Luxmi Dhoonmoon is a Nurse Consultant Tissue Viability working for London North West University Healthcare (LNWH) NHS trust. Luxmi completed her BSc (Tissue Viability Pathway) in 2010 and MSc Advanced Practice in 2013 at St Georges University of London and is currently enrolled on a PhD in Nursing studies. She is also a Professional Nurse Advocate and Queen’s Nurse. Passionate about wound care and with a passion for addressing inequity across all types of wounds she introduced the Skin tone tool across LNWH NHS trust to reduce harm across all skin tones and increase inclusivity in all wound assessments thus delivering equitable wound and PU care. She also leads a team of Tissue Viability Nurses. Luxmi won the Journal of Wound Care award for Best Clinical research in 2015 for making a difference in patients with chronic wounds while using topical oxygen therapy. She contributed to several case studies, best practice statements and research to enhance clinical evidence forming the future of practice. Luxmi has published several clinical evaluations on patient care and improvement and recently authored an article in Independent Nurse on Long Covid and self-care. She recently co-authored a best practice document with Wounds UK to reflect assessment of dark skin tone in practice. Luxmi's aim is to develop her clinical research further to improve public health and addressing inequity in wound care. She recently won  an award at the Health Equity Summit 2025 for North West London ICB for addressing skin tone and improving pressure ulcers care in dark skin tone and also won the HSJ award 2025 for Nursing-Led patient safety initiative  for addressing skin tone bias. 

Kate is currently the Director for Quality and Safety for Nursing and Patient Care Services for Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE). Kate has been at MGH for 24 years, working clinically in medical nursing, critical care, and cardiology.  She has worked in quality, safety and nursing practice for the past 7 years, with a large focus on improving patient outcomes related to Nurse Sensitive Indicators (predominantly pressure injuries), improving patient safety through harm reduction, and regulatory readiness. Kate previously presented for NPIAP in November 2022 on standardizing processes for pressure injury prevention and reduction. 

Catherine Cusack is a Nursing Practice Specialist on the Ellison 7 Surgical/Trauma Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she provides expert clinical consultation and leads quality, safety, and practice initiatives on a 36-bed adult surgical and trauma unit. She brings extensive experience in quality improvement, shared governance, staff education, and patient safety, with a strong focus on advancing nursing practice and patient- and family-centered care. She was the former Co-Chair of the MGH Wound Care Task Force.

Dr. Alicia Smith, PT, DPT, NCS, CWS, LSSGB earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from American International College and is a Certified Wound Specialist through the American Board of Wound Management. She has extensive experience leading hospital acquired pressure injury (HAPI) reduction initiatives and developing system wide protocols focused on early identification, prevention, and evidence based management.
Dr. Smith has built a comprehensive interdisciplinary wound care program that emphasizes frontline development and clinician skill advancement. Her work includes creating standardized prevention pathways, designing targeted training for high risk units, and driving process improvement projects that strengthen documentation accuracy, bedside assessment practices, and escalation workflows.
A dedicated educator and clinician, Dr. Smith is a visionary leader who pioneers the advancement of best practices by translating research into practice, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and sustaining a resilient commitment to continuous improvement in patient care.

Frank Aviles is a physical therapist with over 34 years of experience in wound care, specializing in the treatment and management of chronic wounds and lymphedema. Currently collaborating with clinics in Louisiana, Georgia, and Alabama, he is deeply committed to advocacy, education, and patient care. His extensive expertise spans the continuum of care, encompassing roles as a physical therapist, wound and lymphedema specialist, hyperbaric technician, consultant, and educator.

Frank played a pivotal role in establishing a nationally recognized outpatient wound care center, achieving notable outcomes that garnered national acclaim. Additionally, he developed a comprehensive inpatient pressure injury prevention program with a nutritional focus, which received recognition from the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Beyond his clinical work, Frank is active in research and publishing and co-hosts The Frank & Lizzie Show, an educational platform for wound care clinicians. Through this channel, he and Elizabeth Faust, continue to elevate standards of care by sharing innovative insights and best practices with the healthcare community.

Elizabeth Faust, known as Liz or Lizzie, is a Nurse Practitioner, Wound, Ostomy, and Continence specialist.  She graduated from Gwynedd Mercy University with her MSN in Adult Nurse Practitioner in 2009 and became a CWS, CWOCN, CWOCN-AP, and CSWS. She served for 13 years at Tower Health System in West Reading, PA, in a variety of roles, including inpatient CWOCN, system administrative lead for Wound Ostomy practices, and department head of inpatient wound care under plastic surgery at a 700+ Level 1 Trauma Center in Eastern Pennsylvania.  She previously served as a nurse practitioner in an outpatient wound care center using a physical therapy model. She is passionate about education, particularly with NPWT and Pressure injury prevention and management. She has lectured internationally and facilitated Bioskills labs across the country. She runs a consulting business, Lizzie Wounds, LLC, focusing on education, marketing, product development, legal case reviews, and research.  She also co-hosts an educational channel for wound care clinicians called The Frank & Lizzie Show.  

Carley Rusch serves as a Medical Science Liaison in Medical Affairs & Research at Abbott specializing in Adult Therapeutic Nutrition.

Prior to joining Abbott, Dr. Rusch completed her bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida (UF) specializing in Dietetics. She earned her master’s degree and completed her dietetic internship through the MS-DI program at UF. During her dietetic training, she also served as a research coordinator on a variety of study protocols, including topics on gastrointestinal dysfunction, inflammation, pre- and probiotics, and the gut microbiome. She then went on to work as an inpatient dietitian at Advent Health Orlando and served as a preceptor for their dietetic internship program. Her clinical experience spans a variety of disease states such as cancer, gastrointestinal and neurological disorders, malnutrition and critical care.

Following her time working in clinical practice, Dr. Rusch completed her PhD in Nutritional Sciences at UF. Her doctoral research investigated the effect of the Mediterranean diet on improving constipation and intestinal inflammation in Parkinson’s disease. During her graduate programs, she has taught multiple undergraduate and graduate courses on nutrition, metabolism, and research methods. In 2020, she was awarded Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dr. Rusch has several publications in peer-reviewed journals and been invited to present at national and international conferences.

Eleanor is a highly experienced and compassionate Registered Nurse with over 24 years in emergency care, nursing leadership, and clinical education. She currently serves as the Director of Professional Development, Wound/Enterostomal & Vascular Access Services, where she champions evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and lifelong learning.

A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and MSN graduate from UMass Boston, Eleanor is deeply committed to advancing nursing practice and education. She plays a key role in trauma education as a Massachusetts Emergency Nursing Association state faculty member and Trauma Nursing Course Director/Instructor.

Eleanor has led initiatives in simulation-based training, quality improvement, and nursing transition programs, fostering environments that support clinical inquiry and professional growth. Known for her calm demeanor, attention to detail, and collaborative spirit, she is dedicated to delivering safe, patient-centered care and enhancing healthcare outcomes at the system level.