The Academy of Physicians in Wound Healing (AP WH) was formed by physicians for physicians. AP WH’s educational directives are unique in that our objectives aim to provide clinical information relative to diagnosis and management of the etiological diseases associated with nonhealing wounds, and are not strictly the “how to’s” of treating these wounds. The courses are designed for those who are involved with overseeing patient care...the physician!

The APWH 2014 National Conference opens Thursday, March 27, with a European-style Wound Healing Expo. These educational events allow for a hands-on type of educational experience with smaller groups of registrants participating in the various rotating sessions. APWH is proud to be among the first (if not the first) to bring this European-style expo model to the United States for the wound care discipline.

Two tracks will run simultaneously on Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29; registrants can decide which track best meets their needs. Both tracks are timed for exhibit breaks and lunch which will be held in the exhibit hall and will occur at the same time, allowing colleagues to interact/network with each other. One track is a basic fundamentals program designed for the new practitioner entering this field, as well as the seasoned physician wanting to review the fundamentals. It also serves as a terrific preparatory course for considering, or preparing to sit, for wound healing certification.

The second track is a general session’s track designed to provide a new forward-thinking perspective and recharge practitioners’ batteries with the latest exciting concepts dealing with wound healing and related patient management. The Friday sessions will have an emphasis on vascular disease and aspects not commonly shared between the wound healing community and those performing endovascular surgery. An increase in the knowledge as to how and where endovascular surgery can be particularly beneficial to venous ulcer patients and would assist best outcomes and increase cross referrals between the vascular and wound care physicians.

Wound care providers more commonly refer ischemic patients to vascular specialists, but we need a better understanding of how and when these services should be utilized to prevent recurrence of venous stasis ulcers. A better understanding is provided in the lecture series on the various options available, both on a surgical and nonsurgical basis, and the expected outcomes, complications and precautions for various forms of therapy. There will be many other aspects of patient care covered in the Friday sessions, including imaging for infection versus neoplasm versus vascular disease, what type of imaging is best ordered for various diagnoses, and much more. The Friday sessions will conclude with an optional dinner symposium on the medical-legal aspects of writing for antibiotic therapy. The Saturday general sessions will primarily address wound care management and cover an array of different aspects for current therapy and the decision making in which type of therapy best fits the patient’s needs. There are a number of topics on both of these days not covered in other wound care programs but important to the physician managing these patients.

Sunday is a post-conference session that opens with oral abstracts and concludes with a three-hour session on the business of wound care. Topics such as an update on billing/ coding including ICD10, documentation, and the many aspects of running a state-of-the-art wound healing clinic or practice will be included.

Registration fees include a meal package including a daily light breakfast, lunch and breaks, optional dinner symposium, poster exhibit reception, and downloadable notes of most of the conference sessions.

There are numerous world-renowned featured speakers including Jason Prigozen, MD, FAPWHc, who serves as the APWH physician on the House and Senate Floor, a program that APWH has initiated. There will be panel sessions with time for questions and open interactive discussion.

To learn more about this new exciting upcoming Wound Care Conference and Expo, visit APWH at www.APWH.org, email [email protected], or call (336) 923-5604. Registration for the Wound Expo and some additional aspects are limited, so earlier registration is encouraged allowing the best opportunity obtain first-choice course options.