Crystal is the Director of Education at Wounds Canada.  Her education includes:

• A Degree in Nursing from the University of Windsor, in 2004
• A Master of Clinical Science (MClSc) in Wound Healing degree from the Western University, in 2009

Crystal has worked in the acute, community and long-term care sectors in both a traditional nursing role and as a wound consultant. She was also previously the Clinical Lead for the South West Regional Wound Care Program.

In addition to her position as Director of Education at Wounds Canada, Crystal works as a Lecturer for Western’s Advanced Health Care Practice- Wound Healing Program.

Dr. Evans is the Medical Director of the Wound Healing Clinic at Women’s College Hospital, involved in research and teaching. She also is a full-time family physician in the community. Dr. Evans is part of the faculty of the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course (IIWCC) through the University of Toronto. She is senior faculty for Wounds Canada to support the development of interprofessional education programs for clinicians as well as delivery and evaluation of these programs. Dr. Evans is now co-chair for the Diabetic Task Force for Wound Canada.

Darren Levine EdD, is an independent consultant supporting organizations to reimagine possibilities in today’s changing landscape. As a grant writer, social innovator and leadership educator, Dr. Levine’s work focuses on cultivating workplaces that inspire and engage, where all members can discover their creative potential and exercise leadership for innovative change.

Over the past twenty-five years, Darren has held a variety of management roles and has exercised leadership in several contexts including the not-for-profit and public sectors. Darren is Associate Faculty in the School of Leadership at Royal Roads University where he teaches graduate courses in organizational leadership and supervises student research. Darren holds a Doctor of Education (2010) and a Master of Education (2002) from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (2010) along with a Bachelor of Arts from York University (1999). He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Values-Based Leadership from Royal Roads University (2018) and Leadership for the 21st Century Executive Education Certificate from Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University (2015).

Pat Coutts RN

Patricia Coutts is a registered nurse and a past president of Wounds Canada formally the Canadian Association of Wound Care. A leading wound expert who has lectured across the world, she has published in numerous journals and has been involved in wound research. She has been a preceptor for hundreds of health care professionals. She has experience in many areas of nursing, including medicine, surgery, family practice, psychiatry. Pat is currently employed as a wound care clinician and clinical trial coordinator at the Toronto Regional Wound Healing Clinic in Ontario. She has made significant contributions to the well-known RNAO Best Practice Guidelines, which have been used both nationally and internationally to improve patient outcomes.

Sasangi holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Toronto with a Major in Health Policy Studies and a Double-Minor in Psychology and Anthropology. This year, she will be completing her Post-Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management from Seneca College.

Doug Baron

Doug has been working as a physiotherapist in Calgary for nearly 30 years.  He graduated from the University of Alberta Rehabilitation Medicine Department with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy with Honors in 1992.  He has worked with the Calgary Health Region and Alberta Health Services since then first working as a rotating therapist.  He developed an interest and began specializing in acute and chronic wound care.  He completed the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course in 2007.  

Initially working with the adult population at the Calgary General and Peter Lougheed Hospitals, he moved to Alberta Children’s Hospital in 2006 to begin work as the Burn Clinic Coordinator and Clinical Lead of the Outpatient MSK Physiotherapy group.  His current position includes burn and wound care, burn rehabilitation and treatment of a variety of pediatric musculoskeletal conditions along with the administrative duties of a clinical lead.

Doug has presented at local and international wound and burn meetings.  Recently, he took a student at the Children’s Hospital from the Wound Continence and Ostomy Institute.

He has as few publications including:

• Baron, D Minor Pediatric Burns. Wound Care Canada 2009;7(2), 10-14.
• Jeschke M, McCallum C, Baron D, Godleski M, Knighton J, Shahrokhi S. Best practice recommendations for the prevention and management of burns. In: Foundations of Best Practice for Skin and Wound Management. A supplement of Wound Care Canada; 2018

As well he is involved in a new research project involving the treatment of pediatric burn scars with fractionated CO2 laser alongside the Plastic Surgery team at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Outside of work, Doug enjoys riding anything with two wheels but mostly mountain biking.  He is also a Level 1 certified bicycle fitter working occasionally at a local bike shop.

Richard Bishop

Richard Bishop is a Registered Nurse with experience in long-term care & community care with the majority of his time in the acute care setting.  He completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Brock University, Masters of Nursing from Charles Sturt University and the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course at the University of Toronto. 

Richard is the Professional Practice Clinician for Skin and Wound Care at Halton Healthcare, a tri-site community hospital group providing care to the residence of Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills.  He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor for MacMaster University, Faculty of Family Medicine.  In these roles Richard enjoys promoting best pratices in wound prevention and management, building capacity amongst the multidisciplinary health care team.  

