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Agenda

• Pressure Injury Symposium

November 16, 2023 09:00 am

Welcome and The Patient Experience with Interdisciplinary Care: Living with a Pressure Injury in Community Care

David Wallace MD MSc FRCSC

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David Wallace MD MSc FRCSC

Dr. David Wallace is a plastic surgeon at Sunnybrook Hospital specializing in burn critical care and surgery, as well as leading the complex wound surgery service. 

Stephanie Chadwick, NP-PHC, MClSc-WH, BScN, NSWOC, WOCC(c)

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Stephanie Chadwick, NP-PHC, MClSc-WH, BScN, NSWOC, WOCC(c)

Stephanie Chadwick has been a nurse for 28 years specializing in complex wound, ostomy and continence care with specialties in oncology and thermal injury. She has contributed to pressure injury prevention programs and facilitates preceptorship and mentorship for both wound ostomy and nurse practitioner students. Stephanie advanced her education by completing her Nurse Practitioner Primary Health Care in 2016, Masters Clinical Science Wound Healing in 2012, Post Graduate Diploma in Wound Healing & Tissue Repair in 2010, certification in the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy in 2007, and completing the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course. Stephanie continues to specialize in thermal injury and has taken her journey to become a part of the growing team at Hamilton General Hospital Burn Unit/Clinic as a Nurse Practitioner.

Kelly Sair BScPT, MClSc (WH)

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Kelly Sair BScPT, MClSc (WH)

Kelly Sair has been a physiotherapist for 26 years and is actively involved in education, wound management, and the use of adjunctive therapies. Kelly completed her Masters of Clinical Science with specialization in wound healing at Western University in the Fall of 2017. Kelly has worked for Alberta Health Services since 1994 and is currently the Clinical Educator for the Consult and Treat Team in Calgary Integrated Home Care. Kelly works in a collaborative multi-disciplinary wound clinic that manages complex patients with complex wounds.

Angie Ramchandar OT

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Angie Ramchandar OT

Angie Ramchandar is the Occupational Therapy Clinical Lead for the Integrated Home Care program in Calgary, Alberta. In this role, she supports Occupational Therapists in providing evidence based, client centered care including pressure injury prevention and management. Angie has worked in the Integrated Home Care Program since 2010, providing occupational therapy services in both case management and interventionist roles, before accepting the Clinical Lead role in January 2023. Prior to Home Care, Angie has worked in sub-acute care in Calgary, and in LTC, outpatient and home care settings in rural Alberta.

Maria Weatherbee RD

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Maria Weatherbee RD

Maria Weatherbee is a Registered Dietitian working in Calgary, Alberta. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Acadia University in 2014, Maria went on to complete her Dietetic Internship in Halifax, Nova Scotia with the Nova Scotia Health Authority. She has since worked as a Registered Dietitian for 7 years in areas such as acute care, long term care, home care and wound clinics. Maria covers five skin and wound clinics within the city of Calgary and provides education to staff on nutrition and wound healing. In addition to her clinical work she is also the team lead for the Calgary Home Care and Supportive Living dietitian teams.

Eileen Emmott BScN, RN, WOCC(C), IIWCC

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Eileen Emmott BScN, RN, WOCC(C), IIWCC

Eileen Emmott is a registered nurse specialized in wound, ostomy and continence. Eileen has worked for Alberta Health Services, within the Integrated Home Care program since 2005 in a variety of roles. Currently Eileen is the Area Manager for the Consult and Treatment Team and the Home Care Response Team. In addition, Eileen is pursuing a Masters in Health Administration through the University of Regina.

Laurie Parsons MD, FRCPC, IMWCC

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Laurie Parsons MD, FRCPC, IMWCC

Dr Parsons is a dermatologist who has been practicing in this field for  22 years and involved in wound care for 20 years. She is currently the medical director of the Sheldon Chumir wound clinic in Calgary which services all of Calgary and central Alberta.

Raj Parmar RN MN FAA-NP

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Raj Parmar RN MN FAA-NP

Raj began her nursing career in 1999. She worked in the Intensive care unit until 2007 and then moved to rehab services in the  Spinal Cord Injury Rehab program at the Foothills Medical Center. Her Focus remains on improving patient care and filling any gaps in services provided to SCI population. Raj is passionate about addressing patient needs surrounding wound care, bowel/ bladder health and sexual health after SCI.

