WOCTalk

In this episode of WOCTalk, we're joined by Brooke Passy, Director of Meetings for the WOCN® Society, to give you a sneak peek into everything WOCNext® 2025 has to offer. Happening June 1–3, 2025, in sunny Orlando, Florida (with a virtual option, too!), this year's event features a new streamlined schedule so you can learn more in less time.Tune in to hear what's new, including:Interactive roundtable education sessions for more collaborationA Tuesday morning exhibit hall with breakfastExciting resort perks like pools, water parks, a golf course, spa, and nightly laser shows—plus, you're just minutes from Disney parks and all that Orlando has to offerWhether you're attending in person or virtually, WOCNext remains the only event of its kind led by healthcare professionals for healthcare professionals—delivering what's new, what's needed, and what's next in wound, ostomy, continence, and foot and nail care.On-demand access, evaluations, and Contact Hours will be available through September 15, 2025. Learn more at wocnext.org.Episode Resources:Register to attend WOCNext in-person or virtually.Click here to download the WOCNext app.Click here for a list of things to do and places to eat in Orlando. About the Speaker:Brooke Passy is a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP), Digital Event Strategist (DES), and is the Director of Meetings for the WOCN® Society.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Lisa Orowson has been a certified wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nurse since 2003. With a strong background in acute care, she has spent most of her career working as a CWOCN, caring for patients with ostomies and providing ongoing education to both nursing staff and students. About 13 years ago, what began as a classroom lecture for local nursing students transformed into a hands-on ostomy care lab—an interactive experience that continues today.Lisa currently serves as a nurse navigator in the Limb Preservation Program, working across both acute and ambulatory care settings. She remains passionate about education and continues to lead both ostomy and basic wound care labs to help shape the next generation of nurses.Contact Lisa with questions: Lisa.Orowson@hhchealth.org Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Resources:Learn about the DAISY FoundationRead the blog about the WOCN® DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses with a Bright FutureExplore ways to get involved with the WOCN SocietyJoin the WOC Nurse Week 2025 celebrationsRegister for the free WOC Nurse Week 2025 WebinarListen to the WOC Nurses Spread Sunshine & Healing playlist on SpotifyRegister for WOCNext® 2025About the Guest:Vicky Pontieri-Lewis, MS, RN, ACNS-BC-CWOCN, has been a member of the WOCN Society for 31 years. She works as the Clinical Administration/WOC Nurse at RWJ Barnabas Health System. Her educational background includes Master of Science Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, 1993; Bachelor of Science, Nursing Wagner College, Staten Island, New York, 1983; Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse Education, Abbott Northwestern School; Of Enterostomal Therapy, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1990; Lean Six Sigma – Greenbelt. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Resources:Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell LeeHow To Practice Three Good Things - University of Utah Health Health and happiness go hand in hand - Harvard HealthThe happy secret to better work TEDTalk by Shawn AchorWhat Makes You Grateful? by Anne KubitskyAbout the Guests:Suzanne Lord, BSN, RN, CWOCN, BCMAS, has been a registered nurse for 31 years and Certified Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse, for the past 13 years. She also holds a board certification in Medical Affairs. Her background has been predominantly in home care, and it was as a visiting nurse she chose to pursue the unique specialty of wound, ostomy, and continence nursing.she made the leap from caring for mostly an elderly population in the home to leading the skin team at Connecticut Children's medical center—an acute care pediatric hospital. From there, she moved to a global medical affairs role within the ostomy medical device industry and then into an acute care inpatient role as a Wound and Ostomy Resource nurse at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, New London Connecticut. She is currently working as a Wound Care Clinical Specialist for Solventum.She has been an active member of our New England Chapter of the WOCN® Society and currently sits as Co-Chair of the Communication Committee. In the past, she has served on the leadership, education, and Youth Rally committees.As a side pursuit and counterbalance to the health care arena, Suzanne completed an apprenticeship with a chocolatier and then earned her certificate as a Professional Chocolatier. She now works part-time in a local chocolate shop.In 2014, Suzanne took a Seminar for health professionals titled “The Habits of Happy People”. This launched her into a year's long path of independent learning and course work about positive psychology and the science of wellbeing. It is this professional side study that has brought her here today to speak about finding Joy in your WOC work.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Resources mentioned in this episode:E-ordering options that make it faster and easier for HCPs to order and alter patients' suppliesUOAA Resources LibraryAccess to Supplies with Medicare words of Advice from UOAA Advocacy teamThe Critical Need to Provide Ostomy Supplies Specific to Patient Need to ImproveLCD-Ostomy Supplies (L33828)UOAA non-medical switching of ostomy supplies campaignUOAA's Roadmap to establish outpatient ostomy services. About the Guest:Yelena Brusilovsky is the National Vice President of Sales for Edgepark and has been with the organization for 12 years. In her role, she leads three key teams: the urology and ostomy inside sales team, the diabetes sales team focused on endocrinologists and internal medicine providers, and the market access team responsible for managing Edgepark's relationships with contracted insurance payers. With extensive experience in healthcare sales and market access, Yelena is committed to improving patient access to essential medical supplies and fostering stronger collaboration between DMEs and healthcare professionals. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Resources mentioned in this episode:E-ordering options that make it faster and easier for HCPs to order and alter patients' suppliesUOAA Resources LibraryAccess to Supplies with Medicare words of Advice from UOAA Advocacy teamThe Critical Need to Provide Ostomy Supplies Specific to Patient Need to ImproveLCD-Ostomy Supplies (L33828)UOAA non-medical switching of ostomy supplies campaignUOAA's Roadmap to establish outpatient ostomy services. About the Guest:Yelena Brusilovsky is the National Vice President of Sales for Edgepark and has been with the organization for 12 years. In her role, she leads three key teams: the urology and ostomy inside sales team, the diabetes sales team focused on endocrinologists and internal medicine providers, and the market access team responsible for managing Edgepark's relationships with contracted insurance payers. With extensive experience in healthcare sales and market access, Yelena is committed to improving patient access to essential medical supplies and fostering stronger collaboration between DMEs and healthcare professionals. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

ResourcesWound Treatment Associate (WTA®) ProgramHow to become a certification wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nurseOstomy Care Associate (OCA®) ProgramAbout the GuestLaurie Wooley, MSN, RN, CWCN, COCN, is an experienced inpatient wound and ostomy nurse with a decade of expertise in the field. As a WTA Course Coordinator and Ladder III nurse at AHN-St. Vincent Hospital, she focuses on quality improvement initiatives to reduce hospital-acquired pressure injuries. Holding both a BSN and a master's degree in nursing education, Laurie has earned two national board certifications—Certified Wound Care Nurse (CWCN) and Certified Ostomy Care Nurse (COCN)—through the experiential route. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Episode Resources:WOCN Continuing Education CenterFirst Social Learning discussionsBite Sized Learning CoursesWound Treatment Associate (WTA®) ProgramOstomy Care Associate (OCA®) ProgramAbout the Guests:Ashlee Garcia, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, CWOCN-AP, CFCN, CLT is the current Chair of the WOCN Society's Education Committee (2024-2026). She has specialized in WOC nursing since 2012 and became certified in 2013. With a strong background in acute care and long-term acute care settings, Ashlee now manages the WOC program at TMC and runs the outpatient ostomy clinic. Passionate about lifelong learning, she remains actively engaged within the WOCN Society and her local WOC nursing community.Dr. Tara Beuscher, DNP, RN, GCNS-BC, ANP-BC, CWOCN, CFCN, NPD-BC, NEA-BC has been continuously WOC-certified for over 30 years and has worked across diverse healthcare settings nationwide. Dedicated to innovation and program development, she currently serves as the Accredited Provider Program Director for the WOCN Society. Dr. Beuscher is a chapter author and contributor to the second edition of the WOCN Core Curriculum textbook on wound care and was honored with the 2023 WOCN Society President's Award.

