There is one RESEARCH position on the AAWC Board of Directors.Each nominee was asked to write a statement in response to the following: The AAWC Board of Directors serves to advance the initiatives of the AAWC which are focused on the strategic plan consisting of the four pillars of education, public policy, research and infrastructure. Describe how your qualifications align with all four pillars and your plans to support the Board in its efforts to meet AAWC's strategic objectives... Meet the two 2019 candidates...
It is necessary to have a Board that focuses on the diverse aspects of wound care. Besides education, I agree that public policy is of great importance. There is a need to increase wound care awareness in the public forum. I agree that the restructure of staging pressure ulcers is needed to include clinically relevance. A PAC has been successful in numerous organizations, including surgery, and would be of value here. Collaborative research is necessary to provide meaningful data. The AAWC should be the leader in the establishment of clinical practice guidelines and a wound registry. There is additional opportunity to create a journal which presentations in the form of abstracts and manuscripts can be available for greater dissemination of wound care content. I plan to support the Board in its efforts to meet AAWC's strategic objectives.
I am focussed on innovation and collaboration to meet today’s evolving educational needs. My 10+ years of teaching in interdisciplinary wound programs have connected me with a considerable international network of key opinion leaders. I am strongly committed to exploring sponsorship opportunities to connect busy people in engaging ways. I am an early adopter of new technology and familiar with a wide range of social media platforms. I have utilized my web design training to develop educational programs and informal forums. My main focus is collaboration with and advocacy for wound patients and their caregivers. I have met with government officials to profile the complex and difficult lives of people with acute and chronic wounds. My 2005 article on the challenges of providing cost effective wound care remains my most searched and cited publication. I am actively involved in the development of wound related guidelines and resources. My published tool for whole patient wound assessment has been adopted by several organizations. I am passionate about revising the classification for PU severity to meet the needs of caregivers and administrators while reflecting the lived realities of affected individuals. I am currently participating in several team research projects that depend on equitable contributions from patients, health professionals and industry. I use and teach quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods and firmly support approaching problems from multiple perspectives. I support the AAWC development of evidence-based policy and legislation that protects and promotes optimal outcomes while recognizing that individual experience and expertise cannot always be adequately captured in standardized practices. As clinicians we regularly get creative to meet people’s diverse needs, skills and motivation. While my experience on executive boards and with industry position me well to support the AAWC infrastructure goals, if elected, it is the knowledge I gained at the bedside that I will use to support board initiatives to listen, recognize and provide what members need to join and stay. |
Alisha Oropallo MD
Nicola Waters