The Patient Experience with Interdisciplinary Care: Living with a Pressure Injury in Community Care, led by presenter Kelly Sair and her expert team, offers a unique and essential perspective on the intersection of patient experience and interdisciplinary care in the context of community care. By participating, you will acquire valuable knowledge that can significantly impact your practice and patient outcomes. This session will teach you to apply patient insights to improve care models, emphasizing patient-centric approaches, and sharpen your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities through the analysis of real-life cases and identifying challenges and opportunities within current care practices. Additionally, you'll gain the capability to evaluate care protocols and quality of life measurements, empowering you to pinpoint areas for improvement in your healthcare setting.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Apply insights from patient experiences to assess and enhance interdisciplinary care models. 

2. Analyze real-life cases, determining the challenges and opportunities present in current care practices.

3. Evaluate existing care protocols and quality of life measurements in their respective settings, discerning potential gaps and areas for improvement

November 16, 2023 11:05 am

Spasticity Management: Impact on Wound Healing, and Peri-Operative Considerations

Rhonda Willms MD, FRCPC (Phys Med & Rehab)

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Rhonda Willms MD, FRCPC (Phys Med & Rehab)

Rhonda Willms is a Physiatrist (specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) in Vancouver. Currently, she is the Medical Manager for the Spinal Cord Injury Program at GF Strong Rehab Centre. Her work is focused on out-patient care, including participation in an interdisciplinary Spinal Cord Wound Clinic.  She is also an Amputee Rehabilitation consultant and Spinal Cord Injury specialist at WorkSafe BC's Visiting Specialists' Clinic in Richmond, BC.  Dr. Willms is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at UBC.

Viet Vu, MD

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Viet Vu, MD

Dr. Viet Vu is a physiatrist in BC with fellowship training in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine. She practices acute, rehab, and community SCI care at Vancouver General Hospital, GF Strong, and the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, respectively. Viet is also the lead for the provincial intrathecal baclofen pump service and the medical director for the Post-COVID Interdisciplinary Clinical Care Network in BC.

Moderator: David Wallace, MD, MSc, FRCSC

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Moderator: David Wallace, MD, MSc, FRCSC

Dr. David Wallace is a plastic surgeon at Sunnybrook Hospital specializing in burn critical care and surgery, as well as leading the complex wound surgery service.

The session, "Spasticity Management: Impact on Wound Healing, and Peri-Operative Considerations," offers attendees a deep understanding of spasticity's role in wound healing and peri-operative care, with practical applications. Participants will explore spasticity's implications and key principles in its management, essential for holistic patient care. Through engaging case studies, attendees will apply this knowledge to real-world situations involving patients with spasticity and pressure injuries. Additionally, they will critically assess the impact of management strategies on wound healing and peri-operative outcomes, enabling informed clinical decisions.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the implications of spasticity on wound healing and peri-operative considerations, as well as the key principles of spasticity management.

2. Apply the knowledge gained to case studies involving patients with spasticity and pressure injuries.

3. Analyze the impact of various management strategies on wound healing and peri-operative outcomes.

November 16, 2023 11:55 am

Infection Prevention and Management in the Elderly Population

Gannon Yu, MD

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Gannon Yu, MD

Dr. Gannon Yu completed medical school at the University of British Columbia, and Internal Medicine at the University of Calgary. He returned home to complete his Infectious Diseases fellowship at University of British Columbia. 

Since 2018 he has been working as an Infectious Diseases physician at Lions Gate Hospital, which is a 268-bed acute care community hospital that also serves the Coastal Community of Care including the Vancouver North Shore, the Sea to Sky corridor to Whistler and Pemberton, as well as the Sunshine Coast. 

He is the chairperson for the Vancouver Coastal Community of Care Infection Prevention and Control, and also co-leads the Vancouver Coastal ASPIRES Antimicrobial Stewardship Audit and Feedback Program.

His practice also includes a busy outpatient clinic where 25-30 patients are seen daily, with a focus on antibiotics and wound care for their infections. 

Moderator: Rosemary Hill BSN, CWOCN, NSWOC,WOCC(C)

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Moderator: Rosemary Hill BSN, CWOCN, NSWOC,WOCC(C)

Rosemary Hill has been a nurse for 37 years and works fulltime at Lions Gate Hospital – Vancouver Coastal Health. In 2004, Rosemary completed the Wound Ostomy Continence program at Emory Medical University, Atlanta Georgia, and has been practicing within that role. Her past volunteer activities include a two year term (2016-2018) as President of Nurses Specialized in Wound Ostomy Continence Canada (NSWOCC). She continues to be involved with practice standards as it pertains to Wound and Ostomy care and is a member of the BC Provincial nursing skin and wound committee and continues to be the chair of the BC Provincial Nursing Ostomy committee. Her experiences in wound and ostomy care, has provided her with opportunities to speak nationally and internationally (WUWHS, EWMA , SAWC,) Additionally she was the recipient of the Award of Excellence in Practice from the Association of Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia (ARNBC). Recently her volunteer activities have taken her to Argentina where she worked with a select group of Canadian NSWOCs to offer Wound education and introduce a standardized wound assessment tool in the province of Salta. She hopes to continue to support the NSWOCs in Argentina with wound care standardization.

