Faculty

Yadwinder Dhillon

MD
CEO
AZ Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine / Ethos CRO

Dr. Yadwinder Dhillon is the owner of AZ Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona, where he leads a practice dedicated to the treatment of complex and non-healing wounds. Board certified in Family Medicine, he brings 20 years of experience spanning direct patient care and clinical research in wound healing.
Dr. Dhillon is also co-owner of Ethos CRO, a contract research organization through which he has helped design and execute clinical studies advancing the evidence base for wound care therapies. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications, and his dual role as clinician and investigator informs a practical, outcomes-focused approach to translating trial data into bedside decision-making.
In addition to his clinical and research work, Dr. Dhillon serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He lectures regularly to medical students and teaches residents in the clinical setting, mentoring the next generation of physicians in wound management and hyperbaric medicine.
Across two decades of practice, Dr. Dhillon has focused on advancing standards of care for patients with chronic wounds — combining rigorous clinical investigation with hands-on treatment and education. He is pleased to join his colleagues at SAWC in October.

2026 Sessions

Accredited Supported Workshop: Leg Ulcer and Compression Day: Advancing the Science of Compression and Skin Health

HMP Education has designated an unrestricted grant from Urgo Foundation and an in-kind contribution from Tactile Medical to support this session.<br><br>

<b>Learning Objectives:</b><br>
1. Explain the importance of compression therapy as the standard of care for managing venous leg ulcers and phlebolymphedema and recognize factors contributing to its underutilization in clinical practice. <br>
2. Assess the impact of venous disease, lymphedema, and phlebolymphedema on skin integrity and identify evidence-based strategies to prevent and manage skin damage associated with these conditions.<br>
3. Examine whether current evidence supports the use of Unna boots and similar compression products to improve skin integrity in patients with venous disease.<br>
4. Explain the “Three C’s” of effective compression therapy—consistency, continuity, and comfort—and evaluate how advances in materials and application techniques can improve patient adherence and clinical outcomes.<br>
5. Explain the emerging concept of the “Fourth C” (Cutis) and evaluate how therapeutic compression may improve skin microcirculation, dermal health, and long-term skin integrity beyond ulcer healing.

ISS Speaker

Thursday, October 15 1:30–3:30 PM
Room Emperors Ballroom
Industry-Supported Workshop
Faculty

Frank Aviles

PT CWS FACCWS CLT-LANA ALM AWCC
Director and Co-Founder
Advanced Wound & Lymphatic Institute, Aetherus Wound And Lymphatics

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Frank Aviles is a physical therapist with over 35 years of experience in wound care, specializing in the treatment and management of chronic wounds and lymphedema. He is deeply committed to advocacy, education, and patient care.
Beyond his clinical work, Frank is active in research and publishing and co-hosts The Frank & Lizzie Show, an educational platform for wound care & lymphedema clinicians Frank is also a consultant, advisor, and/or a speaker for various industry partners in the wound care and lymphedema space.

Faculty

Heather Barnhart

PT, PhD, CWS, CLT-LANA, CLWT
Director of Clinical Operations
Koya Medical

Dr. Heather Barnhart is a nationally recognized expert in integumentary dysfunction and Director of Clinical Operations at Koya Medical.
With four board certifications and over three decades of experience, she has led at the intersection of clinical practice, research, and innovation.
A former professor at Nova Southeastern University, she is a sought-after speaker and key opinion leader whose work has influenced clinicians and organizations worldwide through research, publications, and international presentations.
Her work and leadership across professional organizations continue to shape best practices and innovation in the field.

Faculty

Yadwinder Dhillon

MD
CEO
AZ Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine / Ethos CRO

Dr. Yadwinder Dhillon is the owner of AZ Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona, where he leads a practice dedicated to the treatment of complex and non-healing wounds. Board certified in Family Medicine, he brings 20 years of experience spanning direct patient care and clinical research in wound healing.
Dr. Dhillon is also co-owner of Ethos CRO, a contract research organization through which he has helped design and execute clinical studies advancing the evidence base for wound care therapies. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications, and his dual role as clinician and investigator informs a practical, outcomes-focused approach to translating trial data into bedside decision-making.
In addition to his clinical and research work, Dr. Dhillon serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He lectures regularly to medical students and teaches residents in the clinical setting, mentoring the next generation of physicians in wound management and hyperbaric medicine.
Across two decades of practice, Dr. Dhillon has focused on advancing standards of care for patients with chronic wounds — combining rigorous clinical investigation with hands-on treatment and education. He is pleased to join his colleagues at SAWC in October.

