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.

2026 Sessions

First to Podium Presentations

Moderator

Friday, October 16 10:15–10:45 AM
Room Octavius 11
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.

Accredited Industry-Supported Workshop: Complex Wounds in Practice: An Interactive, Hands-On Skills Workshop

Complex wounds present some of the most challenging scenarios in wound care, requiring advanced clinical expertise, individualized treatment strategies, and ongoing assessment to achieve optimal healing outcomes. This immersive, hands-on workshop is designed to equip clinicians with practical skills and evidence-based approaches for managing complex wounds across a variety of care settings.  Through interactive demonstrations and guided skill-building exercises, participants will gain firsthand experience with advanced wound care technologies and techniques, including debridement methods, compression therapy, negative pressure wound therapy, topical oxygen therapy and the application of skin substitutes.<br><br>

HMP Education has designated unrestricted grants from AOTI, Engineered Tissue Solutions, Kerecis, Medaxis LLC, MTF Biologics, OVIK Health, Smith+Nephew, and XSONX LLC for this session.<br><br>

<b>Learning objectives:</b><br>
• Apply practical skills and evidence-based strategies to assess, treat, and manage complex wounds across diverse clinical settings.<br>
• Demonstrate the appropriate use and application of advanced wound care technologies and techniques, including debridement, compression therapy, negative pressure wound therapy, topical oxygen therapy, and skin substitutes, through hands-on practice and guided instruction.

ISS Speaker

Moderator

Friday, October 16 1:45–4:15 PM
Room Pompeian Ballroom
Industry-Supported Workshop
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

Laura Swoboda

DNP, APNP, FNP-C, FNP-BC, CWOCN-AP, WOCNF, FAANP
Wound specialist, translational scientist
Skin Gurus, University of Wisconsin Green Bay

Dr. Laura Swoboda is a translational scientist, family nurse practitioner, and wound specialist at University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. They serve as regional director of North America for ISTAP. Dr Swoboda volunteers on various committees and task forces including chairing the Health Equity task force of the AAWC, the NPIAP's prophylactic dressing standards initiative task force terminology group, and co-chair's the American Heart Association's Peripheral Arterial Disease National Action Plan's patient and community education comminttee. Dr. Swoboda is also president of the Milwaukee Metro Nurse Practitioner Association.

Planning Committee

Pamela Scarborough

PT, DPT, CWS
Founder and Chief Education Officer (CEdO)
PARKS Institute

Dr. Pamela Scarborough, PT, DPT, MS, CWS, FAAWC, is a clinician, educator, consultant, author, and nationally recognized speaker with nearly five decades of experience across the healthcare continuum. Her diverse background—including orthopedics and sports medicine, cardiac rehabilitation, home health, long-term care, diabetes education, wound management, and the healthcare industry—has shaped her whole-person approach to wound prevention, healing, and functional recovery.

Dr. Scarborough is the Principal of PARKS Institute, an education entity she established in 1998. Today, she provides consulting and educational services through select professional projects, including PAWSIC’s Skin Failure initiative. As Founding Faculty of the Wound Certification Prep Course, she continues to teach, mentor, and prepare clinicians and healthcare industry professionals for wound board certification while contributing to the advancement of wound science and skin integrity education.

Accredited Industry-Supported Symposia: A New Era in Diabetic Foot Management: The Science, Evidence, and Clinical Application of OFM-Hyaluronic Acid Technology

HMP Education has designated an unrestricted grant from Aroa Biosurgery for this session.<br><br>

<b>Learning objectives:</b><br>
1. Review current evidence-based management strategies for complex diabetic foot ulcers and discuss evolving challenges and opportunities to improve patient outcomes.<br>
2. Explain the complementary mechanisms of action of ovine forestomach matrix (OFM) and hyaluronic acid (HA), including their roles in modulating inflammation, supporting tissue regeneration, and promoting healing in diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).<br>
3. Evaluate the current clinical evidence supporting OFM-HA technology for lower extremity reconstruction and diabetic foot ulcer management, including findings from randomized controlled trials.<br>
4. Apply evidence-based strategies for incorporating OFM-HA technology into individualized treatment plans for patients with diabetic foot ulcers through case-based discussions.<br>
5. Integrate clinical, operational, and reimbursement considerations into the adoption of OFM-HA technology.

ISS Speaker

Friday, October 16 4:30–5:30 PM
Room Octavius 7
Industry-Supported Symposia
Faculty

David Armstrong

DPM MD PhD
Professor
University of Southern California School of Medicine

David G. Armstrong is Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Neurological Surgery with Tenure at the University of Southern California. He has authored over 780 peer-reviewed research papers and 120 books or book chapters. He co-founded the Southwestern Academic Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA) and leads USC's NSF-funded Center to Stream Healthcare in Place (C2SHiP). At C2SHiP, Dr. Armstrong finds himself at the nexus of consumer electronics and medical devices, exploring their integration for enhanced patient care.

Dr. Armstrong's has received numerous awards by national and international institutions including the Georgetown Distinguished Award for Diabetic Limb Salvage and the 2023 ISDF’s Karel Bakker Award. As the first podiatric surgeon to be named fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Glasgow, and the Founding President of the American Limb Preservation Society, he has made significant strides in his field. Dr. Armstrong is committed to ending preventable amputation within the next generation, a goal that he advances through fostering innovative interdisciplinary research, clinical practice, and advocacy.

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

Ira Herman

PhD
Professor
Tufts University School of Medicine

Brief Biosketch:
Ira M. Herman, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Emeritus
Center for Innovations in Wound Healing Research
Tufts University School of Medicine
150 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111

Ira M. Herman, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer
Tissue Health Plus
Email: ira@tissuehealthplus.com
Mobile: 617.388.6124
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ira-herman-14457517/

For the entirety of his discovery- and innovation-based career, and since his days in training at Tulane University, Harvard Medical School and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and to the present as Chief Science Officer, Tissue Health Plus, Dr Herman has been devoted to understanding the basic mechanisms that control the fundamental properties of life, including motility, repair and regeneration at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels. As a global thought leader, Dr. Herman and his colleagues have made several seminal contributions to our understanding the molecular mechanisms that control post-injury responses, while unveiling those central factors, signaling networks and supramolecular complexes responsible for regulating host reparative responses. These fundamental insights have given way to innovative strategies and inventions aimed at controlling wound healing, while converting non-healing wounds into those capable of closure. As a lead innovator and key opinion leader, Dr. Herman has chaired and served on innumerable grant review panels and editorial boards for high-impact
journals. He has received numerous awards, published 100s of peer-reviewed scientific publications and is named inventor on many US and international patents describing advanced diagnostics and therapeutics for next generation, precision health care and a member of the National Academy of Inventors.

Faculty

George Koullias

MD, PhD, FSVS, RPVI
Associate Professor of Surgery Division of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Stony Brook University Hospital & Stony Brook Southampton Hospital

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.

Back to top