Wound Care Education Institute® (WCEI) Will Train 200 Nurses in Ohio

PLAINFIELD, Ill., May 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wound Care Education Institute® (WCEI), announced today that they will deliver a comprehensive course in skin and wound management for 200 nurses in Ohio as part of a collaborative effort with the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Ohio Health Care Association (OHCA). The ODM, with the approval of the CMS, has awarded a half-million-dollar grant to the state's largest organization representing skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to provide wound care training and certification programs for nurses.

The training, provided through the Ohio Health Care Association (OHCA), will be taught by the Wound Care Education Institute® (WCEI), the leading provider of comprehensive courses in the fields of Skin, Wound, Diabetic and Ostomy Management. Upon completion of the course, nurses who meet the eligibility requirements and successfully complete the exam by the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy® (NAWCO®) will become board certified in wound care earning the credentials, WCC® (Wound Care Certified). 

"We are very pleased to be part of this collaborative effort and provide our Skin and Wound Management Course to the nurses of Ohio's skilled nursing facilities," said WCEI Co-Founder/Clinical Instructor Nancy Morgan, RN, BSN, MBA, WOC, WCC, DWC, OMS. "It's an honor and privilege to train these fine nurses on today's standards of wound care." 

"This collaborative effort will enable Ohio's skilled nursing facilities to become even more proficient in the care and treatment of residents with complex skin conditions," stated OHCA Executive Director Peter Van Runkle. "Further increasing the clinical skills of our caregivers will also provide measurable health benefits to our residents."

The grant funding to OHCA comes from civil money penalties paid by SNFs, which accumulate in a state account called the Residents Protection Fund. A series of federal laws, regulations, and guidelines govern how the money in this fund is to be used. CMS recently has urged states to use the money for approved purposes, subject to the agency's review.

At ODM's urging, OHCA submitted the wound care training proposal, which revolves around four sessions to be held this summer in the Columbus area. A total of 200 slots will be available for participants.

The course will be available to both OHCA members and non-members, with preference to nurses from SNFs ranking in the bottom 25% on one of the CMS pressure ulcer Quality Measures.

About Ohio Health Care Association
The Ohio Health Care Association is a non-profit association of more than 900 skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and providers serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, representing over 80,000 individuals. Many OHCA members also provide a variety of home and community-based services. OHCA is the largest long-term care association in the state, and the only chartered Ohio affiliate of the American Health Care Association, representing more than 12,000 long-term care facilities nationwide.

About the Wound Care Education Institute (WCEI)
Founded in 2003, Wound Care Education Institute, Inc. has grown to become the leading educational center of excellence for wound care and ostomy education in the United States. WCEI's mission is to develop multi-disciplinary wound care professionals by offering training programs based on current standards of care and evidence-based research. To date, WCEI has trained over 30,000 wound care physicians, therapists, nurses and sales/marketing professionals. Visit WCEI's website for information on educational programs at www.wcei.net.

About National Alliance of Wound Care (NAWCO)
NAWCO is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the advancement and promotion of excellence in wound and ostomy care through certification for nurses, therapists, and physicians. NAWCO offers 4 multidisciplinary certification programs and is the largest and fastest growing credentialing organization in the field of wound care and ostomy. For more information about NAWCO certification programs, visit www.nawccb.org.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160318/345727LOGO

SOURCE Wound Care Education Institute

Related Links

http://www.wcei.net