CHICAGO, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Catherine Burzik will be stepping down from her role as Chairperson of the board of the American College of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair (ACWHTR). She will be leaving the organization after 10 years in that role. Cathy has been the engine behind the College and has tirelessly given her time, commitment, and knowledge to bring the ACWHTR from its infancy to the strong organization it is today. Cathy will continue to focus on her Foundation and multiple board positions in industry. A unanimous decision by the board resulted in naming Cathy, “Chairperson Emeritus.” We know that our relationship with Cathy will continue to be strong moving forward. We all thank her sincerely!
Dr. William Ennis, current President, and CEO, was unanimously approved by the board to assume the role of Chairperson, ACWHTR. Dr. Ennis together with Dr. Will Li MD, founded ACHWTR in 2010. The Board will begin work looking for a new President so that Bill can concentrate on membership growth, increased relationships with medical societies, and advancing fellowship programs throughout the country in wound care.
The Board of Directors are excited to name Dr. Peter Rubin MD, Chris Fashek MBA, and Dr. John Harper Ph.D. to the board.
Peter Rubin MD is the current President of the American Society of Plastic Surgery and the Chair of the Plastic Surgery department at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the director of the UPMC wound healing service.
Chris Fashek has 25 years of senior executive experience in healthcare. Currently the Founder and Chairperson of MedTech Solutions Group LLC and NanoVibronix, Inc. Chris has held CEO roles at Brain Sentinel, Spiracur, and KCI and was the COB at Systagenix.
John Harper Ph.D. is currently SVP of R+D and the Chief Technology Officer at MiMedx. Previously Dr. Harper spent 10 years in various leadership roles at LifeCell Corporation and Acelity. John holds a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Texas and is well respected in the biotechnology and wound healing space.
The mission of the ACWHTR, a 501c3 founded in 2010, is “To improve public health by leading the growth of a new, integrated field of medicine and surgery, dedicated to the practice of modern wound healing and tissue repair.” The COVID crisis created a new awareness in healthcare in which chronic and acute wound care is an “essential” service. The current public health crisis led to a renewed commitment at the ACWHTR, to foster the development of the field. A return to live education this year, and an emphasis on membership growth and benefits, further sparked new energy and the desire for change.
The ACWTHR will return to hosting its annual meeting in Chicago in a live format on December 1st-3rd 2022 at the Swissotel in downtown Chicago.
This article was originally published here