Episode Resources:Click here to download the app ‘Palliative Wound Pro' for Apple devicesClick here to download the app ‘Palliative Wound Pro' for Android devices About the Guest:Anne Walsh, ANP-BC, ACHPN, CWOCN, has been a registered nurse since 1995, beginning her career in home health care. She became certified in wound, ostomy, and continence nursing in 2001 and earned her master's degree and nurse practitioner certification in 2003. In 2008, Anne achieved advanced certification in hospice and palliative nursing and has since dedicated her career to working as a WOC nurse practitioner in hospice and palliative care.Recognizing the shortage of wound and palliative care-certified clinicians, Anne developed the “Wound Care Pro” app, a valuable resource for clinicians treating patients with wounds, whether the goal is healing or palliation. Her expertise and innovative approach continue to make a significant impact on patient care and clinician education.

Episode Resources:Scholarship InformationApplication Deadlines:Spring Cycle: February 1 – May 1Fall Cycle: August 1 – November 1About the Guests:Linda Reynolds, BSN, RN, CWOCN, has been a dedicated nurse for nearly four decades and currently serves as the Chair of the WOCN Society Scholarship Committee (2021–2025). A past president of the Pacific Coast Chapter of WOCN, Linda is also a Course Coordinator for the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA) Program. Her commitment to advancing wound, ostomy, and continence nursing was recognized with the 2022 Nurse Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Coast Chapter of WOCN.

Episode Resources:The Phoenix magazine, the official publication of United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA)OstomyConnection.comAbout the Speaker:JoAnn is a CWOCN® since 1989 and FNP since 1999. She currently is President, Co-Director, and faculty for WEB WOC® Programs in Minneapolis, MN since 2002, educating nurses who are interested in becoming wound, ostomy, and continence care nurse specialists. In addition, JoAnn practices parttime at MercyOne North Iowa Continence clinic and Wound/Vascular Center in Mason City, IA. She is co-author of a chapter in the 2nd Edition of WOCN Core Curriculum: Wound Management, 2022, which discusses wound bed preparation using the expanded TIME framework and other general principles of topical therapy.

Episode Resources:World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET®) International Ostomy GuidelinesWCET® JournalLeininger's Culture Care Diversity and Universality: A Worldwide Nursing TheoryTranscultural Nursing Society (TCNS)Journal of Transcultural NursingNational Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN)National Black Nurses Association (NBNA)Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN) About the Speaker:Cecilia Zamarripa, PhD, RN, CWON, is a Wound, Ostomy, and Continence (WOC) Nurse for 38 years and currently manages the WOC Nursing Department at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Prior to that, Cece practiced WOC Nursing at Baylor University Medical Center Dallas, Texas; Rush University Medical Center; and at the UPMC since 1997.Cece has been involved as a clinical preceptor for nurses in a WOCNEP and in Nursing Education roles. In 2010, Cece had the privilege of being selected as the Joint Commission Resources Patient Safety Scholar in Residence. Her teaching experience includes RN to BSN program at Slippery Rock University, Community Health Nursing, clinical instructor at Duquesne University, Preceptor for nurses completing their WOC Nursing Education Program, and Course Co-Coordinator for the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA®) and Ostomy Care Associate (OCA®) programs.Cece is involved in the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) and was a past volunteer for WOCNext Conference Planning Committee. Cece is involved in her professional specialty organization and was a contributing member of the WOCN Peristomal Consensus Panel in November 2020. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Western PA Area Chapter for National Association of Hispanic Nurses, WOCN Society™, the WCET and a current Director for the WOCN Board.

Episode Resources:JWOCN article: Assessment and Identification of Skin Disorders in Skin of Color: An Integrative ReviewAbout the Guests:Kathleen Francis, DNP, FNP-BC, CWOCN, is a registered nurse with over 45 years of diverse experience, including acute care, perioperative, critical care, long-term care, home health care, and wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nursing. Board-certified as a WOC nurse since 2008, she completed her WOC education in 2007 and has been an active member of the WOCN® Society, serving in various volunteer roles within the Society and the Northeast Chapter of the WOCN. Dr. Francis has worked as a CWOCN at VNS, Maimonides Medical Center, and is currently employed at NYU Langone Brooklyn. Her DNP project, completed in 2016, focused on the assessment and identification of skin injuries in individuals with darker skin tones. She has since published her project findings and continues to write and present on this critical topic at conferences. Additionally, she has contributed numerous journal publications and poster presentations to advance the field.

Episode Resources:JWOCN Article: Use of a Convex Pouching System in the Postoperative Period: A National ConsensusJWOCN Article: Use of Convexity in Pouching: A Comprehensive ReviewJWOCN Article: Characteristics of Convex Skin Barriers and Clinical Application: Results of an International Consensus PanelCollin's social media: Instagram About the Guests:Colin Jarvis is an ileostomy advocate who's been living with an ostomy for over 10 years following a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. During his junior year at UC Berkeley, Collin was captain of the track and field and cross-country teams, with dreams of becoming a professional athlete. However, the sudden onset of his illness quickly progressed, and within eight months, he underwent ostomy surgery after his large intestine deteriorated beyond repair. Now, Collin embraces his experience, sharing insights to help others navigate life with an ostomy.Tammy Lichtman, BSN, RN, CWON, is a seasoned CWON with 15 years of experience, including roles as Regional Wound and Ostomy Director for home health in Florida and owner of her own consulting business. Her background includes surgical nursing at the Cleveland Clinic and leadership positions at AdventHealth, where she managed the wound/ostomy program across multiple campuses.

Episode Resources:WOCN Society Pediatrics Community and Ostomy Community for members onlyJWOCN® evidence-based articles on pediatric carePediatric Ostomy Support Group (POGS) by the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA)Youth Rally, Pull-thru Network, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, Girls with Guts, Shadow Buddies Foundation About the Speaker:Michelle Rice, MSN, RN, CWOCN, has been a WOC nurse since 1999 and currently practices at Duke University Hospital. Michelle's primary population is pediatrics and focuses on wound care and ostomy care.

Episode Resources:Ostomy Care Management (OCM) ProgramThe Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) SocietyThe American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) About the Guests:Jan Colwell, APRN, CWOCN, FAAN, is an advanced practice nurse certified in wound ostomy and continence care. She most recently practiced at the University of Chicago Medicine providing care to patients with ostomies. She is a past president of the WOCN Society and Friends of Ostomates Worldwide USA, and has contributed to ostomy patient care by editing several ostomy care text books, participated in ostomy research projects, authored multiple ostomy based articles and is the co-section editor of the ostomy section of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®).Bethany Malone, MD, is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon based in Fort Worth, TX. She practices broad-based colorectal surgery including screening colonoscopies and treats benign anorectal conditions, hemorrhoids, fecal incontinence, colon cancer, rectal cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Malone is an active member of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, and the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons.Jenny Speranza, MD, attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, graduating in 1994 with her B.S. degree, Magna Cum Laude. She earned her M.D. from the School of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo (1999). Dr Speranza finished her surgical residency in 2004 from the State University of New York at Buffalo Consortium. In 2005, she completed a Colon and Rectal fellowship at the University of Miami. Prior to arriving at the University of Rochester, Dr. Speranza was on staff at the Cleveland Clinic Florida where she was an attending surgeon in the department of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Dr. Speranza is a member of American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and serves on two committees of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic surgeons.

