2025 Wounds Canada Conference
October 2-4, 2025

Dr. Irmajean Bajnok is currently working at Wounds Canada as the Education and Policy Director and Director of the Wounds Canada Institute. She previously worked as Director of Senior Policy Analyst at the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). Irmajean has also held leadership positions at RNAO including Director of the International Affairs and Best Practice Guideline Program and the Centre for Professional Nursing Excellence, as well as in practice settings and international portfolios. Much of her career has been in academia where she has worked in administrative and professional roles at Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Toronto, and Western University. Dr. Bajnok is recognized internationally as a knowledgeable and engaging speaker and consultant focusing on evidence-based practice and education, healthy work environments, leadership and change management.

Dr. Robyn Evans, who is involved in research and teaching, is the Medical Director of the Wound Healing Clinic at Women’s College Hospital. She is also 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 supporting the development of interprofessional education programs for clinicians as well as the delivery and evaluation of these programs. Dr. Evans is on the Board of Wounds Canada and is Co-Chair for the Diabetic Task Force for Wound Canada.

Dr. Albak has been practising Family Medicine since 1985. He has been the medical director for PRIME clinic at Deer Lodge Centre in Winnipeg since 2009. This is an out-patient, multidisciplinary clinic for frail elderly clients who wish to remain in the community and avoid facility-based living. He has witnessed the immense value of early detection and team-based approach in the prevention and early evidence-based intervention of wound care to promote optimal outcomes and prevent hospitalization. Dr. Albak is the Chief Medical Officer of Riverview Health Centre (RHC) in Winnipeg since 2022. He has gleaned considerable knowledge and respect for the team-based wound care approach that RHC delivers for the optimization of care for the residents and patients residing at RHC. Dr. Albak was a member of the Manitoba Government Senior Strategy Implementation Steering Committee, Minister’s Advisory Council.

Dr. Archibald is a former President of Wounds Canada 2013 to 2016 and Professor of Family Medicine, Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He held the position of Head, Department of Family Medicine from 2010 to 2018, at Dalhousie University. He currently holds a post-retirement university appointment and works clinically part-time and continues undergraduate administrative and teaching duties. Regional, National and International wound care leadership, education and clinical care are a significant part of his career experiences. Promoting and consulting to medical and government agencies have defined the last decade of practice. Long term care advocacy for better wound care systems in Nova Scotia has been a notable contribution since 2018. Educating medical students and family medicine residents has also defined the last decade.

Helen Arputhanathan is a Registered Nurse with over 30 years of international experience in the field of Medical Surgical, Cardiology and Wound Care Nursing. Helen graduated with a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Nursing) from Victoria University, Australia, completed her International Interprofessional Wound Care Course (IIWCC-SA) from University of Toronto and subsequently her Master in Wound Care from Monash University in Australia. She is also a Nurse Specialized in Wound Ostomy and Continence (NSWOC) and CNA Certified. Helen worked in an acute care setting for 17 years before working in home and community care in Canada for Victoria Order of Nursing (VON), CALEA (Nursing clinic), Waterloo Wellington and Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Home and Community Care Support Services. Helen currently works in the capacity of a Clinical Manager and Wound Lead in Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant and Erie St. Claire Home and Community Care Support Services. Her role is to liaise with primary care physicians and contracted service providers to identify issues of concern, collaboratively develop strategies to work towards improvements, and provide recommendations for policies, procedures, and approach to wound care to improve patient outcomes utilizing a patient-centered approach and patient navigation to properly assess needs of patients within the Wound Care Program setting, including providing leadership and oversight to the Wound Care Team. She is currently involved in the Lower Limb Preservation Initiative with Ontario Health to support the community patients to reduce avoidable, non-traumatic major lower-limb amputations in Ontario and to improve equitable access to high-quality best-practice early screening, cardiovascular risk factor modification and integrated lower-limb wound care.

Deirdre O'Sullivan-Drombolis has been a physiotherapist for 24 years. During that time she has worked in many various settings in North Western Ontario, including acute care, home care, LTC, and out patients. She has always had a passion for enabling everyone to participate in meaningful movement and activity. In 2007 she was a part of the inaugural class of Western University's Clinical Master in Wound Healing program and from that time on, she has worked hard to bring client centred and evidence based wound care to her home area, and to continue to maximize healthy lifestyle for those who suffer from wounds. She has been a part of Wounds Canada for many years, being a past member of the Board, part of many educational offerings and co-authoring many of Wounds Canada's Best Practice Guidelines. She also continues to be Adjunct Faculty at the University of Western Wound Healing Program and has published many articles around physical activity and wound healing. Dee continues to teach wound care courses and skills in North Western Ontario as well as being part of the North Western Lower Limb Preservation Initiative. Dee's current role at Giishkaandago'Ikwe Health Services has given her the gift of truly working within a community based framework together with client's, family's and communities to build mino ayawin or good health in a holistic manner.

Joumana Fawaz has been a nurse for 23 years and actively involved in nursing education for over 15 years. 5 years ago, she discovered her passion for wound care and has been actively involved ever since in many initiatives in wound care and associations. She currently works as a clinical nurse specialist in wound care and head of the wound, ostomy and continence service at the Montreal University Health Center where she juggles several wound care projects at the same time.Recently, she has been elected president of the Regroupement Québécois en soins de plaies.

Melissa Gosse, RN, BN, IIWCC-CAN, MSc (Skin Integrity & Wound Management) -Bachelor of Nursing 2006, Memorial University in NL. -Joined the development and implementation of Nova Scotia’s Provincial Wound Program in 2021. -Completed SHARP program by Wounds Canada in 2022. -Completed IIWCC in 2022. -Currently employed as the Wound Management Consultant for the Western Zone with Health Association Nova Scotia (Provincial Wound Program). The role developed into Provincial Professional Development Coordinator and Consultant in April 2023. -MSc of Skin Integrity and Wound Management at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. Completion 2024. -Co-presenter with Wounds Canada at EWMA 2024.