Stephanie Chadwick NP-PHC, MClSc-WH, BScN, NSWOCC WOCC(c)

Stephanie Chadwick has been a nurse for 26 years specializing in complex wound, ostomy and continence care with specialty in oncology and thermal injury. Stephanie has contributed to pressure injury prevention programs and facilitates preceptorship and mentorship for both wound ostomy and nurse practitioner students. Stephanie advanced her education by completing her Nurse Practitioner Primary Health Care in 2016, Masters Clinical Science Wound Healing in 2012, Post Graduate Diploma Wound Healing & Tissue Repair in 2010, and Canadian Association Enterostomy Therapy certification in 2007. Stephanie is an adjunct lecturer with Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing University of Toronto. Stephanie was hired at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, where she has participated within the oncology program for complex wound and ostomy patients, and transferred to the Ross Tilley Burn Centre, where she currently has the role of patient care manager/nurse practitioner for the centre and the rapid response team. 

Connie Comtois-Spitman DCh BSc Podiatric Medicine MClSc WH

Connie has worked as a Registered Chiropodist since 1990. Her specialization for quite some time has been wound care prevention and treatment, high risk foot care, and geriatric care. Connie has worked to develop diabetic foot care resources throughout Hamilton Niagara Haldimand and Brant, and currently owns and operates Garth Foot Care in Hamilton.

Louise Forest-Lalande

Louise Forest-Lalande is an ET nurse from Montreal, Canada. She is mostly known for her expertise in Paediatric ET Nursing. She is actively involved in ET nursing and wound care organisations and she is Past President of the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET). She has been teaching and lecturing in many countries. In 2019 she led a project with a group of paediatric stoma care experts to develop the Global Paediatric Stoma Care Best Practice Guidelines.

Rhonda Heinz RNBN CRN IIWCC

Rhonda Heintz has been nursing for over 30 years in a variety of roles. Wound Care has always been her passion. She currently works as the Advanced Wound Care Clinician for a community hospital in Winnipeg.  Additionally she works for Home Care on a casual basis primarily at one of the community wound care access centers. She is an active member of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Wound Care Committee, participating in mentorship, developing wound care policy, clinical practice guidelines and teaching wound care courses in Pressure Injury Prevention, Diabetic Foot management, Arterial/Venous Lower Leg assessment and Wound Care Assessment. Her focus and main goals are building capacity in skin and wound care management with all disciplines.

David Keast BSc(Hon), MSc, DipEd, MD, FCFP(LM), CCFP, FCFP(LM)

Dr. Keast is the Medical Director of the Chronic Wound Management Clinic at the Parkwood Institute in London Canada. He is Clinical Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University (London). Dr. Keast is an Associate Scientist, Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Institute Research. He is Co-director of the Canadian Lymphedema Framework and President of the World Alliance for Wound and Lymphedema Care.

Charis Kelly received her Nurse Practitioner designation in 2004. She has worked at SickKids since 2000 and currently is the NP managing Burns/Complex wounds since 2007. Charis provides comprehensive care to patients and their families throughout the entire continuum of care. She is highly skilled at providing pain and anxiety management for this vulnerable population ensuring optimal quality of care throughout their entire journey. She independently leads her own NP Clinic where she effectively cares for her patients and families in collaboration with the Burn Team. She has played a valuable role having SickKids recognized as the first Verified Pediatric Burn Program in Canada as well as creating the First Pediatric Laser Therapy Program for Burn Scar Modulation in Canada. Charis’s contributions have been recognized locally by her peers as well as provincially having received the 2012 Grace Evelyn Simpson Reeves Excellence Award and the 2013 Toronto Star Nightingale Award.

Dr. John Landau

Dr. John Landau received his medical degree at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University. An alumnus of the vascular surgery residency program at the School, Dr. Landau also completed a fellowship in critical care medicine and successfully defended his M.Sc in Surgery thesis this fall. During his time at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Dr. Landau was selected for the School’s Honour Society, the Robert K. Annett Award, the Kenneth A. Harris Vascular Surgery Award, and received research awards from the Canadian Society of Vascular Surgery and the Society for Vascular Surgery. Dr. Landau’s clinical and research interests include the use of point of care ultrasound in the care of perioperative patients, surgical education and competency based medical education, as well as advance endovascular procedures.

Jane McSwiggan MSc, OT Reg. (MB), IIWCC

Jane is an Occupational Therapist and the Education and Research Coordinator-Wound Care for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. She is responsible for the administration of wound care courses, and development of best practice in wound care. Jane has a tremendous team of wound care specialists to call on to develop content and teach the courses. She enjoys being a resource to the health care community for problem solving, networking and connecting people with each other and is thrilled when she can make someone’s day a bit easier. Ask her about medical missions to Haiti and volunteering as a puppy raiser for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

Dr. Murphy is a nurse specialist in complex vascular wounds who has worked with her team to develop a multi-professional Limb Preservation Clinic. Dr. Murphy has been a nurse for over 30 years and completed a degree in Tissue Viability, Master of Clinical Science in Wound Healing, and PhD investing healing challenges in a vascular population. Her research included an RCT on ultrasound debridement in the vascular population.

Dr. Murphy is President of NSWOCC and co-chair of the RNAO ostomy guideline update, Chris is a core faculty member of the Western University MClSc Wound Healing program.

