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Indigenous Wound, Ostomy and Continence Health < Back Bev Smith BScN, RN, NSWOC Indigenous Wound, Ostomy and Continence Health Bev Smith was born and raised in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia where her Indigenous Ancestors from the Miꞌkmaq First Nations of Potlotek, Cape Breton settled in the early 1900’s. After graduating high school, Bev moved to Edmonton and completed her BScN at the University of Alberta. After working in acute care for several years, an opportunity to work alongside the hospital’s only NSWOC presented itself and Bev was excited to take on the new challenge. Bev enrolled in the then CAET wound, ostomy and continence education program and graduated a Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence (NSWOC) in 2008. Bev has been working as a community NSWOC for assisted living in Edmonton since graduating from the program and enjoys preceptoring and mentoring new NSWOC students. Bev became the Indigenous Core Program Leader for NSWOCC in October 2018 and has since co-published an article related to improving wound, ostomy and continence care for Indigenous Canadians for the JWOCN. In her spare time Bev loves coaching soccer, volunteering in her local community of Beaumont Alberta and spending time with her husband, four children and two grandchildren.

Prairies, NWT and Nunavut < Back Jodi Quinlan RN, BScN, NSWOC, WOCC(C) Prairies, NWT and Nunavut

Inaugural NSWOC Fellows Recognizing select individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the tri-specialty of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Care CEO Statement Catherine Harley, eMBA, RN, IIWCC At Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC), we support a culture that values and celebrates excellence. Recognizing excellence involves acknowledging and celebrating exceptional performance, achievements, or contributions in the tri-specialty of wound, ostomy and continence specialized nursing care. The goal is to motivate individuals and teams to maintain high standards and foster this culture of excellence. By launching a Fellowship program, NSWOCC has taken a significant step towards recognition focusing on the careers of select individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the tri-specialty. This Fellowship program is grounded in promising practices and we are privileged to be launching the new program on May 24, 2024. On behalf of Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC), I am excited to welcome our first, inaugural Fellows. Fellowship represents the highest honour for NSWOCC’s most recognized Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence (NSWOCs). NSWOCC honours its clinical thought leaders, its significant voices in education and policy. This Fellowship Program is intended to celebrate contributions to NSWOCC and the nursing specialty of wound, ostomy and continence. Fellows selected for this program are recognized for their major impact on the advancement of the clinical, evidence and practice and are chosen not at their request or intent to be recognized. Rather, Fellows are identified and chosen based on outstanding practice. Within the framework of the tri-specialty, Fellows contribute to critical quality initiatives that support effective, evidence-based patient/resident care. The future of specialized wound, ostomy and continence leadership rests on dedication, shaping thought leadership through education, policy and exemplary nursing practice, and positively impacting change in the specialized areas of wound, ostomy and continence. As the first group of NSWOCC Fellows, these individuals will serve as role models and mentors to the next generation of nurses. As this Fellowship program grows, these individuals will continue to be impactful as a remarkable resource of wisdom and expertise to advance nursing care, education, research and policy leadership. The NSWOCC being inducted as inaugural Fellows reflect a wide diversity of nursing leadership and impact. Every one of these individuals has clearly demonstrated a sustained and powerful commitment to unique issues present in wound, ostomy and continence health. These clinical thought leaders are not only viewed by their peers as leaders in the field of the tri-specialty of wound, ostomy and continence nursing, they are also seen as a leading legacy of the extraordinary leadership contributions they have made. I would like to thank them personally for their dedication and efforts during some very challenging years, where clinical and health system complexity has increased, as have patient needs, acuity, and risk. Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence do not abandon their patients, or their colleagues, or the broader profession – they want the very best outcome and they do what it takes: they care, support, advocate, educate, and lead. As we move into the future, we know we are better for their wisdom, experience and voice. Their impact will shape the future of wound, ostomy and continence specialized healthcare provision in Canada, and inspire the next generation of nurses in the field. For making a difference for nurses, aligned healthcare professionals and patients, we salute you. They deserve to hold the credential of NSWOCC – Fellow in Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence, and are worthy holders of this credential. We celebrate you, we recognize you and we look forward to many more NSWOCCs following in your footsteps as we move into the future. 