Episode Resources:For resources mentioned in this episode, visit the links below.WOCNext® 2024 presentation, “Don't Just ‘Go with the Flow'! Practice Update for the Management of High Output Fecal Ostomies” - available for on-demand viewing for registered attendeeWOCN members-only communities for online networking threads and professional discussions About the Speaker:Tammy Lichtman, BSN, RN, CWON, is a seasoned CWON with 15 years of experience, including roles as Regional Wound and Ostomy Director for home health in Florida and owner of her own consulting business. Her background includes surgical nursing at the Cleveland Clinic and leadership positions at AdventHealth, where she managed the wound/ostomy program across multiple campuses.

Episode Resources:For resources mention in this article, visit the links below:Maura's Abstract & ePoster: Skin Care Champion Program at a South Jersey Teaching Hospital's Progressive Care UnitAlicia's Abstract & ePoster: An Educational Intervention Differentiating Between Pressure Injuries and End-of-Life WoundsWOCNext 2024 PicturesWOCNext website About the Guests:Alicia Perez Varela has been a registered nurse since 2017 and earned her wound care certification in 2021. She attended WOCNext® for the first time in 2024. Alicia currently works at an outpatient advanced wound care and hyperbaric clinic and is also a member of the inpatient wound care team.Maura Callahan has been a bedside nurse for 8 years, with experience in Long Term Care, Home Care, and Acute Care in the Progressive Care Unit as a Charge Nurse and Training Preceptor. She is passionate about Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Care and completed the Rutgers University-Camden Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Education Program. This training has enabled her to support various units with care and education for patients, families, and caregivers. Maura is actively involved in her facility's Skin, Wound Assessment Team, leads the Skin Care Champion Program, and recently joined the Hospital System's Pressure Injury Reduction Council.

Episode Resources:For resources mention in this article, visit the links belowAbstract: “Going With the Flow” to Develop a Robust External Female Catheter Implementation ProcessePoster: Going With the Flow” to Develop a Robust External Female Catheter Implementation ProcessArticle: Implementation of an external female urinary catheter strategy on prevention of skin breakdown in acute care: A quality improvement studyWound Treatment Associate (WTA) ProgramOstomy Care Associate (OCA) ProgramWOC Nursing Education Programs accredited by the WOCN Society About the Speakers:Cecilia Zamarripa, PhD, RN, CWON, is a Wound, Ostomy and Continence (WOC) Nurse for 38 years and currently manages the WOC Nursing Department at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Prior to that, Cece practiced WOC Nursing at Baylor University Medical Center Dallas, Texas; Rush University Medical Center; and at the UPMC since 1997.Cece has been involved as a clinical preceptor for nurses in a WOCNEP and in Nursing Education roles. In 2010, Cece had the privilege of being selected as the Joint Commission Resources Patient Safety Scholar in Residence. Her teaching experience includes RN to BSN program at Slippery Rock University, Community Health Nursing, clinical instructor at Duquesne University, Preceptor for nurses completing their WOC Nursing Education Program, and Course Co-Coordinator for the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA®) and Ostomy Care Associate (OCA®) programs.Cece is involved in the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) and was a past volunteer for WOCNext Conference Planning Committee. Cece is involved in her professional specialty organization and was a contributing member of the WOCN Peristomal Consensus Panel in November 2020. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Western PA Area Chapter for National Association of Hispanic Nurses, WOCN Society™, the WCET and a current Director for the WOCN Board.Alexandra Craig, BSN, RN, WTA-C is a clinical research coordinator (CRC) for the UPMC Presbyterian WOC Nursing Department. During Alex's time in the department, she has been instrumental in to help develop the projects and prepared documents for research study protocols. Her research experience includes a Support Surfaces RCT, Ostomy Barrier leakage retrospective study and numerous wound care quality projects. She is passionate about learning; research and the nursing science provides the evidence to improve patient care outcomes. She is currently enrolled in her MSN program and plans to attend a WOC Nursing Education Program (WOCNEP) soon after.

Episode Resources:For resources mentioned in this episode, visit the links below:Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for Ostomy Supplies document L33828 located on cms.govUOAA Support Group Finder About the Speaker:Stephanie Yates MSN, RN, ANP-BC, CWOCN, WOCNF, is a master's prepared Nurse Practitioner and consultant, educated at UNC - Chapel Hill, and Duke University. She received WOC nursing education at Emory University. Stephanie practiced for many years in acute care, home health, long term care and at the Duke Wound Management Clinic and Duke Cancer Center. She is a Past President of the WOCN® Society and she led or participated on three consensus conferences related to MARSI. She co-authored several journal articles on MARSI as well as co-edited the second edition of the WOCN Core Curriculum-Wound Care. She has lectured on wound care topics locally, regionally, and nationally. She was recently inducted as a Fellow in the WOCN Society.

Episode Resources:Connect with Janice on the WOCN Community platform.Post ostomy clinic questions in the ostomy community and/or professional practice community. About the Speakers:Janice Erbe Gorski, DNP, APNP, FNP-BC, CWON-AP, is an ostomy nurse practitioner who is employed at the Medical College of Wisconsin as a lead Ostomy APP. She is responsible for the development of the ostomy program and works in both the inpatient and outpatient clinic settings. In her role, Janice opened a nurse practitioner led ostomy clinic which has dramatically grown to support two dedicated ostomy nurse practitioners.Janice became certified as a wound ostomy nurse in 2008 and received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in 2020. She is active with the Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Society at both the Chapter and National levels. She is the current president of the North Central Chapter. Additionally, she serves on the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) Education Committee.

Episode Resources:Journey of WOC Nursing through the DecadesYouth RallyUnited Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA)Crohn's and Colitis FoundationKristin's blog: Gutless Wonder Woman About the Speakers:Paula Erwin-Toth, MSN, RN, CWOCN, CNS, FAAN, has over 30 years of experience in wound, ostomy and continence care. She is a well-known author, lecturer and patient advocate who is dedicated to improving the care of people with wounds, ostomies and incontinence in the US and abroad. Paula completed her basic nursing education in 1978 at the Akron City Hospital's Idabelle Firestone School of Nursing, she received her (WOC)ET education at the Cleveland Clinic's RB Turnbull, Jr. School of Enterostomal Therapy in 1982; her BSN and MSN were awarded in 1986 and 1990, respectively, by the University of Akron in Ohio. Paula served as the Director of WOCN Nursing Education at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1990-2012 and served as Director Emerita of that program. In 2012, Paula received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the WOCN Society. In 2013, Paula was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Paula is also President and CEO of PETprojects, a firm specializing in wound, ostomy, and continence care, education and advocacy. Recently at WOCNext 2024, Paula received the President's Recognition Award from the WOCN Society.Kristin Knipp, LPN, is a Care Coordinator for the Center for Swallowing & Esophageal Disorders at the Cleveland Clinic. She has been a Youth Rally nurse and counselor for 30+ years. She is a Past President of United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA). She served as Education and Support Coordinator and Development Coordinator for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation Northeast Ohio. She also served as a Sales manager for Ostomy Secrets. Kristin serves in various other volunteer support and advocacy roles. She is a nurse, an ostomate, and a patient advocate.

Episode Resources:For resources mentioned in this episode, including organizations where you can donate unused ostomy supplies, visit the links below:Friends of Ostomates Worldwide-USA (FOW)Friends of Ostomates Worldwide (Canada) (FOWC)United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) Support Group finderAmerican Cancer SocietyUSC Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease About the Speaker:Janice Colwell, APRN, CWOCN, FAAN, is an advanced practice nurse certified in wound ostomy and continence care. She most recently practiced at the University of Chicago Medicine providing care to patients with ostomies. She is a past president of the WOCN Society and Friends of Ostomates Worldwide USA, and has contributed to ostomy patient care by editing several ostomy care textbooks, participating in ostomy research projects, authoring multiple ostomy-based articles, and is the co-section editor of the ostomy section of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN).

