Faculty

Cathy is an Advanced Practice WOC Nurse providing care to patients across the continuum in acute care, long-term care, home health and outpatient settings. Employed by Connecticut Clinical Nursing Associates, she also provides consulting to organizations wishing to improve wound outcomes, conducts clinical research, lectures nationally and internationally, is the Co-Editor of the text Wound, Ostomy, Continence Secrets and the recently published 3rd Edition of the Wound Care Certification Study Guide. She currently serves as an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the Yale School of Nursing. Cathy is on the Executive Education Committee of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care after holding a two term Nurse Board Member position.

Dr. Jayesh B. Shah is the President of South Texas Wound Associates, where he provides clinical wound care services in San Antonio since the past 20 years; President of TIMEO2 Healing Concepts, LLC, which provides consulting and education services in wound care and hyperbaric medicine; Medical Director of Wound Healing Center at Northeast Baptist Hospital and Mission Trail Baptist Wound Healing Center in San Antonio, Texas; Past President of American College of Hyperbaric Medicine; current Board of Trustees Member of Texas Medical Association. He is current Co- Chair of WoundCON and Current Board Member of ISTAP.

He has published “Wound Care Certification Study Guide” in 2011, its second edition in 2016, Its third edition in 2021; Textbook of Chronic Wound Care: An Evidence-Based Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment in 2018, and created “WoundDoctor”  Free App, a comprehensive wound care resource tool for physicians, nurses and physical therapists for iPhone, Android and iPad. He has authored over 40 chapters on wound topics in 4 books and 30+ scientific articles in wound care and hyperbaric medicine. He is past Assistant Editor of Journal of ACCWS and present editorial board member of Today's Wound Clinic.

To his credit, Dr. Shah is the recipient of the Gold Award for Wound Hygiene Implementation issued by JWC WUWHS Awards (2022), Lifetime Achievement Award (2020) Diabetes Research Award (2019) Paul James Sheffield Education Award for Lifetime Dedication to Education in the field of Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine (2014); Jefferson C. Davis Memorial Award for Excellence in Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine (2007 and 2011); Carolyn Sue Award (2009); Young Scientist/Medical Doctor Award (2008).

Dr. Barrett is Director of the Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine at the Crozer Health System in suburban Philadelphia.  He is a surgically trained podiatrist and certified wound care specialist with 20 years of experience developing and managing centers for advanced wound management, amputation prevention and hyperbaric medicine.

In addition to his administrative role, Dr. Barrett’s focus is collaboration with his nursing and physician staff members to optimize outcomes using sound, evidence and experience-based interventions and value-based decisions. He is an invited speaker and presenter at national and international wound care conferences; sharing insight and experiences using established and emerging wound care therapies to improve outcomes. He sits on the Board of Directors for the American Professional Wound Care Association and in 2021 was awarded the Master designation for contributions to the society and wound care advancement. He has co-authored peer-reviewed consensus documents with other wound healing thought leaders to help guide clinicians in their treatment choices.  
 

Dr. Abigail Chaffin is an Associate Professor and the Division Chief of Plastic Surgery at Tulane University.  She is also the Medical Director of the MedCentris Wound Healing Institute at Tulane.  She focuses her practice on wound medicine, complex surgical wound reconstructive surgery, and general plastic reconstructive surgery. 

She has authored many publications in plastic surgery and wound medicine, and she lectures nationally and internationally on these topics.  
 

Suzanne Decker, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist at VA Connecticut Healthcare System, investigator at VA HSR&D Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-Morbidities and Education Center, investigator at New England Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine.  Dr. Decker has longstanding interests in helping individuals reduce suicidal and self-harming behavior, and in investigating applications of Dialectical Behavior Therapy.  Her current research includes a multi-site hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of DBT Skills Groups to reduce suicide attempt among at-risk Veterans. 