2025 Inaugural Fellows Nicole Denis, MScN, BScN, NSWOC, FNSWOC Nicole Denis is the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Institute Preceptor Manager. In 1996 she was the founding director of the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy Wound, Ostomy and Continence Bilingual Education Program Key Contributions and Recognitions: Founding director of the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Bilingual Education Program Past President of Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy Mentored numerous nurses in wound, ostomy, and continence care Developed bilingual education ensuring accessible quality training Recipient of the CAET President’s Award for leadership in wound, ostomy and continence Louise Forest-Lalande, MEd, RN, NSWOC, ET, FNSWOC Louise Forest-Lalonde is an Academic Advisor for the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Institute. She is retired from her role as an Enterostomal Therapy Nurse at The Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine. Key Contributions and Recognitions: Past President of the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET) Led development of Pediatric Stoma Care Best Practice Guidelines Author of books and papers on wound care and stoma management International lecturer on Enterostomal Therapy Nursing She has received several awards, at regional, national, and international levels. Recently she received the Norma N. Gill WCET President Award Dr. Corey Heerschap, PhD, MScCH, BScN, RN, NSWOC, WOCC(C), FNSWOC Corey Heerschap is the President of Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada and is a Wound and Ostomy Clinical Nurse Specialist at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ontario. Key Contributions and Recognitions: President and Past Treasurer of Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada Co-chaired development of the RNAO Pressure Injury Best Practice Guidelines and served as an expert panel member on multiple national wound and ostomy guidelines Inaugural Secretary of CPIAP and Education Co-Lead for the Commonwealth Wound Care Resource Alliance Authored NSWOCC designation and credentials position statement Lead editor for upcoming NSWOCC wound care textbook Participated in a wound care mission to Argentina in 2019 Mary Hill, MN, BScN, RN, NSWOC, WOCC(C), FNSWOC Mary Hill is a Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence educator and consultant for Integrated Home Care for Alberta Health Services in Calgary where she supports nurses and clients in community care. Key Contributions and Recognitions: Past President and Professional Practice Group Coordinator for NSWOCC Regional Director for North America for the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel Lead for NSWOCC National Conference Planning Core Program for the past 13 years Educator and consultant for community care nurses Author of publications on wound, ostomy, and continence care Participated in a wound care mission to Cambodia Rosemary Hill, BSN, RN, CWOCN, NSWOC, WOCC(C), FNSWOC Rosemary Hill is Past President of Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada and is a Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence for Lions Gate Hospital, North Vancouver Costal Health, in Vancouver, British Columbia Key Contributions & Recognitions: Past President of Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC) Chair of the British Columbia Provincial Nursing Ostomy Committee Recognized with the Award of Excellence in Practice from the Association of Registered Nurses of British Columbia Worked closely with the Ostomy Canada Society on education initiatives, particularly related to the Disability Tax Credit 2024 NSWOC Recognition Award from the Ostomy Canada Society Dr. Kimberly LeBlanc, PhD, MN, BScN, RN, NSWOC, WOCC(C), FCAN, FNSWOC Kimberly LeBlanc is the current President of the Canadian Nurses Association and Academic Chair of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Institute as well an Advanced Practice and Certified Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse working with KDS Professional Consulting. Key Contributions & Recognitions: Current President of the Canadian Nurses Association Founding member of the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel Inaugural Co-chair of the Canadian Pressure Injury Advisory Panel Serves on the boards of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies, International Wound Infection Institute, and the Commonwealth Wound Care Resource Alliance Awarded Canadian Nurses Association Order of Merit Award for Nursing Education Author of numerous publications and book chapters Holds academic appointments at Curtin University, McGill University, and Cardiff University Lina Martins, MScN, BScN, RN, NSWOC, WOCC(C), FNSWOC Lina Martins is a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Certified Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence (NSWOC) at London Health Sciences Centre in Canada. She is also the Editor in Chief of The Canadian Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence (Previously the NSWOC Advance). Key Contributions and Recognitions: Editor-in-Chief of The Canadian Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence (Previously the NSWOC Advance) Canadian Feature Editor of JWOCN Contributes to Best Practice Guidelines for ostomy and wound care through the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and NSWOCC She is a mentor and educator to nurses, patients, nursing students, and medical and surgical residents through the Schulich School of Medicine at Western University Member of the NSWOCC conference planning committee x 10 years Dr. Christine Murphy, PhD, MClSc(WH), BSc, NSWOC, WOCC(C), FNSWOC Dr. Murphy works at The Ottawa Hospital Limb Preservation Centre in the vascular surgery department. Currently she has a clinical, education and research focus in complex vascular wounds, diabetic foot ulcer and limb preservation. Key Contributions and Recognitions: Past President of Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada Co-lead of Diabetes Action Canada SPOR Network Foot Care Chair of the International Biofilm-Based Wound Care Panel Developed globally recognized Wound Hygiene Consensus Document Faculty member at Western University’s Master of Clinical Science program Dr. Kevin, Woo PhD, RN, FAPWCA, NSWOC, WOCC(C), FNSWOC Dr. Kevin Woo is an Associate Professor at Queen’s University, School of Nursing, School of Rehabilitation Therapy in Kingston, Ontario and Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence at the University Health Network in Toronto, Ontario. Key Contributions and Recognitions: Founding member of the Canadian Pressure Injury Advisory Panel Published numerous best practice guidelines and peer-reviewed articles Awarded Canadian Nurses Association Order of Merit Award for Nursing Research Current Co-Chair of the NSWOCC Research Committee Adjunct research professor at Western University