The session on "Infection Prevention and Management in the Elderly Population" provides attendees with a comprehensive understanding of infection risks related to pressure injuries in elderly individuals, emphasizing infection prevention and management principles. Through the analysis of case studies involving elderly patients with pressure injuries, participants will develop the skills to identify suitable infection control measures and treatment strategies. Moreover, this session enables attendees to assess existing infection prevention and management practices within their healthcare environments, fostering awareness of potential shortcomings and opportunities for enhancement.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the key concepts around infection risks associated with pressure injuries in the elderly population, including the principles of infection prevention and management.

2. Analyze case studies pertaining to elderly patients with pressure injuries, identifying appropriate infection control measures and treatment strategies.

3. Evaluate current infection prevention and management practices in their respective healthcare settings, recognizing potential gaps and areas for improvement. 

November 16, 2023 02:45 pm

Optimizing your Dressing Resources: What to apply? When to apply? How to apply?

Stephanie Chadwick, NP-PHC, MClSc-WH, BScN, NSWOC, WOCC(c)

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Stephanie Chadwick, NP-PHC, MClSc-WH, BScN, NSWOC, WOCC(c)

Stephanie Chadwick has been a nurse for 28 years specializing in complex wound, ostomy and continence care with specialties in oncology and thermal injury. She has contributed to pressure injury prevention programs and facilitates preceptorship and mentorship for both wound ostomy and nurse practitioner students. Stephanie advanced her education by completing her Nurse Practitioner Primary Health Care in 2016, Masters Clinical Science Wound Healing in 2012, Post Graduate Diploma in Wound Healing & Tissue Repair in 2010, certification in the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy in 2007, and completing the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course. Stephanie continues to specialize in thermal injury and has taken her journey to become a part of the growing team at Hamilton General Hospital Burn Unit/Clinic as a Nurse Practitioner.

Sukaina Muhammad RN, MCl-Sc-WH, NSWOCC, WOCN(C)

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Sukaina Muhammad RN, MCl-Sc-WH, NSWOCC, WOCN(C)

Sukaina has been involved with ostomy and wound care since 1994, beginning in Pakistan, where she graduated from the Aga Khan University, School of Nursing. Her first exposure to wound care was at the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan providing care to the people in the refugee camps. Since moving to Canada she completed the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course (IIWCC) from the University of Toronto, completed a Masters in Clinical Sciences in Wound Healing (MClSc-WH) from Western University and the Nurse Specialised in Wound Ostomy Continence Course (NSWOCC) from Wound Ostomy Continence Institute.

She is a preceptor for undergraduate and postgraduate nurses. She has had a variety of work experience as a wound and ostomy leader. Presently she works at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre as an Advanced Practice Nurse-Wound Care Specialist with the Complex Wound Service, providing wound consults for the inpatient population, conducting the outpatient Ostomy Clinic and providing educational support to the staff and new hires.

She has been an active member of Wounds Canada providing support for wound care workshops and national conferences. As a member of the NSWOC community she has participated in the compilation of the document:  “Launch of the Canadian Urinary Diversions Position Statement”

Moderator: Marlene Varga, RN, BScN, MSc, IIWCC

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Moderator: Marlene Varga, RN, BScN, MSc, IIWCC

Marlene Varga has been a Registered Nurse for over 30+ years all at Covenant Health in Edmonton, Alberta. Marlene developed an interest in skin and wound care early on in her career and was influenced by several wound care leaders. She completed a MSc in Wound Healing and Tissue Repair at Cardiff University and continues to volunteer as an honorary tutor to support students and enhance her knowledge and experiences. Marlene currently works as a Clinical Nurse Specialist leading the development, implementation and evaluation of an organizational pressure injury prevention program. She is an advocate for prevention, wound management and patient education and engagement/inclusion. Marlene enjoys animals (she has a dog named Nova), traveling, reading, golf, and yoga in her free time.