Dr. Desvigne (pronounced “deveen”) is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon serving as Director of Wound Reconstruction at Valley Wound Care Specialists in Glendale, Arizona. Originally from New York, he has traveled the globe.   He served 12 years in the United States Air Force as a medical student, flight surgeon and general surgeon. As a general surgery resident he was first introduced to wound care and did a research fellowship in wound care and hyperbaric medicine.  He completed his Plastic Surgery training at University of Texas San Antonio.  He is board certified in General surgery, Plastic Surgery, Hyperbaric medicine and Wound care. Previously he served as Director of Plastic Surgery at the CORE Institute focusing on orthopedic reconstruction.  Additionally, Dr. Desvigne has served as medical director of several outpatient wound facilities, acute inpatient facilities as well as initiating wound programs for multiple LTACs, SNFs and rehab centers. Dr. Desvigne has served as as a Consultant of Plastic Surgery and Wound Care at The Cancer Treatment Center of America, in Goodyear, AZ as well as Medical Director of Integra Home Medical Doctors directing postsurgical wound care in the home setting.  His focus is on the continuum of care and optimizing management from the acute to post-acute setting.  In 2017, Dr. Desvigne joined Valley Wound Care Specialists and created a new model of care with a focus on providing wound reconstruction in the office setting and minimizing the need for acute hospitalization, termed Out-Patient Wound Reconstruction (OWR). 

Dr. Shelley DiCecco, PT, PhD, CLT-LANA, CI-CS, founded LymphEd in 2017 as part of Casley-Smith International. She completed her Physical Therapy Degree in January of 2000. She became a Woman’s Health Specialist for Pelvic Floor Disorders in 2000 and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist in 2001. Dr. DiCecco received her PhD from Texas Woman’s University in the Philosophy of Physical Therapy in 2012. Her research involved treatment techniques for females with genital lymphedema with or without lower extremity involvement. She assisted with or led several continuing education courses, conferences, and seminars, as well as presented at community events on lymphedema, pelvic floor disorders, and other orthopedic conditions over the years, both nationally and internationally. She has published articles on lymphedema and pelvic floor disorders and contributed to books on lymphedema. Dr. DiCecco currently is Director of the lymphedema and pelvic floor service lines for the Sports Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She specializes in the treatment of patients with genital, pediatric, and/or complicated lymphedema. Dr. DiCecco is also full-time faculty as an Assistant Professor at the Georgia’s Campus for the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in the Physical Therapy Department. Dr. DiCecco focus of research is on the lymphatics and lymphedema. Her current research involves cadavers, genital lymphedema, and pediatric lymphedema. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and it’s Oncology, Pelvic Health, and Education Sections; the Lymphology Association of North America; the National Lymphedema Network, International Lymphoedema Framework; and Casley-Smith International Group with the role of President.

Daniel G. Federman, M.D., F.A.C.P. graduated from Swarthmore College and New York University School of Medicine. After completing an internship, residency, and chief residency at the University of Miami, he began his academic career at the University of Miami/Miami VA and soon moved on to the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and Yale. He currently is a Professor of Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine and Chief of Medicine at VA Connecticut Health Care System. In addition to providing clinical care to Veterans, he has published extensively on the interface between primary care and dermatology, quality of care, cancer screening, venous disease, peripheral arterial disease, and battlefield acupuncture. He serves on several journal editorial boards, has over 200 publications, lectures nationally, and has been the recipient of several teaching awards.

Susan has been practicing as a CWOCN for 12 years. She cares for pediatric patients at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH).  Her early years were spent focused primarily in pediatric critical care providing proactive preventative skin care and caring for complex wound and ostomy patients within her Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist role. She now provides full scope of practice as a CWOCN caring for neonates, children, and young adults throughout all inpatient services at BCH. Along with a very active clinical practice, she is the Co-Chair of the BCH Skin Committee and is the BCH pressure injury prevention co-representative to the National Solutions for Patient Safety (NSPS), which is a national forum of pediatric hospitals that share data and solutions to address common hospital-acquired conditions. She participated in the Braden QD validity study as a research assistant and has multiple publications related to pediatric critical care nutrition topics.

Rose received a BS in Physical Therapy from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and an MS and post-graduate DPT from the University of Southern California.  She is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California and practiced at Keck Hospital where she developed the in-patient and out-patient wound care programs.  She developed and taught wound care curriculum to entry-level physical therapy students at three PT programs.    
She most recently edited the second edition of “Text and Atlas of Wound Diagnosis and Treatment,” a comprehensive textbook on wound care, and co-authored “Essential Elements of Wound Diagnosis,” both published by McGraw Hill Education.  She is a member of the APTA Acute Care and Clinical Electrophysiology and Wound Management Sections, and is Chair of the Specialty Council charged with developing the certification exam for physical therapists who specialize in wound management. Rose is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care as the Physical Therapy Representative.  She is also on the Board of Directors for the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House and a volunteer for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Village which provides services for elderly who wish to remain in their own homes.
 

