Colleagues,

  

       As I start my tenure as President of the ABWM, I want to thank members of the Board for entrusting me with this responsibility. Thankfully, I know that I will have tremendous support from the ABWM Staff, fellow Board members, Exam Committee and from YOU! I am excited for this challenge.

 

Today I want to address goals to accomplish over the next two years. In many ways, the foundation has already been set for the future. My main goal is to solidify our role as the preeminent accreditation in wound care. I want all of you to better realize what you have accomplished. Few care enough and are diligent enough to take and pass our certification exams. We work hard to make sure that our exams reflect your expertise and the dedication you have to your patients.  I want your patients, families, communities, employers, managed care organizations, as well as our government, to understand how certification with the ABWM separates you from other practioners.   I want those who pay us for what we do to understand the value in ABWM certification. Currently there are numerous ways to "get certified." Please remember that we are not a "pay to play" certification board.   You cannot go to a course and get a certificate. The ABWM is a 501 (c) 6 not-for-profit organization. Our only charter is wound care certification.   We are all volunteers.  In short, the ABWM is YOU!

 

It is imperative that the current ABWM stay true to this mission. Our purpose is to administer a certification process that ELEVATES the standard of care. By hiring Applied Measurement Professionals as our testing company, we have vastly improved the entire test taking experience. When you get re-certified you will notice the difference. Some of the changes include 1) newer facilities that are quiet with state-of-the-art testing computers 2) ability for MD, DO, DPMs to take CWS and CWSP exams at the same time 3) year-round testing and, 4) instantaneous results. Most importantly, I want your feedback, good as well as bad, about the test-taking process. We want to be held accountable to your expectations. I want to make sure that you get good value for what you pay for.

 

Recently another Board was initiated which has been attempting recruitment of physicians. They have portrayed themselves as being the pathway to being recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). There are currently 24 Boards that are approved and recognized by the ABMS. The last medical specialty recognized was in 1991. It is, at best, insincere for other organizations to insinuate at all that you will be forced to join their group in order to practice wound care. In the end, it will be the organization that stays true to their mission statement and members (Diplomates and Associates, as we don't have members) that will end up representing our field of medicine when wound care is ready to be recognized. We have too much respect for our members to misrepresent what we do. Unlike other "certifying boards" we were founded in 1995, and have over 3500 Diplomates and Associates. Our current Board has over 200 years of collective wound care experience. We have fully-developed tests, with the CWS recognized by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

 

Additionally, my goal is to further our stature in the wound care as well as healthcare community. What we do is important. We save lives!   Not all healthcare professionals can do what we do. It would be a shame for us, but especially for our patients, if this is not fully noted by current thought leaders and decision makers. By staying true to our original mission we have separated ourselves from all other certification groups.  Still we want to do a better job in getting the word out. Having an excellent product does not always ensure success.

 

To educate the community about the imperative of certification and how we are different than other entities, we need to:

 

1) Increase marketing via publications, conferences, the web and social media.

2) Implement a non-profit foundation.

3) Implement educational opportunities, both in person as well on the web.

4) Expand relations with other organizations to expand our influence.

5) Encourage feedback from the Diplomates and Associates

6) Facilitate preparation for the testing and recertification.

 

To help meet many of these goals the ABWM Foundation has been formed. The Foundation is still in its early stages, and you will be of the utmost importance in helping it to grow. The mission of The Foundation is to "create a pathway for wound care professionals to have adequate knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide effective wound care." My hope is that the Foundation will make it easier and more accessible for future and recertifying candidates to prepare for the exams, as well as greatly improve patient care and outcomes. Future goals could include a research arm to validate certification and improved outcomes.

 

As you can see, this sets up a lot of challenges as well as opportunities. In the next years, exciting possibilities will come up. I, personally, would like to invite YOU to participate.

 

In closing, I want to thank you for allowing me this opportunity. My goal is to continue to strengthen our exams and improve the entire testing experience. At the end of my tenure, I expect the Foundation will be effectively fulfilling its mission, which is complementary to our Board. I desire your feedback. I want to know how I can better serve YOU!   Most importantly, I ask for your help in volunteering to further the ABWM mission. There is always opportunity to help!

 

Sincerely,

 

Walter Conlan, MD, CWSP

ABWM President