The session, "Optimizing your Dressing Resources: What to apply? When to apply? How to apply?" equips participants with a comprehensive understanding of wound dressings, their indications, and the principles governing their effective use in pressure injury management. Attendees will apply this knowledge in clinical scenarios, making informed decisions on dressing selection and analyzing their rationale. Furthermore, the session encourages participants to critically assess their current dressing application practices for pressure injuries, identifying areas for improvement and inefficiencies. Subsequently, attendees will develop strategies or protocols to optimize dressing resources in their healthcare settings, ultimately enhancing patient care and improving wound healing outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the various types of wound dressings available, their indications, and the principles guiding when and how to apply each type effectively in the management of pressure injuries.

2. Demonstrate their ability to apply this knowledge in clinical scenarios, making decisions on the most suitable dressings to use, and analyze the reasons behind their choices.

3. Critically evaluate their current practices in wound dressing application for pressure injuries, identifying areas of inefficiency or potential improvement. Following this, they will devise strategies or protocols to optimize dressing resources in their own healthcare settings, enhancing patient care and wound healing outcomes.

November 16, 2023 03:40 pm

Nutrition Perspective to Maximize Skin Integrity and Wound Healing

Ellen Mackay RD, MSc, CDE

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Ellen Mackay RD, MSc, CDE

Ellen is a Clinical Dietitian with over 30 years of experience in a wide range of nutrition specialty areas including diabetes management, wound care, heart disease, weight management, enteral nutrition, pediatric care and eating disorders. She is registered with the College of Dietitians of British Columbia, Dietitians of Canada and is a professional member of the Canadian Diabetes Association and Wounds Canada. She volunteers as a Board of Director for Wounds Canada, representing Registered Dietitians and their role in wound prevention and management. Ellen received her Bachelors of Science in Dietetics and her Masters degree in Human Nutrition from the University of British Columbia. Ellen works in a variety of settings including one-to-one counseling, small group and nutrition education seminars to help clients attain their nutrition and health goals.

Moderator: Kaylem Boileau RD, HBSc, BASc, MHSc. IIWCC-CAN

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Moderator: Kaylem Boileau RD, HBSc, BASc, MHSc. IIWCC-CAN

Kaylem Boileau is a Registered Dietitian with College of Dietitians of Ontario, processing an Honours Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Food and Nutrition, as well as a Master of Health Sciences from Ryerson University. She has completed the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course (IIWCC-CAN), and continues to advance her knowledge in wound care to support her patients.

 

Kaylem is the Corporate Wound Care Lead, and Registered Dietitian at the Salvation Army Toronto Grace Health Centre and is the president-elect of the Canadian Pressure Injury Advisory Panel. Kaylem has presented on the topic of pressure injuries and nutrition at several conferences, including for CPIAP and Wounds Canada, and has taught at the IIWCC. Kaylem has also contributed to textbooks on nutrition for pressure injuries and is sitting on the expert panel for the development of the RNAO Best Practice Guidelines for pressure injuries. At Toronto Grace, she supports inter-professional wound prevention and care across the organization, and delivers staff education on pressure injury prevention, and wound assessment, management. She has also lead the implementation of the RNAO Best Practice Guidelines for the Assessment and Management of Pressure Injuries for the Interprofessional Team at Toronto Grace.

The session on "Nutrition Perspective to Maximize Skin Integrity and Wound Healing" empowers participants with a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role of nutrition in maintaining skin integrity and facilitating wound healing, emphasizing essential nutrients involved in these processes. The important role of malnutrition in wound development, use of malnutrition screening tools and when to refer to a registered dietitian will be discussed.

Additionally, this session encourages participants to critically evaluate their current dietary recommendations for patients with pressure injuries, pinpointing areas where improvements can be made to enhance patient care and optimize the healing process.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to

1. Understand the role of nutrition in maintaining skin integrity and promoting wound healing, and the essential nutrients that contribute to these processes.
2. Review the role of malnutrition in wound development, use of malnutrition screening tools and when to refer to a Registered Dietitian.
3. Apply strategies to overcome barriers faced by clients with wounds to optimize nutrition intake to support healing.
4. Evaluate impact of nutrition interventions on skin health and wound healing.

November 16, 2023 04:30 pm

Identify Gaps and Opportunities in Pressure Injury Prevention and Advancing Policy in LTC

Bahar Karimi, RN, MN, MHSc, CHE

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Bahar Karimi, RN, MN, MHSc, CHE

Bahar Karimi is the Executive Director of Long-Term Care Services and the Chair of Centre of Excellence at Thrive Group. She has held frontline positions as a Personal Support Worker, Registered Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse. In addition, she has been a Nursing Instructor in the Nursing Programs, an Associate Director of Care and a Director of Resident Services as well as an Administrator of LTC homes. She has experience working in non-profit, for-profit, and municipal homes and significant expertise in transforming workplace culture, leadership development, team building and change management.

