Wound Care Education Institute (WCEI®) offers one-day wound care courses throughout the USA year long. WCEI will be hosting TWO New Wound Management Seminars in Orlando, FL on December 5, 2011.  You can Register Here. 
The Seminars will be held here:
Regency Orlando
9300 Airport Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32827
Phone: 407-825-1375
10:00am-5:00pm
Speakers:
Nancy Morgan and Donna Sardina combine their expertise as Certified Wound Care Nurses, along with their extensive background in wound care education and wound management program development to bring you the latest in wound care. As nursing entrepreneurs, Nancy and Donna are experienced and highly recognized international presenters. Their motivational teaching style has inspired health care professionals across the nation.
Click Here to Register
Enhance Your Knowledge in Wound Care!
Our One Day Wound Care Seminars are a few hours long and provide a good “taste of our apple” as it relates to how we deliver wound care education to attendees. The seminar is presented in an exciting, motivating and energizing format that makes the perfect learning environment.  You’ll want to immediately go out to heal wounds and make a difference in your patients life!!
Registration for Orlando seminars only Includes:
•    Admission to the program
•    Vendor Exhibits
•    Lunch
•    Course Handouts
•    Continuing Education Credits
Don’t Miss Out on this Wound Assessment Seminar. Register Here

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Challenges of Wound Care: Bridging the Gap will be presented by Josie F. Schantz MSN, RN-BC, WCC, Regional Professional Education Manager at this year’s Wild on Wounds National Conference in Las Vegas NV, September 7-10,2011.

Wound care is a relatively new field in medicine. Often times, there is a big gap that seems to exist between medical practice and using clinical data to change healthcare practices.  The goal of this educational offering is to teach healthcare professionals about the science of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT).  We will summarize NPWT mechanisms of action, indications, contraindications and warnings. We will discuss benchmark tips and techniques when applying dressings. Lastly, we will discuss research studies that substantiate the clinical effectiveness of NPWT

For more information about the Wound Care Education Institute, please visit http://www.wcei.net.

Click Here To Register for the Wild on Wounds National Conference

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This is for Clinicians that use Negative Pressure in the Home Care Environment ONLY.

CMS (Medicare) Competitive bidding process continues with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) under the spotlight. As seen with previous competitive bidding processes, companies and products with the lowest price will prevail. In order to bid competitively many NPWT companies will have to cut back on education, clinical support and other value added services so they can keep their pricing low enough to stay in the game. NPWT companies do not want to lose the bidding process, because losers will no longer receive Medicare reimbursement. (This will cut back your options for NPWT choices)

We must act now to make sure that our options for quality, not just cheapest, NPWT are available. Simply call, write, or email your local congressman at:https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Tell your representative who you are, what you do and why they should ensure the CMS should institute accreditation & quality standards for NPWT suppliers, prior to bidding for a government contract.

These standards will ensure suppliers can deliver the essential elements for safe and effective use of NPWT in the home, such as requiring 24/7 clinical support along with educational support available to home care patients.”

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Advances in technology are contributing to delivery of care in remote locations. Technology gives the ability for experienced clinicians to treat patients remotely and communicate with wound care certified professionals. Until recently, immobile patients and those with chronic wounds relied heavily upon transport services or family for access to on-going treatments, which often accounted for delayed diagnosis, prolonged hospital visits, and unnecessarily high treatment costs. Now, clinicians can be equipped with smart mobile devices with digital photography, video capability and other medical devices provides immobile patients access to expert specialists for real-time diagnosis and treatment.

Is this the future of medicine and wound care? Can technology help cut costs if used in this manner or is it more of a concierge service? Recently there was a Press Release about the Wound Technology Network Teaming up with AT&T to Facilitate Treatment of Chronically Wounded Patients in Their Homes.

Having access to Wound Care Certified professionals in real time would have its advantages. George Pollack, Chief Technology Officer at Wound Technology Network states “Not only are our specialists able to deliver on-site quality care in real-time, they are able to aid in significantly minimizing the healing time of patients and the overall cost of their treatment.” The saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ could lend validity to that statement. Video and real time collaboration could really make a difference in the patients who can’t access ongoing care at traditional point of service locations like outpatient clinics, offices or hospitals.

As technology advances, so do the challenges for those that have not embraced those capabilities. Many of us already use computers and digital cameras or video cameras. Utilizing them as extensions to our medical or wound care practices should be as natural as having an inservice on a new IV pole or wound care dressing. Some of the technology is user friendly and some may take some time to become familiar until they become extensions of our care delivery. We all had to learn to use a stethoscope, EKG machine or Negative Pressure Wound Therapy device early in our careers. Now is the time to embrace using EMRs, Computers, cameras and other devices that help communicate between health care professionals.

Video Conferencing services like Skype.com or Oovoo.com are making communication between people very attractive. Health care workers that treat patients remotely could take advantage of services like these to communicate remotely with patients who have hardships traveling to see their doctors.

So, how are you using technology in your practices? The Wound Care Education Institute would like to know your thoughts on how technology, social media and other services will be utilized or are already being used. Please leave your comments.

For more information on becoming Wound Care Certified, please visit WCEI’s Registration Page

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As Wound Care Certified professionals, many of you have used or are familiar with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT). WCEI attempts to keep all students and WCC professionals up to date with current news and information. Today,the Food and Drug Administration has issued an alert about deaths and serious complications associated with the use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT). You can read more about this alert at McKnight’s Long Term Care News & Assisted Living

For more information about becoming Wound Care Certified, please visit Wound Care Education Institute’s website.

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