Dr. Charles R. Dennis MD, CWS®, Associate Medical Director of Brookhaven Memorial Hospital’s Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine obtained his ABWM certification as a Wound Care specialist in 2009. He perceives one of the greatest challenges in wound care to be the lack of evidence based education of wound care practitioners. A certification in this field has become an assertion of quality of care and provides reassurance in the knowledge of a wound specialist.    

My wound care journey began almost 15 years ago as a "step of faith" or better, "a stroke of luck".  I was ready to leave my current job and contacted  a local healthcare system where I was told that the only opening for a physical therapist was in the wound care department.  With much hesitation, I accepted.  And all I can say is WOW!  I fell in love with my patients, my job and my profession.  After working mostly in wounds, some acute care and some outpatient care for several years, I began to envision a clinic that was truly dedicated to wound healing and lifestyle management of our patients.  I pitched the idea to management of a "wound center".  Finally, after much debate, we opened the first wound and hyperbaric center within our rural area.  This wound center has been open for approximately 8 years and is continually growing.  Our center is staffed with an amazing attending physician, a rotating staff of resident physicians who are completing an annual monthly rotation, myself and our great office assistant.  I consider myself the "glue" as I am the caregiver that is always present.  My patients trust and depend on me, as well as the attending and resident physicians. 

Being certified in wound care is essential for the role I play.  It is important that the rotating residents be able to trust my recommendations and feel that I am providing, or advocating for "gold standard", evidence-based care.  My ABWM certification and membership in different societies allows me to have continuous updates sent to me via e-mail, journals, and courses.  This information changes my practice daily, and thus impacts my patients.     

The importance of being board certified by the American Board of Wound Management has many different benefits and responsibilities. The CWSP® has offered me a niche in a much larger system which has allowed me to fill a vital role in the wound care approach for limb salvage.

Within the subgroup is a team that I work with such as vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, certified pedorthists, and highly skilled wound care nurses. For this reason, additional standards within a highly specialized service line of healthcare is ultimately required. Board certification ensures that the standards are not only met but also kept in pace with all the latest advances in the specialty.