Episode Resources:Visit the Chapter page on the WOCN website for more information on the restructure, including FAQs and additional resources.Connect with your local WOCN peers through the online Chapter Communities.View this infographic about the WOCN Society's history. About the Speakers:Derik Alexander, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CWOCN, CFCN, has been a dedicated member of the WOCN Society for 23 years. He is the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse Practitioner at Dignity Health Medical Group and St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. He holds a Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of Phoenix (2009) and completed his Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse Education at Emory University.Mandy Spitzer, MBA, RN, CWOCN, CFCN, is a Certified Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse, as well as a Certified Foot Care Nurse. An active WOCN Society member, Mandy has served on the South Central Chapter's Board of Directors in various roles, including President (January 2023 – present), President-elect (2021 – 2022), and Communications Officer (2017 – 2020). She is currently the Medical Education Manager for Negative Pressure Wound Therapy at Smith and Nephew.Nicole Kindel, BSN, RN, CWOCN, is an Acute Care Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse with 18 years of certification as a WOC nurse. Over the past 15 years, she has held every position on the North West Chapter Board of Directors.

Episode Resources:Click here for information on the WOCN-accredited nursing education programs.Click here to view Preceptor FAQs about becoming a WOC nurse preceptor, how to get started with new students, information about roles and responsibilities, and more.Click here to search the Preceptor Directory to find a WOC preceptor in your area.Click here to view information on WOCN Society membership options.Click here to view the WOCN Society annual scholarship information. About the Speakers:Lori Borja, MSN, RN, CWOCN, CFCN, has been a certified WOC nurse for over 24 years, with experience in all care settings. She ran a nurse-led outpatient ostomy clinic where she conducted pre-op teaching, stoma-site marking, post-op care, and managed stomal and peristomal complications.  Lori has extensive experience in program development and nursing education in the clinical setting.  She has been a Clinical Instructor at the Emory University WOC Nursing Education Program since 2014 and the Program Director since 2019.Kelly Jaszarowski, MSN, RN, CNS, ANP, CWOCN, WOCNF, earned her BSN degree in 1989 from Sangamon State University (now known as the University of Illinois Springfield) and her MSN in 1997 with a specialization in adult primary health care. She became a CETN (now known as a CWOCN) in 1990. With over 30 years of nursing experience and more than 30 years as a CWOCN, Kelly has precepted both nursing and WOC nursing students.Kelly has practiced in various settings, including acute care, home healthcare, extended care, assisted living, and outpatient facilities. Currently, she is an independent WOC consultant with mid-level provider status in local facilities and serves as a legal nurse consultant. She has taught nursing and WOC nursing, lectured locally and nationally, and been published. Kelly has also been active in numerous professional organizations, serving on the Board of the WOCN and the Mideast Chapter. She is a Past President of both the Mideast Chapter and the WOCN Society. Kelly has been an educator with the Cleveland Clinic - R. B. Turnbull, Jr. MD WOC Nursing Education Program for over 10 years and is the current Program Director.Debra Netsch, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CWOCN-AP, CFCN, has been a WOC nurse for over 38 years, with 26 of those years also as a Nurse Practitioner. She has taught with the WEB WOC® Nursing Education Program for over 23 years and is Co-Director and the ANCC Approved Provider Program Director. Debra has published numerous clinically relevant textbook chapters and articles. She has a passion for ostomy care and teaching.

Episode Resources:Click here to find a UOAA Affiliated Ostomy Support Group near you. People who have or will have surgery, caregivers, family, friends and medical professionals are invited to attend and benefit from lifelong learning and emotional support.Click here to access the article, The Role of the WOC Nurse in an Ostomy Support Group by Stephanie Mowdy, BSN, RN, C, CETN. Click “Download” on the left-hand side to get the PDF version of the original article that was published in the JWOCN® in 1998.Click here to access the article Starting and Maintaining a Hospital‐Based Ostomy Support Group by Heidi Huddleston Cross, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, published in the JWOCN in 2010.Click here to access the WOCN members-only online Ostomy CommunityClick here to access the WOCN members-only Professional Practice Community About the Speakers:Vashti Livingston, MS, RN, CWOCN, has been a member of the WOCN Society for 20 years. Vashti has been a WOC nurse co facilitator for an ostomy support group for 20 years. She currently works as a Certified WOC Nurse Ambulatory Urology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center NYC. Her educational background includes Emory University WOCNEP (2001); MS in Adult Health Nursing (2005); BSN (1990) and BS Biology (1984).Stacy Krakower, BSN, RN, CWON, has over 20 years of direct patient care working in the acute, long term, ambulatory and home care settings. Stacy completed her training in wound and ostomy nursing from the Emory University Wound and Ostomy Certification Program and has been certified wound and ostomy nurse for the past six years. Since 2019, Stacy has had the privilege of being one of the leaders of the Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center's Ostomy Support Group. She has helped grow this group over the years as it successfully pivoted from an in person support group to a virtual group. She is passionate about her role as a leader of such an important group as she feels that knowledge is acquired over time and support groups can offer the ostomy community life long learning, support and friendship.Rebecca Poleshuck, MSN, FNP-BC, CWOCN, presently practices as a Wound Ostomy and Continence Specialist and Colorectal Surgery Nurse Practitioner, with special certification in wound, ostomy and continence care. She has practiced in the field of nursing for over 19 years, providing care to pressure injury patients, and developing comprehensive educational programs for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and patient care assistants. As a wound care expert at an academic medical center, she routinely diagnoses and treats patients with pressure injuries based on the etiology and stage of the wound. She received a BS in Nursing from Hunter-Belleveue School of Nursing and certification as a Family Nurse practitioner from SUNY Downstate. She is currently employed at Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York as a nurse practitioner, wound, ostomy and continence specialist. Rebecca is Co-chair of the WOC Nurse Mount Sinai Health System Steering Committee for Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury prevention and provide a consultation service for wounds, ostomies and fistulas in the acute care setting as well as in a nurse practitioner run outpatient clinic for patients with recent ostomies and patients with long term concerns. She has also developed prevention strategies for patients at risk for pressure injuries in unit based quality improvement projects as well as developing a wound and ostomy continuing education program for Mount Sinai Beth Israel School of Nursing. Rebecca has created a staff development program for Registered Nurses and Patient Care Associates to prevent pressure injuries, moisture associated dermatitis, the care of lower extremity wounds and ostomies. She also created a staff development program for nurse practitioners for care of oncological wounds. Rebecca sits on Mount Sinai systemwide committees for pressure injury prevention and for credentialling of advanced practice providers.

Click here for details about the WOC N Roll Welcome Party at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, June 8. Purchase a ticket ahead of time through the WOCNext registration site.Click here to listen to the WOCTalk episode with Destination Cleveland for insider tips on what to see and do in Cleveland.Click here for a comprehensive list of things to do and places to eat in Cleveland.Register to attend WOCNext in-person.Register to attend WOCNext virtually.Click here to download the WOCNext app. About the Speaker:Brooke Passy is a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP), Digital Event Strategist (DES), and is the Director of Meetings for the WOCN® Society.

Click here to access the WOCN Society's online Continuing Education Center (CEC)Click here to search the newest online coursesClick here to view the new certification review coursesClick here to access the WOCN Society's free online Clinical ResourcesIf you missed WOCN® Wound Education Day 2023, click here to purchase the on-demand sessionsIf you missed WOCN® Pharmacology Day 2023, click here to purchase the on-demand sessions About the Speaker:Meghan Smith, MSN, AGACNP, CWOCN, is a nurse practitioner in the Department of Surgery at Henry Ford Health in Detroit where she has implemented a WOC nurse mentoring program. She has been a nurse for 20 years and a certified wound ostomy continence nurse for 16 years. She has had previous presentations on ostomy care, pressure injury prevention, staff education and mentoring. She serves as the current chair of the WOCN Education Committee. When she's not empowering others to make a bigger impact on what's most important, Debbie can be found boycotting winter and chasing sunshine from Pennsylvania to Florida each year with her husband, Tom.

