Focus & History

Established in 1995, the Canadian Association of Wound Care (CAWC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing skin health and wound management in Canada. Dedicated staff and volunteers work to improve the health of Canadians at risk for skin breakdown and the practice of the health-care professionals who care for them.

Friends of the organization include health-care professionals and students, researchers, corporate supporters, government decision-makers, caregivers and, most importantly, patients.

CAWC is dedicated to a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to wound management and prevention to improve the health of Canadians.  Our Association focuses our efforts in key areas:

CAWC Focus:

  1. Professional education to enhance health professionals’ knowledge, skills and attitudes

  2. Public advocacy and education on how to prevent and manage wounds

  3. Research to enhance understanding of effective wound management and prevention

  4. Creating and nurturing partnerships to support the CAWC’s goals of improving patient outcomes

  5. Professional education to enhance health professionals’ knowledge, skills and attitudes

  • General wound education offered in various locations in Canada throughout the year as well as online

  • Specific diabetic foot education in the form of workshops to professionals with a special interest in managing the complications of the diabetic foot

  • The largest wound-specific conference in Canada, This year it will be held in Toronto in 2015, October 29-Nov 1

  • Multiple publications sent to the largest skin and wound database in the country

  • Educational messages sent via social media channels

2. Public information and education on how to prevent and manage wounds

  • Peer-led onsite workshops and web-based information on managing diabetic foot complications (PEP program, Diabetes, Healthy Feet and You program)

  • Patient- and family-focused program on the prevention of pressure ulcers

  • Educational messages sent via social media channels • Interactive online community and web information

3. Research to enhance understanding of effective wound prevention and management

  • Joint collaborations with universities, health ministries and industry; e.g., the CAWC, Queen’s University and Ontario’s MOHLTC to evaluate the impact of an interactive online support group relating to diabetes self care; the CAWC and several companies to develop a paper on the role of advanced therapies in the management of diabetic foot ulcers.

4. Creating partnerships & new areas of collaborations

  • Participating in conferences around the country

  • Connecting with Health Canada and provincial health ministries to advance skin health and wound care across Canada

  • Creating partnerships with other not-for-profit organizations with shared interests, universities, provincial and federal health ministries, product companies and private and work-related insurance boards, among others

Getting the Word Out

The CAWC uses multiple methods to deliver education, news, resources and more to our varied audiences.

  • Our publications are well regarded in Canada and around the world. They include WCC (see Publications), Diabetic Foot Canada eJournal (see Publications) as well as new eNewsletters aimed at specific audiences

  • Our general mailing list is targeted to health-professionals interested in skin health and wound care as well as agency/facility and government decision-makers

  • Our multiple websites provide users with resources and news aimed at improving their lives or practice (http://cawc.net, http://www.woundcarecanada.ca, http://www.diabeticfootcommunity.ca, http://www.diabeticfootcanadajournal.com)

  • Our advocacy initiatives have proven impact in the public media, at the government level and within the health-care sector

  • Our social media reach grows every week through active Twitter and Facebook accounts and our active Diabetic Foot Community.

Getting the Word Out

The CAWC uses multiple methods to deliver education, news, resources and more to our varied audiences. • Our publications are well regarded in Canada and around the world. They include WCC (see Publications), Diabetic Foot Canada eJournal (see Publications) as well as new eNewsletters aimed at specific audiences • Our general mailing list is targeted to health-professionals interested in skin health and wound care as well as agency/facility and government decision-makers • Our multiple websites provide users with resources and news aimed at improving their lives or practice (http://cawc.net, http://www.woundcarecanada.ca, http://www.diabeticfootcommunity.ca, http://www.diabeticfootcanadajournal.com) • Our advocacy initiatives have proven impact in the public media, at the government level and within the health-care sector • Our social media reach grows every week through active Twitter and Facebook accounts and our active Diabetic Foot Community.