Heather A. Heale BSN, RN-BC, CWOCN is a Certified Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurse at Rochester Regional Health, Unity Campus. Heather received her BSN from Robert’s Wesleyan College in 2016. She earned her CWOCN nursing certification from Web WOC Nursing Education program in 2021. She is also board certified in Medical Surgical, Cardiovascular, Geriatric, and Psych/Mental health nursing. Prior to working as an inpatient, acute care CWOCN, Heather worked as a bedside nurse on a cardiac medical surgical floor and later became a Clinical Nurse Leader for a general medical surgical unit. Heather is also recently sharp debridement certified. Heather has also co-authored several posters presented at national wound care conferences. 

Coming soon! 

Coming soon! 

Paul J. Kim, D.P.M., is the Medical Director of the Wound Program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is also a Professor in the Departments of Plastic Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery at UT Southwestern.  Dr. Kim received a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in psychology and biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1995. He earned a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in 2002, receiving multiple honors. He then completed a surgical foot and ankle residency program in 2005 at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia. Dr. Kim also received a Master of Science Degree in Clinical Research Management from Arizona State University in 2012.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.  Dr. Kim has received intramural and extramural research grants in wound care, diabetic limb salvage, and tendon pathology. He has chaired multiple committees and has had leadership roles related to research, evidence-based medicine, and the diabetic limb for national and international organizations including the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and the American Diabetes Association. Dr. Kim has also been an invited expert participant/consultant for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USA Veterans Affairs (VA), USA Department of Health and Human services (HHS), and Centers for Medicare Services (CMS).  He is a national and international speaker with over 300 invited lectures and has authored over 200 basic science, clinical manuscripts, and book chapters on foot and ankle medicine and surgery topics, with a specific interest in the diabetic limb.

Noreen Heer Nicol, PhD, RN, FNP, NEA-BC was Interim Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Associate Professor at the University of Colorado, College of Nursing.  Prior to this position, she was at Children’s Hospital Colorado and National Jewish Health, both in Denver, CO.  Her nursing career spans more than 45 years as nurse practitioner (NP), nurse executive, and nurse educator. At National Jewish Health, she was Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Clinical Officer, but continued to practice as an NP in the Atopic Dermatitis Program for 23 years.  She has held faculty appointments at multiple universities.

Tami Pruitt MS, RD, NWCC is a Registered Dietitian at a large long term care/rehab facility in Detroit, MI and has worked in long term care for over a decade. In addition to devoting her career with the geriatric population, Tami also has numerous years of experience working with Hospice companies; in home patients with enteral feeding and as an Adjunct Instructor at Madonna University where she taught five different courses over a three year span. Tami became the first Registered Dietitian to become Nutrition and Wound Care Certified in 2018. That same year she was featured in numerous articles, but her favorite was when she was named ‘RD of the Day’ by Today’s Dietitian Magazine. Tami is devoted in her career to help educate other Dietitians and health professionals on the importance of nutrition in the wound healing process. Tami recently became a Published Author of her first book title, "I Ate Cookies Out Of The Trash", found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble website, Apple and Google Books. Tami still finds time to volunteer as the President of her Condo Association. Tami received her BS degree in Kinesiology-Exercise & Fitness from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee and her MS degree in Human Nutritional Science from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.  Her dietetic internship landed her at the University of Michigan in 2009 and has been in Michigan ever since.