Click here to learn more about the Opening Keynote session, Getting Clarity: Identifying Your Strengths to Shape Your ImpactClick here to learn more about WOCNextAbout the Speaker:Debbie Peterson is a dynamic speaker and consultant who helps her audiences and clients make a bigger impact in their careers, businesses, and lives. Through her speaking and consulting business, Debbie travels the country, empowering professionals with the tools and strategies to go all in on who they are, what they do, and how they consistently show up to make a bigger impact in their leadership and life!As a result of Debbie's programming, participants consistently report increased focus, momentum, and motivation to translate their vision into action. Her expertise is further showcased in the 'Getting to Clarity' Podcast, where Debbie offers invaluable insights and practical strategies to help busy leaders create more success in their leadership with less sacrifice in their lives.In addition to her speaking and consulting business, Debbie is an accomplished author with her book Clarity: How Smart Professionals Create Career Success on Their Terms. She is a professional member of the National Speakers Association and proudly earned the Certified Speaking Professional Designation in 2023, an achievement earned by 17% of professional speakers worldwide. She is also a certified trainer of NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) and a student of Huna.When she's not empowering others to make a bigger impact on what's most important, Debbie can be found boycotting winter and chasing sunshine from Pennsylvania to Florida each year with her husband, Tom.

Click here to view the article Skin failure: A historical perspective published in the American Nurse Journal.Click here to view the article Skin Failure: An Emerging Concept published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA)Click here to view the article Skin Fails Too: Acute, Chronic, and End-Stage Skin Failure published in Advances in Skin & Wound CareAbout the Speakers:Mario C. Giannettino is a partner in the law office of Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan, LLP in the firm's Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home and Long Care and General Litigation practice groups. Throughout his career, Mario has represented a wide range of healthcare professionals and providers, including residential healthcare and assisted living facilities, physicians, physician's assistants, hospitals, and home healthcare agencies. In addition to defending suit from inception and through discovery, Mario also serves as a trial attorney. In addition to his litigation experience, Mario provides a broad spectrum of services to healthcare clients, including staff training, in-servicing, counseling on risk assessment issues, and assisting them in navigating privacy and security issues under both HIPAA and the HITECH Act.Mario regularly publishes and speaks nationally on matters relating to all aspects of healthcare defense. During his career, he has been a featured author in The Risk Management Quarterly, McKnight's and various other publications. Mario frequently speaks nationally at healthcare events and workshops and has presented on issues such as the impact of artificial intelligence on healthcare, the CMS Five-Star Rating System, the proliferation of arbitration agreements in healthcare and many other topical concerns. In addition to being licensed to practice law in both New York State and Connecticut, Mario serves as supervisory/monitoring counsel for residential health care facilities nationwide.Heidi Cross is a certified Wound and Ostomy Nurse, as well as a nurse practitioner from the Syracuse NY area. She has worked in acute care and is a wound consultant for long term care facilities, currently working for the University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital and CNY Physicians of Central New York. She has been published in multiple wound and ostomy journals and is a member of the WOCN® Society and the American Association of Wound Care, among other organizations. She has extensively reviewed legal cases related to wound care for both defense as well as plaintiff attorneys and comes with a wealth of experience and information related to litigation and wound care.

Click here for everything you need to know about places to visit and things to see in Cleveland, including access to the Cleveland Experience Passports.Click here to learn about exhibits and tours at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Purchase a ticket for the WOCNext 2024 WOC n Roll Welcome Party taking place at the Rock Hall on Saturday, June 8.Click here to book a Cleveland walking tour.Click here to book a Cleveland food tour.Click here to book a water tour on the Good Time III, and click here to book a water tour on the Lady Caroline.Click here to learn about Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway trails.Click here to learn about the Westside Market.Click here to learn about University Circle which includes the free Cleveland Museum of Art, historical landmarks, parks and gardens, and more.Click here to learn about the Cleveland Botanical Garden.Click here to learn about Edgewater Park & Beach located on Lake Erie.Click here to learn about the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.Click here to learn about Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH. About the Speaker:Nick Urig is a Senior Communications Manager for Destination Cleveland and leads the leisure and meetings/conventions public relations initiatives.

Click here to view Vickee's WOCN® Member Spotlight blog.About the Speaker:Victoria (Vickee) Ramik, MS, APRN, ACNS-BC, CCRN, CWOCN, has been a nurse for four decades, predominately as a bedside nurse and clinical nurse specialist in critical care. In 2010, she became tri-specialty certified in wound, ostomy, and continence care. Vickee retired from nursing in 2023 and does not have formal plan yet, but she will miss taking care of her patients.

Click here to view the abstract for the poster “Put the toes in head to toe assessment”Click here to view the interactive ePoster for “Put the toes in head to toe assessment”About the Speaker:Ivy Razmus, PhD, RN, CWOCN, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Detroit Mercy where she is currently teaching in the BSN Nursing program. Her research focuses on pressure injury prevention for pediatric patients including neonatal patients. She has experience as a Manager of Pediatric populations both neonatal and pediatric intensive care; as a quality analyst within a health system focusing on nursing sensitive quality indicators and root cause analysis; and as a CWOCN in the acute, critical and outpatient settings in the adult population.Suzanne Keep, PhD, RN, FNAP, has a Masters in Community Health Nursing from Wayne State University. Suzanne has been teaching community health nursing for pre-licensure, BSN completion, and Master's level nursing students for over 35 years. She mentored students for foot care for several years and incorporated it into the community health practicum for senior year students. She has provided footcare at a variety of community sites including a transitional house for men who have been incarcerated, the Salvation Army, city own lower income housing, and homeless shelters.

Episode Resources:Click here to view the article “Impact of Co-occurring Cancer-Related and Wound-Specific Symptoms on Functional Performance Among Patients With Advanced Cancer and Malignant Fungating Wounds” published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN) Nov/Dec 2023 issue.Click here to learn about the Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN®) certification.Click here to learn about the Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN®) certification.Click here to learn about the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence CWOCN® certification.Click here to view the face sheet “How Does a Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse Fit into your Palliative/Hospice Care Team?” published in 2013. About the Speaker:Dr. Charles Tilley is an Adult Primary Care and Pain and Palliative Nurse Practitioner with a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and a post-master's certificate in Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing. He brings 33 years of clinical, administrative, and education experience to the profession, currently in the role of Assistant Director of Graduate Simulation at NYU Meyers.  Dr. Tilley's most recent clinical work was as Hospice Attending, WOC Nurse, and Nurse Scientist at Calvary Hospital. His research interests include palliative oncology, palliative wound care, symptom science, and simulation outcomes. He has received grants from both the American Cancer Society and The Calvary Fund to study the symptom experience of patients with advanced cancer and malignant fungating wounds.

Episode Resources:Click here to learn more about the WOCN Fellow ProgramClick here to apply for the 2024 WOCN Fellow Class until March 4, 2024, at 11:59 PM ETClick here to access the WOCN members-only online CommunitiesClick here to read Dr. Buscemi's WOCN member spotlight blogClick here to read Dr. Pieper's WOCN member spotlight blog About the Speaker:Dr. Pieper, PhD, RN, CWOCN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, WOCNF, completed her WOC education at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in 1989. She held a joint academic-clinical position, Wayne State University, College of Nursing, Detroit, MI, and the Detroit Medical Center. In 1991, her clinical career and her research became focused on wound care especially in persons who injected street drugs. She received NIH funding, gave many presentations, and published many papers in refereed journals. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Trinidad and Tobago, 2020. She is a Professor Emerita.Dr. Buscemi, PhD, APRN, CWCN, WOCNF, is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the ANCC and board certified as a Wound Care Nurse with the WOCNCB. He has over 34 years of experience as a Nurse and more than 20 years as an APRN. He is a current member of the WOCN and has published in their journal. He is also an editorial reviewer for the JWOCN. He is a member of the AANP and sits on the editorial board for the JAANP. He also in on the editorial board for Wound Management. He has presented at regional, national, and international wound care conferences. He participates in interdisciplinary research with the Biomedical Engineering Dept. at FIU. He is a Fellow of the WOCN where he was inducted into their inaugural class.