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Human Resources Manager < Back Bruce Millar CIM, FCSI, FICB, MBA, CPA, CMA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Human Resources Manager With a distinguished career spanning more than three decades across finance, governance, and education, Bruce brings a wealth of senior leadership experience to this dual role. As CFO and Human Resources Manager, he will oversee NSWOCC®’s financial operations, risk management, and human resources programs, ensuring strong fiscal stewardship, compliance, and organizational sustainability for the registered charity. Bruce has held several senior positions in both the public and private sectors, including Director of Finance, Administration and Risk Management (Deputy CFO) for PPP Canada and Director of Enterprise Risk Management at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). He also served as a Manager of Corporate Finance at Export Development Canada and began his career as a Naval Intelligence Officer with the Department of National Defence. He holds an MBA from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), an Executive Management Certificate from Harvard Business School, and a Professional Certificate in Strategic Decision Analysis and Risk Management from Stanford University. Bruce is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA-CMA), a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI), and a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers (FICB). “Bruce’s extensive experience in corporate governance, strategic risk management, and charitable finance make him an exceptional addition to our leadership team,” said Cathy Harley, Chief Executive Officer of NSWOCC®. “His proven record of accountability and innovation will help NSWOCC® continue to deliver excellence in financial integrity and human resources management.” In addition to his financial leadership, Bruce served as the Chair of the Board for Winchester District Memorial Hospital and has held governance roles with the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa and the Royal Military College Foundation. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, and Nipissing University, where he teaches finance and accounting. Bruce’s combined expertise in financial management, governance, and human resources will support NSWOCC®’s continued growth and organizational excellence. His leadership will be instrumental in enhancing financial sustainability, ensuring compliance with charitable regulations, and strengthening contractor engagement across our national programs and initiatives.

Professional Development < Back Allison Lachaine MN, BScN, RN, NSWOC, IIWCC Professional Development My name is Allison Lachaine, MN, BScN, RN, NSWOC, IIWCC and I have been appointed as the new NSWOCC Core Program Leader for the Professional Development Core Program. I am the clinical nurse specialist for wound, ostomy, and continence at CarePartners community agency in Kitchener, Ontario. I started as a wound resource nurse in acute care on an in-person surgery unit where I worked in collaboration with the hospital’s Wound Care clinician. Discovering my love for wound care excellence, I then went on to complete the International Interdisciplinary Wound Care Course and then worked as the program lead for two community hospitals. As an avid and lifelong learner, I then went on to complete the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Institute’s NSWOC Program. In my current role, I am the provincial program lead for skin, wound, ostomy, and continence and work with Ontario Health at Home to ensure best practices are being utilized through all areas of the community from clinics to patients’ homes.

