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President, 2023-2025

Andrew Springer, BSc, D.Ch, FRSH

Andrew Springer has been a practicing chiropodist since 1983. He has practiced in a variety of public and private practice settings. During his career he has been active in a number of professional activities requiring leadership, vision, integrity and compassion, including serving as President of the Ontario Society of Chiropodists and the College of Chiropodists of Ontario and in several capacities - clinical, management and administrative - at North York General Hospital, West Park Healthcare and Providence Healthcare. Andrew is also a member of the Ontario Diabetes Foot Care Task Force and consultant to the Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle. In 2010, Andrew received the recognition of “Outstanding Dedication and Service to the Advancement of the Profession” Ontario Society of Chiropodists.

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Past President, 2020 - 2023

Barbie Murray, BScN, RN MCISc-WH

Barbie Murray, BScN, RN MCISc-WH Barbie Murray has been a nurse for 36 years and actively involved in nursing education and wound management. After completing her Master of Clinical Science in Wound Healing at Western University in 2011, Barbie served as the Academic Dean for the Faculty of Health Sciences at Victoria University in Uganda, Africa. She has participated in CMEs for advanced wound care practices in Canada, East Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. Currently employed as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Barbie co-ordinates a multi-disciplinary leg ulcer clinic, which manages complex wounds through vascular, orthopedic, plastic surgery and infectious disease services. Barbie is currently President of the Wounds Canada Board of Directors, and serves on a number of regional and national committees dedicated to advanced wound care practices.

Directors

Irmajean Bajnok, RN, BScN, MScN, PhD

IMG 0145 edit 2Dr. Irmajean Bajnok is an international health care consultant specializing in change management, leadership and implementation science. Most recently, (2007-2017), she was the Director of RNAO's International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines Centre where she led the strategic development and ongoing enhancements of the program pillars of guideline development, implementation science, and evaluation. She was successful in securing special project funding, and led and/or oversaw numerous ongoing projects including smoking cessation, mental health, first nations health, and ehealth. As part of RNAO’s Best Practice Spotlight Organization Designation, and using RNAOs evidence based approach to implementation science, she introduced and supported sustained implementation of RNAO’s evidence-based practice guidelines to academic and service settings in Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Italy, South Africa, and West Indies. From 2000-2006, she directed RNAO’s Centre for Professional Nursing Excellence, leading the development and delivery of professional education and health care consultation services. She has also held executive positions in home care, and acute care and was founding Executive Director of a multi-pronged Canadian government funded women's health program in Pakistan. A considerable part of her career has included administrative and professorial roles in academia at Western University, University of Toronto, and Ryerson University School of Nursing where, as Director, she led the faculty in the development a basic baccalaureate degree, the first basic degree program at Ryerson. Dr. Bajnok is recognized internationally as a dynamic and engaging speaker in particular in relation to evidence based practice and education, healthy work environments, leadership and change management.

(On Leave) Janet Kuhnke, RN, BA, BScN, MSc Family Systems, NSWOC, DrPsychology

Janet Headshot Janet L. Kuhnke RN, BA, BScN, MSc Family Systems, NSWOC, DrPsychology is a nurse researcher and is specialized in wound, ostomy, and continence care (NSWOC).
She is an Associate Professor of Baccalaureate Nursing in the School of Nursing, at Cape Breton University.
Janet is active in Wounds Canada as a researcher and program evaluator.

Her community-based research focuses in prevention of intravenous abscesses, prevention of diabetes related foot ulcers and amputations, and mental health and spiritual wellness. Janet's doctoral studies in psychology focused on the quality of life – spiritual and mental health well-being while living with diabetic foot ulcers; Two-Eyed Seeing principles guided this work.

Janet continues to coach and mentor students in baccalaureate and master qualitative research projects and thesis.

Please reach Janet at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 1 902 563 1209.

Past Presidents

  • Morty Eisenberg, MD, MScCH, CCFP, FCFP 2016-2020
  • Gregory Archibald, MD,CCFP, FCFP 2013-2016
  • Patricia Coutts, RN, IIWCC 2010-2012
  • Cathy Burrows, MScCH 2007-2009
  • David Keast, MSc, MD, FCFP 2004-2006
  • Heather Orsted, RN, BN, ET, MSc 2002-2003
  • Heather Orsted, RN, BN, ET, MSc / Karen Campbell, RN, PhD 2001 (Co-chairs)
  • R. Gary Sibbald, BSc, MD, FRCPC (Med, Derm), MACP, DABD 1995 - 2000 (Chair)