Resources mentioned in this episode:

E-ordering options that make it faster and easier for HCPs to order and alter patients’ supplies

UOAA Resources Library

Access to Supplies with Medicare words of Advice from UOAA Advocacy team

The Critical Need to Provide Ostomy Supplies Specific to Patient Need to Improve

LCD-Ostomy Supplies (L33828)

UOAA non-medical switching of ostomy supplies campaign

UOAA’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

• Wound Treatment Associate (WTA®) Program
• How to become a certification wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nurse
• Ostomy Care Associate (OCA®) Program

About the Guest

Laurie 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 Center

First Social Learning discussions

Bite Sized Learning Courses

Wound Treatment Associate (WTA®) Program

Ostomy Care Associate (OCA®) Program

About 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 devices

Click 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 Information

Application Deadlines:

• Spring Cycle: February 1 – May 1
• Fall Cycle: August 1 – November 1

About 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.com

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.

Episode Resources:

• World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET®) International Ostomy Guidelines
• WCET® Journal
• Leininger's Culture Care Diversity and Universality: A Worldwide Nursing Theory
• Transcultural Nursing Society (TCNS)
• Journal of Transcultural Nursing
• National 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 Review

About 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 Consensus

JWOCN Article: Use of Convexity in Pouching: A Comprehensive Review

JWOCN Article: Characteristics of Convex Skin Barriers and Clinical Application: Results of an International Consensus Panel

Collin’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 only
• JWOCN® evidence-based articles on pediatric care
• Pediatric 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.