Dr. Ruotsi is the Medical Director of the Saratoga Hospital Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine in Saratoga Springs, NY.   In this role he is responsible for outpatient wound care services as well as inpatient wound care consultative services for the Saratoga Hospital and Saratoga Hospital Medical Group.  He is board certified in Wound Care by the American Board of Wound Medicine and Surgery, is certified as a Wound Specialist (CWS-P) by the American Board of Wound Management, and is board certified in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. He is additionally certified as a Diving Medical Officer (DMO) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  He sits on the Board of Directors of the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPUAP) and is presently chair of it's Education Committee.  He is a Founding Diplomate and sits on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Wound Medicine and Surgery and is Co-Chair of the Wound Care Summit for the AMP Amputation Prevention Symposium.  He is a member of the CLI Global Wound Care Board, the Wound Healing Society (WHS), is a faculty member of the Wound Certification Prep Course, and lectures nationally as well as internationally on topics related to wound care and hyperbaric medicine. Dr. Ruotsi lives with his wife and 2 dogs in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Susie Seaman is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Wound Care Nurse (CWCN), and Wound Specialist (CWS). She holds a Master's degree in Nursing from San Diego State University, and a Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate from the University of California, San Diego. She had been a Certified Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurse for 32 years, practicing in the home health care arena for eight years before moving to the outpatient clinic setting 24 years ago. Ms. Seaman founded the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Wound Healing Center in La Mesa, California in 1998 as an adjunct to their Hyperbaric Oxygen program. She left there in 2006 to open a wound clinic for Sharp Rees-Stealy, a 600+ provider multi-specialty medical group with offices throughout San Diego. She left the wound clinic environment in January 2019 to work for Infectious Disease Consultants in La Jolla, California where she oversaw antibiotic therapy for patients with skin and soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, and other challenging infections. Ms. Seaman is now back in wound care, having started a wound clinic for Family Health Centers of San Diego, one of the nation’s ten largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). In this setting, she is honored to support their mission to provide caring, affordable, high quality health care to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low-income and medically underserved persons. Ms. Seaman has been a principal investigator on several research projects involving wound and ostomy care. Her Master’s thesis examined Braden Scale scores and the incidence of pressure ulcers in the home hospice setting. Ms. Seaman speaks nationally on a variety of topics, including chronic wound care, wound assessment, lower extremity wounds, topical therapy, and use of advanced technologies. She has also authored numerous articles and book chapters on both wound and ostomy care. She has a special interest in the treatment of lower extremity ulcers and the diagnosis and treatment of atypical wounds.

Ronald Sherman earned his bachelor’s degree in entomology at UC Riverside (1979) and his medical degree at UCLA (1983), before going on to study Tropical Medicine at the University of London (1988). Long interested in maggot therapy at the intersection of these three fields, he initiated the first clinical trials of maggot therapy for wound healing during his fellowship in infectious diseases (UC Irvine, 1989-1991). Along the way, Dr. Sherman provided medical care in a variety of settings, including Veterans Affairs, county health departments, rural and Indian Health Service clinics, and private practice.  In 1996, Dr. Sherman joined the faculty at UC Irvine, where he continued his studies of myiasis, maggot therapy, and maggot biochemistry. He retired from UC Irvine in 2008, but his laboratory was purchased, privatized, and continued to produce medicinal maggots as Monarch Labs.  Dr. Sherman founded and headed that company from 2005 until his retirement from Monarch Labs in 2020.  Dr. Sherman co-founded the BioTherapeutics, Education and Research (BTER) Foundation in 2003 and is remains its Director, continuing his teaching and research in maggot therapy, leech therapy, ichthyotherapy, and other biotherapeutic modalities. In order to minimize conflicts of interest, he purposely earns his living in an unrelated field:  providing medical care for uninsured HIV/AIDS patients, 2 days per week, at the Orange County Health Care Agency.

Erin started her nursing career in the Burn Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview where her love for hands-on, advanced wound care ignited. She furthered her education and became a Certified Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurse (CWOCN) and moved to New York City to work with complex surgical wounds and develop a WOC Nurse practice within the inpatient and outpatient Colorectal division at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is active in community outreach programs and promotes positive ostomy awareness as an ostomy advocate utilizing social media platforms for international collaboration. Erin was recently interviewed by the Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse Society's podcast, "WOC Talk", to discuss her role in continent ileostomy practice. Erin is completing her Masters' degree at The Columbia School of Nursing, educates as a nursing clinical instructor, volunteers with the WOCN National Member Engagement Taskforce and just completed four years of board leadership with the Metro NY WOCN Affiliate.

Coming Soon!

Dot is a certified Wound and Ostomy Nurse and a Certified Wound Specialist. She is Co-Chair of the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care, on the faculty for the Wound Certification Prep Course, and is the secretary of the International Wound Infection Institute She practices clinically at the Saratoga Hospital Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine, and is a national and international consultant and educator.