Ontario < Back Joshua Moralejo MScCH: WPC, BScN, RN, NSWOC, WOCC(C), IIWCC Ontario Joshua Moralejo RN, BScN, MScCH: WPC, NSWOC, WOCC(C), IIWCC Joshua is a Registered Nurse who has developed a passion for wound and ostomy care. He completed the CAWC Levels 1-3 Series (2011), the IIWCC (2014), Advanced Ostomy Care and Management (2016) and the Master of Science in Community Health – Wound Prevention and Care (2020) at the University of Toronto, and the NSWOC Program at the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Institute (2023). In 2023, he received the Canadian Nurses Association Certification in Wound, Ostomy & Continence. Joshua has 14 years of clinical experience and has held positions as a Registered Nurse, Educator, Clinical Practice Lead (Wound Care), Clinical Nurse Specialist (Wound & Ostomy), and Patient Care Manager in Complex Continuing Care, Community and Acute Care settings. Joshua values the principle of ongoing learning and has been involved in promoting knowledge transfer of Wound Care BPGs to practical use among frontline clinicians and student learners. He also values the philosophy of “treating patients as a Whole Person and not merely focusing on the patient’s wound”, which supports the context of holistic and interprofessional wound care management. In 2016, he was an Advisory Committee Member for Health Quality Ontario who collaboratively established quality standards for the management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Leg Ulcers and Pressure Injuries across health care sectors. He has also been a part of Wounds Canada’s National Wound Care Leadership Initiative in 2021-2022. He is presently part of an Expert Panel responsible in reviewing and updating the current guidelines on Pressure Injuries for the RNAO. Joshua believes that being part of the NSWOCC Board of Directors will enable him to establish collaborative partnerships and advocate for the needs of NSWOCs across the province to promote practice standardization and the identification of gaps in practice and health systems that can promote outcomes for the specialized patients we serve.

Digital Marketing Coordinator < Back Samaia Aidroos (she/her) Digital Marketing Coordinator Samaia is her the fourth year at Carleton University studying cognitive science with a concentration in psychology. Within this challenging degree, she has developed strong research, writing, and analytical skills and achieved high success in her academic pursuits. She is on the Carleton University Dean’s Honour List and holds a President’s Scholarship and the Henry Marshall Tory Scholarship. Samaia has been developing skills in digital marketing throughout her university studies. She worked as a summer intern in marketing support for the non-profit National Capital FreeNet (NCF) where she organized and marketed NCF’s 30th anniversary time capsule event. As a part of this initiative, Samaia performed all social media marketing, conducted interviews with industry leaders, composed professional emails, conducted video interviews with industry leaders, and filming and editing of promotional material. She drafted the organization's social media calendar for the year and composed corresponding engaging content with the goal of maximizing consumer engagement. Samaia worked as a Team Lead and Peer Assisted Study Session Facilitator Carleton University Centre for Academic Support where she designed worksheets and workshops for a first-year programming course to allow students to review core content and drastically reduce their likelihood of failure in a high-fail-rate course. Planned and implemented training modules for fellow workshop facilitators to ensure effectiveness within their roles. Samaia also worked for Iambic Inc. as a Communications and Digital Marketing Intern where she researched and drafted blog articles to share knowledge and reach for the company using Microsoft Office Software. She composed engaging content for social media campaigns while developing a social media content calendar targeted toward driving maximum traffic to the company site. She performed paper prototyping, design flows, and UX suggestions for the company's website and mobile apps using Figma and Adobe XD. As a volunteer, Samaia worked as a Social Media Coordinator at Carleton Artificial Intelligence Society where she used digital marketing to drive workshop attendance and membership rates. She also fundraised as the volunteer VP of Community Outreach of Women in Leadership Carleton.We look forward to having Samaia as a part of the NSWOCC team where she will apply her knowledge and skill set to advancing NSWOCC and the specialized nurses that we serve.