Faculty

Lucian Vlad

MD, MHI, FACCWC
Associate Professor
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

Dr. Lucian Vlad is an Associate Professor and Director of the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Fellowship at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, NC. He is board-certified in Family Medicine, faculty in the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Department and has practiced full time in a tertiary wound care and hyperbaric center since 2012, with a clinical focus on limb salvage and complex chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure injuries. His academic interests span compression therapy, negative pressure wound therapy, collagen scaffolds and other advanced biologics, low-intensity laser and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and clinical nutrition in wound care, and he is an active educator and frequent national and international lecturer.
Outside clinical work his advocay work includes ABWMS (American Board of Wound Medicine & Surgery) as member of the Board of Directors, WCCC (Wound Care Collaborative Community) as Chair of the Real Word Evidence Workstream, AAWC (Association for the Advancement of Wound Care) as Co-Chair of the Education Commitee and WHS (Wound Healing Society) member of Edducation Commitee.

Accredited Industry-Supported Symposia: Beyond the Surface: Why Slough Identification Is Key to Successful Debridement

HMP Education has designated an unrestricted grant from Urgo Medical North America to support this activity. <br><br>

<b>Learning objectives:</b><br>
1. Describe the composition of slough and necrotic matter and explain their role in increasing microbial burden and impairment of wound healing.<br>
2. Compare traditional and emerging debridement support technologies, including engineered fiber dressings and hypochlorous acid-based solutions and gels, with respect to their advantages, limitations, evidence base, and clinical applications. Examination of synergies.<br>
3. Evaluate the role of wound surface microacidification in optimizing desloughing and wound bed preparation and promoting a healable wound environment.<br>
4. Explore evidence-based strategies for achieving a healable wound bed, including the roles of debridement, microacidification, and combination therapies in optimizing wound healing outcomes.

ISS Speaker

Saturday, October 17 11:45–12:45 PM
Room Milano 1
Industry-Supported Symposia
Faculty

Michael Desvigne

MD, FACS, CWS, FACCWS, MAPWCA
Plastic surgeon
Abrazo Arrowhead Hospital & Wound Center

Dr. Michael N. Desvigne is a true plastic and reconstructive surgeon who has chosen to dedicate his expertise to reconstructive surgery, specifically wound reconstruction. Dr, Desvigne believes performing reconstructive surgery has made him a better wound healing clinician and managing complex wounds has made him a better reconstructive surgeon. Dr. Desvigne brings a wealth of experience from a variety of disciplines. He is board certified in plastic surgery, general surgery, wound care and hyperbaric medicine. With this quadruple certification he approaches each wound problem with a staircase approach including surgical and nonsurgical solutions.

Dr. Desvigne is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). He is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS), the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the Arizona Society of Plastic Surgeons. He is also a member of the American Academy of Wound Specialists, Wound Healing Society and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. He is a world-renowned lecturer and consultant in wound healing technologies. He has created multiple programs for inpatient and outpatient centers of excellence in wound care, with a focus on the continuum of care.

Faculty

Yadwinder Dhillon

MD
CEO
AZ Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine / Ethos CRO

Dr. Yadwinder Dhillon is the owner of AZ Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona, where he leads a practice dedicated to the treatment of complex and non-healing wounds. Board certified in Family Medicine, he brings 20 years of experience spanning direct patient care and clinical research in wound healing.
Dr. Dhillon is also co-owner of Ethos CRO, a contract research organization through which he has helped design and execute clinical studies advancing the evidence base for wound care therapies. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications, and his dual role as clinician and investigator informs a practical, outcomes-focused approach to translating trial data into bedside decision-making.
In addition to his clinical and research work, Dr. Dhillon serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He lectures regularly to medical students and teaches residents in the clinical setting, mentoring the next generation of physicians in wound management and hyperbaric medicine.
Across two decades of practice, Dr. Dhillon has focused on advancing standards of care for patients with chronic wounds — combining rigorous clinical investigation with hands-on treatment and education. He is pleased to join his colleagues at SAWC in October.

Faculty

Daniel Gibson

PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Alabama

Dr. Gibson is an Assistant Professor in the role of Biotechnology Researcher. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering, MS in Biomedical Sciences, and Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Florida. Dr. Gibson’s research focus is in Tissue Biology and covers projects ranging from the tissue response to injury in the eye and skin, diagnostics, chronic skin wounds, bacterial biofilms, and technologies to maintain skin integrity. Dr. Gibson also has passions for medical device design and commercialization.

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