Rosemary Hill has been a nurse for 37 years and works full time at Lions Gate Hospital – Vancouver Coastal Health. In 2004, Rosemary completed the Wound Ostomy Continence program at Emory Medical University, Atlanta Georgia, and has been practicing within that role. Her past volunteer activities include a two year term (2016-2018) as President of Nurses Specialized in Wound Ostomy Continence Canada (NSWOCC). She continues to be involved with practice standards as it pertains to Wound and Ostomy care and is a member of the BC Provincial nursing skin and wound committee and continues to be the chair of the BC Provincial Nursing Ostomy committee. Her experiences in wound and ostomy care, has provided her with opportunities to speak nationally and internationally (WUWHS, EWMA , SAWC).

Additionally she was the recipient of the Award of Excellence in Practice from the Association of Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia (ARNBC). Recently her volunteer activities have taken her to Argentina where she worked with a select group of Canadian NSWOCs to offer wound education and introduce a standardized wound assessment tool in the province of Salta. She hopes to continue to support the NSWOCs in Argentina with wound care standardization.

Dr. Angela Kim is a resident physician in vascular surgery at McGill University. She is simultaneously completing a Master’s degree in clinical epidemiology through the Surgeon Scientist Program. Her research focuses on limb salvage and amputation prevention in individuals with diabetes and peripheral arterial disease.

Dr. Douglas Queen, an international wound care consultant and researcher, co-founded the International Wound Journal alongside Dr. Keith Harding in 2004. Dr. Queen brings over 38 years of international expertise in commercial development, market access and med-tech R&D. Dr. Queen is one of the industry’s foremost experts in wound care and brings a unique combination of clinical knowledge and business acumen to the broader healthcare arena. Douglas received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering studying Wound Care Dressings in 1986 from University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK, and also earned his MBA from Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK in 1996. After completing his education, Douglas spent the initial part of his career working for ConvaTec, a medical device company focused on delivering products and services in the areas of skin, wound and ostomy care. His tenure at ConvaTec included roles in Research & Development and Sales and Marketing, spanning European and North American markets. Douglas has also worked as an independent medical device consultant specializing in the wound care field, for the past 24 years. During this time, he has advised key opinion leaders, large, multinational companies, and smaller start-up companies in the areas of education, research, development, commercial development and market access.

Dr.Helen Rees, BSc (Hons) Podiatry, (University of Southampton, England,) has been serving the Canadian Public in Ontario, PEI and New Brunswick for over 14 years. A licensed New Brunswick Podiatrist, with specialisms in Diabetes, soft tissue surgery and plantar warts. Helen is the sole proprietor of Atlantic Podiatry and is the High Risk Diabetes Foot Clinic Team Podiatrist for Horizon Health in Fredericton Hospital. Helen’s professional experience injects sector specific insight into decision-making at the forefront of the development and innovation of both public and private branches of podiatric medicine. As past President of the Canadian Federation of Podiatric Medicine, Helen has hosted and presented at numerous international conferences and is a staunch promoter for her field of Podiatry.

Dr. Graham Roche-Nagle is a native of Waterford, Ireland. He is the Head, Division of Vascular Surgery, R. Fraser Elliott Chair in Vascular Surgery at University Health Network and Associate Professor at University of Toronto. He received his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1998 and finished his clinical training on the Irish Senior Registrar Training Program. He then completed a 2-year fellowship in vascular surgery at Toronto General Hospital and St. Michaels Hospital Toronto. He is certified in general vascular surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and also holds certification from the European Board for Vascular Surgery. In addition, Dr Roche-Nagle has been awarded an MBA in Healthcare Management (University College Dublin) and a Masters in Medical Education (Queens University, Belfast). He served as Medical Director of the Canadian Vascular Quality Initiative for 10 years, has served in leadership roles at the Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery. He has published over 130 articles in peer-reviewed journals and is the recipient of numerous teaching awards.

Kelly Sair has been a physiotherapist for 31 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 inter-disciplinary wound clinic that manages complex patients with complex wounds.

For Anne Shantz, the nursing journey was a second career opportunity following a profession in social services. While completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Western University, one of her first clinical experiences ignited a passion for caring for patients with wounds and ostomies. After graduating, Anne went on to become an Enterostomal Therapist and then several years later returned to Western University to complete a Master’s in the Clinical Science of Wound Healing.

Anne has practiced in a variety of roles supporting wound and ostomy expertise as a front-line clinician, as an educator and in program lead positions. Anne is employed with the South West Home and Community Care as the Clinical Lead for the South West Regional Wound Care Program. In this role, Anne supports patient consultation, cross-sectorial wound care education and regional wound program development.

Dr. Kathleen Stevens is an Assistant Professor at Memorial University Faculty of Nursing and an advanced foot care nurse. Dr. Stevens is a mixed-methods and patient-oriented researcher with expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods. Her program of research is focused on preventative foot health and foot self-management interventions, and diabetes with the goal of preventing skin breakdown and devastating complications such as foot ulceration and amputation. Through her research and service she endeavors to impact health policy and implement knowledge translation initiatives that reduce diabetic foot complications. Dr. Stevens is a leader in foot health and diabetes at the provincial and national level. She is a member of the executive of the Newfoundland and Labrador Advanced Foot Care Nurses Special Interest Group. She has been involved with the Canadian Association of Foot Care Nurses Association as a Board Member for six years. Dr. Stevens is involved in multi-disciplinary work and research as a member of Wounds Canada.