Program Manager < Back Nicole Kocajda MBA, IIWCC, ISWA Program Manager Nicole graduated from Athabasca University with a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) where she developed critical and analytical thinking which can be applied to for profit and not for profit businesses. As an industry participant, she completed the University of Toronto’s IIWCC (International Interdisciplinary Wound Care Course) and recently completed the NSWOCC WOC Institute’s Industry Skin Wellness program (ISWA) and the University of Alberta’s Indigenous History certificate. Nicole’s extensive sales and marketing experience has been focused for over thirty years in the domains of wound, ostomy and continence. As the Marketing Manager of Molnlycke Canada, Nicole was responsible for wound care product launches, conference planning and educational initiatives and forming strategic partnerships both provincially, nationally and globally. She also gained experience in sales as an area manager and key account manager in advanced wound care. Prior to that, Nicole served in various sales and marketing roles for ConvaTec in the three domains of wound, ostomy and continence. This included sales management, territory management, as a product manager and field trainer. She liaised with the Montreal Ostomy Association and assisted in the development of the “Renaissance” Recognition Award Program, which developed into a National program. Her passion for her work and leadership skills were evident as she won seven sales achievement awards and was the recipient of regional and national leadership awards. Nicole has worked with the NSWOC Community and Ostomy Canada Society throughout her more than thirty-year career and has been dedicated to advancing the specialized role of wound, ostomy and continence nurses and improving patient outcomes.

Treasurer < Back Misty Stephens MClSc(WH), BScN, RN, NSWOC, WOCC(C) Treasurer Misty Stephens started her career as an ICU trauma nurse and then transitioned into being an NSWOC in 2013. Since then she has been working in acute care as the certified NSWOC. She is the chair of BC provincial skin and wound committee and value analysis teams. Misty is the regional NSWOC BC / Yukon director. She is an instructor for the University of Victoria and has co-written the Wound Management for healthcare professional levels 1 & 2. She also works at a private ostomy clinic. Misty has 3 kids and a wonderful husband and in her spare time she likes to travel to their cabin in the Interior of BC for back country adventures and exploring.

Harm Reduction Community of Practice < Back Priyanka (Pri) Jani (she/her) BScN, RN, NSWOC Student Harm Reduction Community of Practice Priyanka (Pri) has worked on Haudenosaunee, Missisaugas, Attiwonderonk, and Anishinabewaki land (Hamilton and Kitchener) since early 2020 and has been working in a variety of different settings including long-term care, public health, and community care. In these spaces, she developed her skills as a nurse, a leader, and a learner. In 2021, Pri started working as a Consumption Treatment Service (CTS) nurse with Sanguen Health Centre and joined the non-profit Student Overdose Prevention Education Network (SOPEN) as a volunteer. Pri is now on the Board of Directors of SOPEN and responsible for developing educational harm reduction and drug education content for workshops in Hamilton. Priyanka aims to continue harm reduction advocacy through the lens of wound, ostomy, and continence care to provide people who are unhoused and people who use drugs with the access to care they deserve.

Community Engagement < Back Erin Rajhathy MClScWH, BScN, RN, NSWOC, WOCC(C) Community Engagement Erin Rajhathy is the Wound Resource Coordinator with South East Home and Community Care. Prior to moving back into the public sector, Erin worked for a medical distributor to support staff and contracted providers in three of the 14 Home and Community Care sectors in Ontario. She obtained her Master of Clinical Science in Wound Healing in 2018 and became certified in Wound, Ostomy and Continence in 2019. Erin is currently the Core Program Lead for Community Engagement with NSWOCC.

Secretary < Back Rebecca Dyck MClSc-WH, BScN, RN, NSWOC, WOCC(C) Secretary Rebecca Dyck has been nursing for fifteen years, and is a strong advocate for justice and equity in health care. She has spent a number of years learning how systemic racism and intersectionality affect the health of individuals and communities. After earning a Master of Clinical Science in Wound Healing at Western University ten years ago, Rebecca has been working with patients virtually and at the bedside to solve the puzzle that each wound presents. Rebecca also tutors students in the research course of the master’s program. More recently, Rebecca became a Nurse Specialized in Wound Ostomy and Continence and earned her national certification. Rebecca currently works as a Nurse Clinician on the Skin Wound Ostomy team at Hamilton Health Sciences, mainly with children and families at McMaster Children's Hospital. Her role encompasses direct patient care, staff education, and committee work to improve patient care within the organization. A recent focus has been hospital-acquired pressure injuries and developing resources to improve assessment of dark skin tones. Rebecca has volunteered with preteens, the Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle, and Caribbean migrant farm workers in Niagara. She keeps busy with her three children, can often be found with a book in her hand, and enjoys “old lady hobbies” such as sewing, gardening, and canning.