Click here to view the WOC Nursing Education Programs (WOCNEPs) accredited by the WOCN Society.Click here to listen to the WOCTalk podcast episode High Output Ileostomy ManagementClick here to view the webinar Pharmacological Management of the Individual with a High Output StomaClick here to view the webinar Nutrition and Hydration Management of the Individual with a High Output StomaClick here to view the WOCNext® 2019 session High Output Ostomies: New Evidence and Best PracticeClick here to view the WOCNext® 2021 session Know about the Flow: Pathophysiology, Monitoring and Management of Patients with High-Output IleostomiesClick here to view the article Empowering New Ostomy Patients Through a Novel Inpatient Group Education Class: A Quality Improvement Project published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®) in the July/August 2022 issue.Click here to view the free, online Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide for Clinicians and ConsumersIf you have questions for Kelly or Rose regarding this topic, please email info@wocn.org. About the Speakers:Kelly Jaszarowski, MSN, RN, CNS, ANP, CWOCN, is Program Director at the R.B. Turnbull Jr MD WOC Nursing Education Program. Kelly acquired her BSN degree in 1989 from Sangamon State University (now known as University of Illinois Springfield) and earned her MSN in 1997 with a specialization in adult primary health care. She became a CETN (now known as a CWOCN) in 1990. She has more than 30 years' experience in nursing and over 30 years as a CWOCN. Kelly has practiced in a variety of settings including acute care, HHC, extended care, assisted living, and outpatient. She is currently an independent WOC consultant with mid-level provider status in local facilities as well as a legal nurse consultant.  She also has taught nursing and WOC nursing, spoken/lectured locally and nationally, been published, been active in numerous professional organizations, including serving on the Board of the WOCN and the Mideast Region. She is a Past President of the Mid-East Region and the WOCN.Dr. Rose Murphree is an Assistant Professor with Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing (NHWSN) and teaches pre-licensure and post-licensure programs. Rose earned her ADN (1980) and BSN (1983) at Mobile University, her MSN (Public Health Nursing Leadership, 2011) at Emory University's School of Nursing, her DNP (2014) at Augusta University, and recently completed the Post-Graduate Certificate NP Program (AGPCNP, 2022) at NHWSN, too. She is tri-specialty certified in wound, ostomy, and continence nursing as well as foot and nail care. Her experience in nursing (1980-date) includes acute, outpatient, hospice, pediatrics, adults, and geriatrics—locally and internationally. She has done podium and poster presentations locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. She was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2021. She has been a WOC Nurse since 1987, and has extensive experience with persons with ostomy, wound, and continence issues.

Episode Resources: Click here to find a United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) local support group throughout the United StatesClick here to download the handout from the session “Hopeless, Helpless, and Out of Gas: Mental Health and Well Being with Ostomy Surgery”Click here to view the WOCN Society's Regions and Affiliates contacts and conference informationClick here to view the online Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®) About the Speakers:Janice Beitz, PhD, RN, CS, CWOCN-AP, WOCNF, FAAN, is a Professor of Nursing for the School of Nursing-Camden at Rutgers University. A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Beitz has over 50 years of nursing experience in acute, sub-acute, and outpatient care settings. She is a graduate of the Germantown Hospital School of Nursing and La Salle, Villanova, and Temple Universities. She is board certified as an adult clinical specialist in medical-surgical nursing, as a nurse of the operating room, as an advanced practice wound, ostomy, continence nurse, and as an adult nurse practitioner. She has taught nursing students at baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. She has consulted as a WOC Advanced Practice Nurse Specialist for the Cooper Health System. She is the Director of the Rutgers University Camden WOCNEP. She has conducted funded research on Content Validation of Pressure Injury Prevention Algorithms and Prioritizing Management Approaches to Stomal and Peristomal Complications. Dr. Beitz is currently conducting funded research on academic workplace bullying and validation of wound care topical therapy algorithms. Dr. Beitz is on the editorial and manuscript reviewer boards of multiple wound care and educational journals.Dr. Beitz received the WOC Nurse of Distinction and President's Awards of the Northeast Region of the WOCN Society and, in April 2012, was awarded the Masters of Wound Care Award of the American Professional Wound Care Association. In October 2013, she was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. In 2014, she was selected a Walter Rand Institute Faculty Fellow to study the health problems of Southern New Jersey with a focus on diabetes. In 2015, she was inducted into the National League For Nursing Academy of Nursing Education Fellows. In 2018, she was inducted as a Fellow of the National Academies of Practice for Nursing. She was awarded the Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence at Rutgers University Camden. 2023, Dr. Beitz was inducted as a Fellow into the WOCN Society's inaugural WOCN Fellows Program. Currently, she is Deputy Editor of the Journal of WOC Nursing.Lynn Mohr, PhD, APRN, PCNS-BC, CPN, FCNS, is an Associate Professor/Department Chair, Women, Children, Family Nursing at Rush University College of Nursing and serves as Program Director of the Pediatric and Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Programs. Dr. Mohr holds a PhD in Nursing Science from Rush University, MS from the University of Kansa, BS from South Dakota State, and a diploma in nursing from St. Luke's School of Nursing. She has been a certified pediatric clinical nurse specialist for over 20 years. Dr. Mohr research emphasis is on the adolescent experience with wound, ostomy and continence issues and speaks and publishes on those topics both professionally and the lay public. She has written several opinion pieces on pediatric care issues some of which have appeared in the Washington Post. She led a team in the Coloplast publication "Teen Life with an Ostomy" and is currently part of group working with the United Ostomy Association of America in developing a website aimed at children/adolescents with ostomies and their families.Dr. Mohr is an elected Fellow in the Illinois Institute of Medicine, Overseas Fellow in the Royal Academy of Medicine, London England, and a Fellow of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Institute. Dr. Mohr is the past National President of the Society of Pediatric Nursing.

Episode Resources:Click here to view the abstract “Beautiful Tiny Stomas: Neonatal Ostomy Models”Click here to view the interactive ePoster for “Beautiful Tiny Stomas: Neonatal Ostomy Models” About the Speaker:Nikki Bruster has been a nurse for 13 years, and a wound/ostomy nurse for more than 7 years. Nikki is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Nikki's nursing background includes pediatric and neonatal bedside and flight, Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), and now wound, ostomy, and continence! Nikki has presented posters at multiple WOCNext® conferences. Her most recent poster “Beautiful Tiny Stomas: Neonatal Ostomy Models”, presented at WOCNext 2023, showed how to make quick, affordable ostomy models for educational purposes. Nikki has also published articles with the Oklahoma Nurses Association (ONA).

Click here to view the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society Core Curriculum: Ostomy Management Core, 2nd EditionClick here to view handout on how to treat ileostomy blockage from the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA)Click here to view all the WOCN-accredited WOC Nursing Education Programs (WOCNEPs) About the Speaker:JoAnn is a CWOCN since 1989 and FNP since 1999. She currently is President, Co-Director, and faculty for WEB WOC® Programs in Minneapolis, MN since 2002, educating nurses who are interested in becoming wound, ostomy, and continence care nurse specialists. In addition, JoAnn practices parttime at MercyOne North Iowa Continence clinic and Wound/Vascular Center in Mason City, IA.She is co-author of a chapter in the 2nd Edition of WOCN Core Curriculum: Wound Management, 2022, which discusses wound bed preparation using the expanded TIME framework and other general principles of topical therapy.