Bahar has a Masters degree in Nursing as well as a Masters degree in Health Administration from University of Toronto and is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders. She is currently completing her PhD in Nursing, Leadership in Health Services Delivery at University of Western Ontario and her thesis is focused on the sustainability of the LTC workforce. She is a repeat guest speaker and trainer of leadership and change management for different academic and organizational settings. Bahar's highest passion is advocacy for health system transformation, compassionate leadership, motivating and empowering systems and people to be the best version of themselves, and to mobilize exceptional teams to provide exemplary quality of care and services to the users of our health care system. Bahar lives with her husband, her two sons and their dog Picasso in Hamilton, Ontario.

Elizabeth Ermter RN, BN, IIWCC

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Elizabeth Ermter RN, BN, IIWCC

Elizabeth Ermter is a graduate of the University of Calgary Bachelor of Nursing program and has practiced as an RN for over 30 years, most of which has been community nursing. Her interest for all things skin and wound began as a nurse in LTC, during which she completed her IIWCC at the University of Toronto. In the past 10 years she has continued her community focus in her role with Alberta Health Services as a Clinical Instructor in Skin and Wound with the ISFL (Integrated Supportive and Facility Living) Team supporting patients with chronic complex skin and wound conditions. Her role, and passion, includes developing and providing skin and wound education for community nurses, Allied Health and Community Paramedics. Her professional contributions include speaking at the Wounds Canada National Conference, the Scleroderma National Conference and at Covenant Health’s Wound Conference. Most recently Elizabeth published an article in Wound Care Canada and participated in national guideline and standard development. Away from work Elizabeth enjoys adventure sports like wall climbing and scuba diving, and explores her creative side with painting, crochet and quilting.

Moderator: Elaine Calvert RN, MA

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Moderator: Elaine Calvert RN, MA

Elaine is a Registered Nurse and retired healthcare executive. Over the course of her 43-year career, Elaine held direct care and leadership positions in Acute care, Long term care, Community and Hospice care. Through sector relationships, Elaine developed a special interest in Wound Care, eventually joining the RNAO Ontario Wound Interest Group as an executive member from 2011 to 2014.  For several years, Elaine has had the privilege of supporting Long Term Care teams across Ontario to build capacity in the areas of Wound Care policy and education. Elaine currently works as a Long Term Care consultant and looks forward to enjoying her senior years with family, friends and former colleagues.

In the session titled "Identify Gaps and Opportunities in Pressure Injury Prevention and Advancing Policy in LTC," participants will achieve several key objectives. Firstly, they will review existing policies and standards related to pressure injury prevention in Long-Term Care (LTC) settings, with a specific example from Ontario and Alberta. Secondly, attendees will gain the ability to identify potential barriers and opportunities within LTC environments. Lastly, through the analysis of case studies, participants will apply pressure injury prevention policies to uncover gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities in current LTC practices. This session equips participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to advance pressure injury prevention policies and practices in LTC settings, promoting better care outcomes for residents

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Review current policies and standards for pressure injury prevention in LTC settings an example from Ontario and Alberta.

2. Recognize potential barriers and opportunities within LTC settings.

3. Analyze case studies, applying pressure injury prevention policies to identify gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities in current practices within LTC settings.

November 16, 2023 05:20 pm

Closing

Stephanie Chadwick NP-PHC, MClSc-WH, BScN, NSWOC, WOCC(c)

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Stephanie Chadwick NP-PHC, MClSc-WH, BScN, NSWOC, WOCC(c)

Stephanie Chadwick has been a nurse for 28 years specializing in complex wound, ostomy and continence care with specialties in oncology and thermal injury. She has contributed to pressure injury prevention programs and facilitates preceptorship and mentorship for both wound ostomy and nurse practitioner students. Stephanie advanced her education by completing her Nurse Practitioner Primary Health Care in 2016, Masters Clinical Science Wound Healing in 2012, Post Graduate Diploma in Wound Healing & Tissue Repair in 2010, certification in the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy in 2007, and completing the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course. Stephanie continues to specialize in thermal injury and has taken her journey to become a part of the growing team at Hamilton General Hospital Burn Unit/Clinic as a Nurse Practitioner.

David Wallace MD MSc FRCSC

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David Wallace MD MSc FRCSC

Dr. David Wallace is a plastic surgeon at Sunnybrook Hospital specializing in burn critical care and surgery, as well as leading the complex wound surgery service.