You're invited to a Lipedema Awareness Month Webinar Series
- NSWOCC
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Presented in Partnership by Lipedema Canada and Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC)
June 11 & 12, 2025 | Free & Open to Clinicians, Patients, and the Public
To mark Lipedema Awareness Month, Lipedema Canada and NSWOCC are proud to co-host a two-part national webinar series aimed at improving understanding, diagnosis, and care for Canadians living with lipedema—a chronic and often misdiagnosed medical condition. Learn more below and register for the two upcoming webinars!
Webinar Series overview:
Lipedema is a chronic and progressive medical condition that is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or entirely overlooked in clinical settings. It is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of painful, fibrotic fat—primarily in the legs and arms—and predominantly affects individuals assigned female at birth. While the exact cause remains unknown, lipedema is believed to have a strong genetic component and can lead to significant pain, mobility challenges, and psychosocial distress. Despite its visible symptoms, lipedema is frequently mistaken for obesity or lymphedema, leading to delays in diagnosis and barriers to appropriate care.
Estimates suggest that up to 11% of AFAB individuals globally may be affected by lipedema, making it a highly prevalent yet underrecognized disorder. In Canada, this lack of awareness is particularly concerning. Many patients spend years seeking answers, often dismissed by healthcare providers or denied treatment options due to stigma and limited clinical knowledge. As a result, lipedema becomes a hidden burden—impacting patients’ physical health, emotional wellbeing, and trust in the healthcare system. The need for education, advocacy, and improved care pathways is urgent.
To address this gap, Lipedema Canada and Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC) are partnering to present a two-part national webinar series in recognition of Lipedema Awareness Month this June. The series is designed for healthcare professionals and is open to the public, including patients and caregivers. The webinars will provide evidence-based knowledge, clinical tools, and inclusive perspectives to better understand, assess, and support individuals living with lipedema across Canada.
The first webinar, “The Lipedema Landscape,” focuses on clinical assessment and understanding lipedema’s multi-systemic impact. It provides practical guidance for identifying lipedema in practice and explores the challenges patients face in getting diagnosed and referred.
The second webinar, “8 Surprising Truths About Lipedema,” takes a deeper look at systemic barriers in the Canadian healthcare system, including bias, gaps in clinician education, and gender-based health inequities. Together, these sessions aim to shift the narrative and spark meaningful change in how lipedema is addressed nationwide.
Part 1: The Lipedema Landscape – A Head-to-Toe Assessment and Addressing Canada’s Awareness Gap
📅 Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | 🕖 7:00–8:30 PM EDT (4:00–5:30 PM PDT)
This session introduces lipedema from a clinical and patient-centred perspective. It provides a comprehensive head-to-toe assessment guide, explores barriers to assessment, diagnosis, and care, and emphasizes the need for interprofessional collaboration in managing this under-recognized condition.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to:
Describe the clinical characteristics and comorbidities of lipedema.
Perform a basic head-to-toe assessment to identify signs of lipedema.
Recognize the referral pathways and interdisciplinary roles in managing lipedema.
Identify the impact of lipedema on quality of life and daily functioning.
Discuss the challenges patients face in accessing care in Canada.
Explore stigma and bias in lipedema diagnosis and treatment.
Apply new knowledge to improve awareness and early recognition in clinical practice.
Registration is free and open to all - whether you’re a clinician or patient. Certificates of attendance will be provided for all participants, and recording of the session will be available after the event.
Register now at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BtTRFLD0TkC4gS7izlHKxA
Part 2: 8 Surprising Truths About Lipedema – And How Canadians Are Still Being Left Behind
📅 Thursday, June 12, 2025 | 🕖 7:00–8:30 PM EDT (4:00–5:30 PM PDT)
Building on the first session, this webinar highlights the systemic gaps in lipedema care, including health equity issues, gendered impacts, clinician education, and the lived experiences of those navigating Canada’s healthcare system with a lipedema diagnosis.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to:
Identify systemic and clinical barriers to lipedema assessment, diagnosis and care in Canada.
Describe fat-phobic and gendered biases affecting lipedema patients.
Explain the importance of clinician education in reducing misdiagnosis.
Summarize the major intersections that impact assessment and care.
Advocate for improved patient access to care and education resources.
Propose actionable next steps to support equitable lipedema care.
Reflect on the clinician's role in transforming awareness into action.
About the Presenters
Presenter: Emma Cloney, BScN, RN, Vice President, Lipedema Canada
Emma Cloney is a dedicated Women’s Health Nurse and the Vice President and co-founder of Lipedema Canada / Lipœdème Canada. With over a decade of hands-on clinical experience in women’s health, she brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her work in the field of lipedema—a chronic, progressive adipose tissue disorder that disproportionately affects women and remains significantly underrecognized.
Diagnosed with lipedema in 2021, Emma became a national voice for improved care access and systemic change. Her advocacy led to a precedent-setting policy shift in Manitoba, where she became the first Canadian woman to receive multiple medically necessary, mobility-preserving lipedema reduction surgeries—performed in the USA and Germany—funded under provincial healthcare.
Recognizing the urgent need for awareness, research, and clinical education across the country, Emma co-founded Lipedema Canada in 2023 with ten other patients spanning from coast to coast. In her dual role as Vice President and Medical Lead, she actively engages clinicians, health systems, and policymakers to advance equitable care pathways. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, early diagnosis, and evidence-informed management strategies for those living with lipedema.
Emma continues to champion both patient empowerment and professional education, aiming to bridge the knowledge gaps that hinder timely diagnosis and effective care. Her leadership is driving forward a national dialogue on lipedema that centers clinical best practices and patient outcomes.
Moderator: Bev Smith, BScN, RN, NSWOC, President-Elect, NSWOCC
Bev Smith is a Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence (NSWOC) based in Edmonton, Alberta. Originally from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Bev proudly acknowledges her Indigenous ancestry from the Mi’kmaq First Nations of Potlotek, Cape Breton. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alberta and has over 15 years of specialized experience in wound, ostomy, and continence care.
Bev began her nursing career in acute care before discovering her passion for specialized practice. In 2008, she completed the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Education Program (now known as the NSWOC Program) through what was then the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy (CAET). Since then, she has worked extensively in community care, supporting residents in assisted living and mentoring future NSWOCs through clinical preceptorship.
In 2018, Bev was appointed as the Indigenous Core Program Leader for NSWOCC, where she has played a key role in advancing culturally safe care practices. She is also a co-author of a published article in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN) focused on improving care for Indigenous Canadians. Bev currently serves as President-Elect of NSWOCC. Outside of her professional work, she is an active volunteer in her community and enjoys coaching soccer and spending time with her husband, four children, and two grandchildren.
About the Organizers
Lipedema Canada is the leading national not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting Canadians living with lipedema.
Our mission is to change how lipedema is viewed in Canada by providing resources, raising public awareness, and advocating for accessible treatment for all affected by lipedema.
Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC) is a registered national charity representing over 700 specialized nurses and 1,300 members committed to advancing evidence-based practice, education, research, and leadership in wound, ostomy, and continence care.
🔗 nswoc.ca