Click here to review a case study “Intraoperative Use of Soft Convexity”Click here to see the Hollister CeraPlusTM Product PortfolioIf you have convexity-related questions for Rosemary, feel free to send an email to rosemary.Hill@vch.ca About the Speaker:Rosemary Hill, BSN, CWOCN, WOCC(C), has been a nurse for over 35 years and is the recipient of the Award of Excellence in Practice from the Association of Registered Nurses of British Columbia. She works at Lions Gate Hospital as a Nurse Specialized in Wound Ostomy and Continence (NSWOC). Her past volunteer activities include President of NSWOC from 2016-2018. Rosemary participates as a member on the British Columbia provincial Skin and Wound committee, continues to chair the Provincial Ostomy committee, and is an expert speaker at national and international events. Most recently volunteer activities have taken her to Argentina where she worked to provide wound education.

Sign up to get notified when the NEW certification review courses launch!Browse 70+ CE courses on the WOCN Society's Continuing Education Center (CEC).Click here to visit the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Certification Board (WOCNCB®) website for the certification exam information and resourcesSubscribe to the weekly WOCNow weekly e-newsletter updates for information on additional education opportunities. About the Speaker:Meghan C. Smith has been a member of the WOCN Society for 13 years. She is a nurse practitioner for the Department of Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI. Her educational background includes BSN from Madonna University; WOC Certification from Emory University; MSN, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Madonna University.

Visit ostomy.org to learn about the United Ostomy Associations of AmericaClick here to find a nearby UOAA Affiliated Support Group throughout the United StatesClick here to learn about the Emory University Wound, Ostomy, And Continence Nursing Education CenterClick here to learn about the Cleveland Clinic - R.B. Turnbull, Jr. Md WOC Nursing Education ProgramFacebook support groups:The Real Ostomy Support GroupStoma & Ostomy Support GroupLadies Ileostomy GroupDouble Baggers Ostomy Support GroupCentral Mass Ostomy Support GroupVisit ostomycanada.ca to learn about the Ostomy Canada SocietyJournal articles:Click here to view articles related to patient support groups published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN)Click here to view the article on starting and maintaining hospital-based ostomy support groupsVisit youthrally.org to learn about The Youth RallyClick here for a variety of patient resourcesAccess the free tool Peristomal Skin Assessment Guide for Consumers About the Speaker:Stephanie Yates holds a BSN from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MSN from Duke University with a primary focus in adult oncology. She later completed a Post Masters certificate as an adult nurse practitioner. Her WOC nursing training was completed at Emory in 1981. Practicing as a WOC nurse for over 35 years, ostomy patients have always been a large part of her practice. She has lectured on ostomy related topics in a variety of settings and was recently lead author in the revision of the PSAG tool and resulting manuscript.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Kristin Smith, MSN, RN, CWCN, CNML, for a deep dive into the world of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for wound healing. Kristin discusses in detail different therapy treatments, hyperbaric chamber types, understanding dive medicine, common patient populations, contraindications, safety procedures, patient concerns, and so much more! Episode Resources:Learn more about the National Board of Diving & Hyperbaric Medical TechnologyLearn more about the American Board of Wound HealingLearn more about the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society About the Speaker:Kristin Smith, MSN, RN, CWCN, CNML, has been in wound care and Hyperbaric Oxygen for over 15 years. Kristin started as a staff nurse in the Hyperbaric, Wound Care Clinic in Houston, Texas. She was an ICU/ED nurse before she started her journey in wound care. She has taken the 40-hour Hyperbaric team training as well as the Safety Director course. Kristin was previously the manager of the Memorial Hermann Center for Hyperbaric and Wound Care for over seven years. Kristin is now the manager of Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, Georgia, where she oversees two wound and Hyperbaric centers and inpatient wound care for five acute care hospitals including a level trauma center.

Episode Resources:Click here to view Andrea's poster “Decreasing Device Related Pressure Injuries from High Velocity Nasal Insufflation Device” from WOCNext 2023Click here to view the Interventions Post Catheter Removal (iPCaRe) free algorithmClick here to learn more about the Wound Treatment Associate (WTA®) ProgramClick here to learn more about the Ostomy Care Associate (OCA®) Program About the Speakers:Andrea Grove, BSN, RN, CWOCN, has been a registered nurse for just shy of a decade and a has been a certified wound, ostomy, and continence nurse for three years. Andrea is the recipient of the 2023 Barbara Braden Future Is Bright Award.

Click here to visit the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists® (WCET) websiteClick here to visit the International Ostomy Association (IOA) websiteClick here to find a WOC nurse in your area About the Speaker:Mary Mahoney, MSN, RN, CWOCN, CFCN, has been a nurse for more than 35 years and certified WOC nurse for over 25 years with experience in acute, outpatient, and home care. Her current clinical practice is based at UnityPoint at Home in Iowa, where she works with a team of WOC nurses to provide consultation for patients and education to clinicians in homecare and hospice in a large healthcare system using telehealth technology. She is adjunct professor at WEB WOC Nursing Education Program. She has served on numerous WOCN Society committees in the Iowa Affiliate and at the National level. She is past board member and President of the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Certification Board (WOCNCB®). She has authored posters for WOCNext, the WOCN Society's national conference, and articles for the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®).

This episode is related to the WOCNext® 2024 Call for Abstracts, which is accepting abstract submissions through November 1, 2023, at 11:00 AM ET. Visit wocnext.org/abstracts for the complete information.Episode Resources:Visit wocnext.org/abstracts for complete guidelines, an overview of the review process, scoring, formats, and more.If you are interested in the WOCNext Abstract Mentorship assistance, please send an email to abstacts@wocn.org and indicate what area in which you are seeking assistance: 1) development of content, 2) turning content into a poster, 3) distilling the story, or 4) something else.If you are interested in becoming a Mentor for WOCNext Abstract assistance and have had abstracts accepted in the past, email abstracts@wocn.org.If you are interested in becoming an abstract reviewer, keep an eye out for Volunteer opportunities with the WOCN Society.Click here to view scientific and clinical abstracts from WOCNext 2023 published in an online supplement of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®).Click here for information on creating an ePoster, including the interactive video/audio features.Click here to review the ePoster Guidelines.Watch a short Bite Size Learning CE course on the step-by-step process for submitting an abstract.View a PowerPoint presentation that details new elements and everything you need to know about the submission process.Check out this blog to help you get ready to submit an abstract.About the Speakers:Carole Bauer, MSN, RN, ANP-BC, OCN, CWOCN, employed by the Beaumont Health System, is a Wound and Ostomy Nurse Practitioner where she opened the first outpatient ostomy clinic in the health system. Carole has a passion for WOC nursing and in particular ostomy patients. She has worked to successfully lobby Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan for changes in their allowed supplies for the ostomy patient when the supply limits did not meet the needs of the subscribers. As a champion for WOC nursing, she is an active member of the WOCN Society. She most recently served as a co-author of the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing: Scope and Standards of WOC Practice, 2nd Edition, for which she was awarded the WOCN Society President's Award. She is the current Chair of the WOCNext® Abstract Review Committee.Donna Bliss, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, WOCNF, is a Professor, Chair of the Adult and Gerontological Health Cooperative, and School of Nursing Foundation Professor of Nursing Research at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Minneapolis, MN. She has 25 years of funded research and >120 publications and presentations about assessing, preventing, and managing fecal incontinence and incontinence associated skin damage. She is a forerunner in investigating disparities in skin damage and assessing dark skin. Donna is an active member of the WOCN Society and is currently the incoming Abstract Chair for the WOCNext conference. During WOCNext 2023, Donna was awarded the Barbara Braden Future is Bright Award and was also inducted into the inaugural class of the WOCN Fellow Program.

