ABWM Goes to SAWC Spring!

Come visit us at booth #443 at SAWC Spring! We're always excited to attend this fantastic event, where we can meet our certified Associates and Diplomates in person, and chat to wound care providers interested in getting certified!

The conference Exhibit Hours are as follows:

Thursday, April 27, 2023: 5:15 PM – 7:30 PM
Friday, April 28, 2023: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Saturday, April 29, 2023: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM

We are also excited to announce that will will be hosting an in-booth Happy Hour and Networking Event during the opening night exhibit. Make sure sure to stop by our booth to scan your badge and collect your drink ticket (limited to one per person, while supplies last) - see you there!

For anyone who can't make it to SAWC Spring, look out for ABWM at NADONA National Conference taking place in Orlando, FL in June, at AAFP’s National Conference of Family Medicine taking place in Kansas City, MO in July, and at The Amputation Prevention Symposium taking place in Chicago, IL in August.

Don't forget to follow us on social media for the most up to date information on ABWM certification and events. You can follow our accounts by clicking on the icons below:

Thanks for Renewing!

Our 2023 renewal season is now complete. Thank you to everyone who completed their certification renewal. 

Don't hesitate to reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions about the annual renewal process.

10 Year Recertification Reminder

A reminder to those of you due to complete your 10 Year Recertification this year: you must pass your recertification exam by December 31st 2023 in order to maintain your certification. You can find the 10 Year Recertification application in your account in Certemy. Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Per our Maintenance of Certification handbook, candidates who are due to recertify in the upcoming year are not invoiced for a renewal payment in the same year. 

ABWM Ambassador Spotlight:

   Dr. Brienne Gober, MD, CWSP®   

As a Former US Navy Physician with training in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a deployment with the Marines under my belt, you could say that during my career, I’ve been somewhat of a jack of all trades.  When I separated from the Navy in 2017, I was recruited into wound care by a large nursing home based practice.  I didn’t know anything about wound care, aside from what I had gained from managing the occasional surgical dehiscence with negative pressure wound therapy and wet to dry dressings.  Or so I thought.  It turns out that I knew more than I thought I did, and that learning the rest would be an ongoing adventure.

          I became a CWSP in 2020, and have continued my work with patients in Skilled Nursing Facilities over the past 6 years, starting my own practice in San Diego at the beginning of 2022.  I am often asked if I prefer traveling to different SNFs to see patients at the bedside over seeing them in a clinic.  I answer yes for multiple reasons.  It allows me to observe my patient in their daily situation. I can tell if offloading is being performed, or if I need to intervene with new suggestions that the patient might be more compliant with.  I get input and feedback from not only the treatment team, but all of the nurses, CNAs, PTs, OTs and other team members involved in their care.  I can ensure that my orders will be carried out correctly since I am teaching the team about the logic behind using the dressing and what the intended benefit is. 

I believe that the staff education that I give is just as important a part of my job as is the care I provide my patients.  After all, I can only be with my patients for a few minutes a week, I want to make sure they are well taken care of in between my visits.  This is one of the ideas that led me to the ABWM Ambassador Program.

So much of the wound care in the US is carried out within the SNF setting, yet in the over 20 SNFs on both the East and West coast that I have worked in, I could count the number of licensed nurses with a nationally recognized wound care certification on one hand.  With so much at stake, why wouldn’t we want these talented nurses to be educated and certified as professionals in their field?  My goal in 2023 is to get as many treatment nurses preparing to sit for the CWCA exam as possible. In the future, I hope that it becomes the norm for treatment nurses in the SNF setting to be certified and/or working toward certification.

To learn more about our Ambassador program, click here.

Congratulations to everyone who was recently certified! The ABWM would like to recognize all newly certified Associates and Diplomates who received their CWCA®, CWS®, or CWSP® credentials from February 11th to April 14th 2023.

April Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month 

Created by the Amputee Coalition, Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month (LLLDAM) runs from April 1-30. The annual celebration was created to educate others about what it’s like to live with limb loss and limb difference, and this year’s theme is “Your Ordinary is Extraordinary.” LLLDAM spotlights the vital need to support efforts that advance equitable medical access, care, and coverage for people living with limb loss and limb difference.

June is Wound Healing Awareness Month

- WHAM!

It's almost that time of year again! The ABWM Foundation has named June as Wound Healing Awareness Month (WHAM). This month is meant to recognize the challenges experienced by individuals whose lives are affected daily by chronic wounds and to bring awareness to the general public of the support given by certified wound specialists.
 
During this month, the ABWM Foundation acknowledges and celebrates all practitioners certified by the American Board of Wound Management (ABWM) which includes Certified Wound Care Associates (CWCA®), Certified Wound Specialists (CWS®), and Certified Wound Specialist Physicians (CWSP®). 

In addition, the ABWM Foundation has designated June 12– June 16, 2023 as Certified Wound Care Specialists Week.  This week celebrates all practitioners certified by the American Board of Wound Management which includes Certified Wound Care Associates®, Certified Wound Specialists®, and Certified Wound Specialist Physicians®.
 
Please go to the WHAM website to download some digital resources, including posters and social media graphics, to help you advertise WHAM! in your clinic or office setting and online. Don’t forget to follow the ABWM Foundation on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date on WHAM!.