Linda Norton M.Sc.CH, PhD, OT Reg.(ONT)

Linda is an Occupational Therapist who is passionate about the provision of appropriate seating and mobility equipment. She developed her seating and mobility expertise running a seating clinic for clients with complex needs for over 12 years.  It is her diverse experience in various settings including hospital, community and industry; and experience in various roles including clinician, educator, manager and researcher that give Linda a unique perspective.  

Wound prevention and management are also Linda’s passions.  She has completed the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course, a Master’s in Community Health focusing on pressure injury prevention and a PhD in Occupational Science focusing on chronic wounds.  Her research focused on how health care providers identify and address lifestyle factors for clients with chronic wounds.

Linda is a co-director and faculty member of the International Interprofessional Wound Care Course accredited by the University of Toronto and is a faculty member of the Advanced Health Care Practice - Wound Healing program at Western University.  Linda regularly presents workshops and webinars across Canada and is the Manager, Learning and Development for Motion.

Deirdre O’Sullivan Drombolis BScPT, MClSc (WH)

She is physical therapist who is passionate about physical activity and how important it is for everyone to care for their bodies, spirits and minds. This passion spillsover in to her practice in wound care, with the belief that in order to help patients with chronic wounds we must help them to live healthier lives.  Born and raised in North Western Ontario, she is also a determined advocate for equal and timely access to effective and efficient care for all. She practices this, teaches this, writes about this, and advocates for this locally and nationally.

Laurie Parsons MD. FRCPC. IMWCC

Dr Parsons is a dermatologist who has been practicing in this field for  22 years and involved in wound care for 20 years. She is currently the medical director of the Sheldon Chumir wound clinic in Calgary which services all of Calgary  and central Alberta. 

Kelly Sair BScPT, MClSc (WH)

Kelly Sair has been a physiotherapist for 26 years and is actively involved in education, wound management, and the use of adjunctive therapies. Kelly completed her Masters of Clinical Science with specialization in wound healing at Western University in the Fall of 2017. Kelly has worked for Alberta Health Services since 1994 and is currently the Clinical Educator for the Consult and Treat Team in Calgary Integrated Home Care. Kelly works in a collaborative multi-disciplinary wound clinic that manages complex patients with complex wounds.

Ruth Thompson

Ruth is a registered chiropodist and the chiropody practice lead at The Ottawa Hospital High Risk Foot Clinic. Ruth is an executive member of The Ontario Wound Care Interest Group. She has completed a Masters of Clinical Science Degree in Wound Healing from The University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Mount Allison University. Ruth has served as an expert in the development of the Health Quality Ontario Wound Care Quality Standards as well as for the Health Technology Assessments for total contact casting and now compression for prevention of recurrence of venous leg ulcers. She has also been involved as a clinical specialist for the RNAO Best Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Foot Ulcers for People with Diabetes. She also sits on the interdisciplinary Champlain LHIN high risk foot committee. She is a clinical coordinator for chiropody student placements through The Michener Institute of Education at UHN.

Lauren Wolfe

Lauren graduated nursing school in 1990 in South Africa. Shortly after, she moved to Canada to be with her family. In 1996, she completed her Intensive Care certificate and worked as an ICU nurse. She developed a passion for wounds and ostomy and attended Emory University to complete her Wound, Ostomy and Continence certificate in 2006. Following certification, Lauren established the WOCN program at Richmond Hospital. In 2011, she moved to community nursing care where she expanded her knowledge caring for individuals with wound, ostomy and continence concerns. In 2020, she completed her Master of Clinical Science - Wound Healing at Western University. She currently works in Vancouver both at Vancouver General Hospital part time, and at Macdonald's prescriptions as a certified WOCN.  

Lauren has been an active participant on the Regional Committees for Wound, Ostomy and Therapeutic devices and recently joined the Provincial Skin & Wound Committee.  She was the recipient of the CRNBC Award for Nursing Excellence in 2011 

Lauren is a dedicated and compassionate wound, ostomy and continence nurse who strives for excellent patient care.  She is passionate about advancing the practice of WOC nursing and has spoken at conferences and published articles and posters to help educate others.  

She volunteers for the United Ostomy Association in facilitating the 20-50's support group and is an active writer for their magazine, The Vancouver Highlife.

Marlene Varga MSc

Marlene Varga has been a registered nurse for over 30+ years at Covenant Health in Edmonton, Alberta. Marlene developed an interest in skin and wound care early on in her career and was influenced by several wound care leaders. She completed an MSc in Wound Healing and Tissue Repair at Cardiff University in 2013 and continues to volunteer as an honorary tutor to support students and enhance her knowledge and experiences. Marlene worked as a wound care nurse in acute care for several years and in 2016 transitioned to a new role as a clinical nurse specialist leading the development, implementation and evaluation of an organizational pressure injury prevention program. Marlene is a leader in the Wounds Canada Community of Practice leadership initiative. She is an advocate for prevention, wound management and patient education and engagement. Marlene enjoys animals, traveling, reading, golf, pickleball and yoga in her free time.