This special podcast is part of the Ostomy Observations Series, a 6-part series included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program. During this episode, we sit down with Janice Beitz, PhD, RN, CS, CNOR, CWOCNAP, CRNP, ANEF, FNAP, FAAN, WOCNF, to discuss ostomy gas production and management, dietary management, gas pain, and additional tips.Both the Ostomy Observations podcast series and the Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow Program are commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. For additional information, please visit wocn.org/exceptionaloutcomes. The WOCN® Society does not endorse or support products or services. Episode Resources:Click here to browse the Cleveland Clinic Health Library for various ostomy-related articlesClick here to read an article on living with an ostomy and gas-causing foodsClick here to visit the WOCN® Society's Patient Resources page About the Speaker:Janice Beitz, PhD, RN, CS, CNOR, CWOCNAP, CRNP, ANEF, FNAP, FAAN, WOCNF, is Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing-Camden, Rutgers University. A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Beitz has over 50 years of nursing experience in acute, sub-acute, and outpatient care settings. She is a graduate of the Germantown Hospital School of Nursing and La Salle, Villanova, and Temple Universities. She is board certified as an adult clinical specialist in medical-surgical nursing, as a nurse of the operating room, as an advanced practice wound, ostomy, continence nurse, and as an adult nurse practitioner. She has taught nursing students at baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. She has consulted as a WOC Advanced Practice Nurse Specialist for the Cooper Health System. She is the Director of the Rutgers University Camden WOCNEP. She has conducted funded research on Content Validation of Pressure Injury Prevention Algorithms and Prioritizing Management Approaches to Stomal and Peristomal Complications. Dr. Beitz is currently conducting funded research on academic workplace bullying and validation of wound care topical therapy algorithms. Dr. Beitz is on the editorial and manuscript reviewer boards of multiple wound care and educational journals. Dr. Beitz received the WOC Nurse of Distinction and President's Awards of the Northeast Region of the WOCN Society and, in April 2012, was awarded the Masters of Wound Care Award of the American Professional Wound Care Association. In October 2013, she was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. In 2014, she was selected a Walter Rand Institute Faculty Fellow to study the health problems of Southern New Jersey with a focus on diabetes. In 2015, she was inducted into the National League For Nursing Academy of Nursing Education Fellows. In 2018, she was inducted as a Fellow of the National Academies of Practice for Nursing. She was awarded the Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence at Rutgers University Camden. Currently, she is Deputy Editor of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®).

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Nicolien Wilder, BSN, RN, CWCN, CFCN, to discuss the ins and outs of starting and running a foot and nail care nursing practice to offer medical routine foot care to seniors at home. Episode Resources:Click here to visit the Heart and Sole Foot and Nail Care websiteClick here to visit the SCORE website that offers free business advice from experienced mentorsClick here to visit the American Foot Care Nurses Association About the Speaker:Nicolien Wilder, BSN, RN, CWCN, CFCN, has been a nurse since 1986, mostly working in different acute rehabilitation hospitals as a Certified Rehabilitation Nurse. She has also managed a skin and wound care program as a Certified Wound Care Nurse in this setting. She experienced first-hand the rise of seniors who needed foot care services. She saw how the effects of improper foot care can lead to increased pain and discomfort with walking, lower extremity infections, and even amputations. Nicolien became certified as a Foot and Nail Care Nurse in 2014. In 2022, Nicolien started Heart and Sole Foot and Nail Care to offer medical routine foot care to seniors at home.

This special podcast is part of the Ostomy Observations Series, a 6-part series included in the "Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow" Program. During this episode, we sit down with Dorothy Doughty, MN, RN, CWOCN, CFCN, FAAN, to discuss the ostomy nurse's role in offering patients counseling for sexual function after ostomy surgery, helping patients maintain intimacy, and addressing common sex and intimacy concerns for heterosexual and LGBTQ+ patients.Both the Ostomy Observations podcast series and the Educating Today for Exceptional Outcomes Tomorrow Program are commercially supported through an educational grant from Hollister Incorporated. For additional information, please visit: wocn.org/exceptionaloutcomes. The WOCN® Society does not endorse or support products or services. Episode Resources:Click here to visit the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) website. About the Speaker:Dorothy Doughty has been a wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nurse since 1980 and has worked primarily in the acute care setting. She was Director of the Emory University WOC Nursing Education Program for 30 years and is currently working as a WOC nursing instructor. She is past President of the WOCN® Society and has multiple presentations and publications in the field of WOC nursing.

On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Jill Cox, PhD, RN, APN-C, CWOCN, FAAN and Rachele Durango, MSN, RN, APN-C, CWOCN, two of the authors of the article titled, “Predictors of Hospital Readmission in Patients Undergoing Creation of an Intestinal Ostomy” published in the May/June 2023 issue of the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN®), the official journal of the WOCN® Society.The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of 30- and 60-day hospital readmission in patients undergoing ileostomy or colostomy creation.To learn more about the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), the official journal of the WOCN Society, click here. Episode Resources:Click here to read the JWOCN article titled, Predictors of Hospital Readmission in Patients Undergoing Creation of an Intestinal Ostomy About the Speakers:Jill Cox, PhD, RN, APN-C, CWOCN, FAAN, has as been a WOC nurse for 30 years in the acute care setting, caring for patients with all types of wounds and ostomies. In addition, she has presented educational programs focused on the care of patients with ostomies, and wounds and have conducted primary clinical research on these topics. Jill have spoken nationally and regionally on topics related to WOC practice. Rachele Durango, MSN, RN, APN-C, CWOCN, graduated from Ramapo College of NJ with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing in 2010 and began working as a Registered Nurse at a suburban teaching hospital in Northern NJ. Rachele, graduated from William Paterson University of NJ with a Master's of Science in Nursing in 2017 and became certified as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. After graduation, went on to specialize in wound, ostomy, and continence care, completing the WEB WOC Program and became a Certified Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse in 2018. Rachele currently work full-time at a suburban teaching hospital in Northern NJ as a Certified Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse Practitioner.

Click here for all the latest Public Policy and Advocacy updates and documentsClick here for information on the Lymphedema Treatment ActClick here to learn more about the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders (The AllianceClick here to learn about the Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of RightsClick here to learn about the WOCN Society's Voter Voice platformClick here to see the Public Policy Hot TopicsClick here to visit the WOCN members-only Public Policy Community discussionClick here to visit the America Nurses Association (ANA) Advocacy pageClick here to see the CMS Coronavirus waivers and flexibilitiesClick here to learn more about the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS)Click here to learn more about the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) About the Speakers:Kate Lawrence, MSN, RN, CWOCN, has had a lifelong love of nursing. Her career has included acute care, medical surgical nursing, home care, hospice, and over 30 years as a wound, ostomy, continence (WOC) nurse delivering the full scope of practice. Her work in WOC nursing includes the development of a comprehensive wound ostomy and continence nursing service for inpatient, outpatient, and contract entities in a rural Vermont hospital setting. Currently, she is the Program Director of wound, ostomy, continence services at VNA and Hospice of the Southwest Region in Vermont. Her role includes delivery of education and consultation in home care, outpatient, long term, and community care facilities. Kate has held many leadership roles for the WOCN Society and is one of the past presidents of the Society. Currently, Kate is the WOCN Society's Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator. Chris Rorick, MPA, serves as a Senior Policy Advisor at Polsinelli, and the Director of Government Relations with the WOCN Society. Chris brings 25 years of experience in both state and federal government service and government relations. His focus is on health care and health science policy representing numerous physicians, nursing, and medical research associations.  Prior to joining Polsinelli, Chris served in both the state district office and Washington, D.C. office of a U.S. Congressman from Colorado as well a staff member for several Representatives of the Colorado State Legislature.