care Therapist Scholarship); Linda Benskin, PhD, BSN (Wound Healing Nurse Scholarship); Carlos Huerta, MD (Wound Healing Physician Scholarship); Kang Ko, DMD, DScD (Wound Healing Research Scholarship); and Emily Lobos, DPM (Wound Care Podiatrist Scholarship).

Additionally, several outstanding scientific abstracts were recognized:

• People’s Choice Award
  Healthy Seniors Aging in Place: The Impact of Remote Wound Monitoring and Education in the Prevention of Lower Extremity Wounds for Seniors
  Tracey Rickards, RN, PhD; Tracey Smith, RN; Surajudeen Shittu, BPharm, PhD; Christina Hawkins-Roberts, RN; Chris Boodoo, MSc; and Karen Cross, MD, PhD, FRCSC

• Highest-Scoring Abstract -- 1st Place for Podium Presentation
  A Novel Therapeutic for Drug-Resistant Candida Auris
  Mina Izadjoo, PhD; Vanessa Marcel, MS; and Salman Izadjoo, PhD

• Highest-Scoring Abstract -- 2nd Place for Podium Presentation
  Multi-center, Randomized Controlled Clinical Investigation Evaluating a Unique Micro Water Jet Technology Device Versus Standard Debridement in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot
  David G. Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD; Robert D. Galiano, MD; Dennis P. Orgill, MD, PhD; Paul M. Glat, MD; Marissa J. Carter, PhD; and Charles M. Zelen, DPM

• Highest-Scoring Abstract -- 3rd Place for Podium Presentation
  A High-Force 3- × 30-Minute Compression Method of The foot and calf Removes Most Edema Fluid and Enables Immediate Use of a High-Compression Garment and Prevent Fluid Leakage and Ulcer Development
  Marzanna T. Zaleska, PhD

• Highest-Scoring Abstract -- Clinical Research
  A Prospective Multicenter Randomized Controlled Open-Label Trial to Assess the Clinical Effectiveness of a Decellularized Full-thickness Placental Membrane in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Preliminary Results
  Alex Reyzelman, DPM; Bradley Wetzell, PhD; Julie B. McLean, PhD; Barry Saxton, RN, PA-C; Andrew Farmer, BS; and Alyce L. Jones, PhD

• Highest-Scoring Abstract -- Case Series/Study
  Definitive Wound Closure of a Large Scalp Mohs Defect with Exposed Cranium in an Irradiated Field Utilizing a Fish Skin Xenograft
  Mark Suski, MD, FACS

• Highest-Scoring Abstract -- Evidence-Based Practice
  The Role of Photos as Supporting Documentation in Substitutes for the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Venus Leg Ulcers
  Francis G. James, BFA, SCPO; Francisco Perez-Clavijo, DPM; and Douglas A. Wright, DO

• Highest-Scoring Abstract -- Health Economics
  Short-Stretch Cohesive Two-Layer Compression System Improves Venus Leg Ulcer Clinical, Safety, and Resource Use Outcomes in Real World Clinical Settings
  Christine Bongards, PhD; and Leah P. Griffin, MS

• Highest-Scoring Abstrac -- Laboratory Research
  The Antimicrobial and Wound Healing Effects of a Novel Hydrogel Combat Gauze with Copper on Third-Degree Burns Using a Porcine Model
  Michael Solis, MBA; Jie Li, MD, PhD; Joel Gil, BS; Alexander Higa, MA; Aaron Strickland, PhD; and Stephen C. Davis, BS

• Highest-Scoring Abstract -- Practice Innovations
  A Versatile Framework to Quickly Implement Wound Care-Specific, Role-Based Competency Programs
  Elaine Song, MD, PhD, MBA; Catherine Milne, MSN, APRN, ANP/ACNS-BC, CWOCN-AP; Tiffany Hamm, BSN, RN, ACHRN, CWS; Nataliya Lebedinskaya, RN, BSN, CWOCN, WOC; Janis Prado, BSN, RN, CWOCN; and Jeffrey Mize, RRT, CHT, CWCA

• Highest-Scoring Abstract -- Young Investigator
  Robust Critical Limb Ischemia Porcine Model Involving Skeletal Muscle Necrosis
  Mohamed El Masry, MD, PhD; Surya Gnyawali, PhD; and Chandan K Sen, PhD

For more coverage of content from SAWC Spring 2023, click here.