Message from the NSWOCC President

Gratitude and Growth as the Year Ends

Abstract

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As winter settles across the country and 2025 ends, I am filled with gratitude and excitement for the remarkable progress NSWOCC has made since my last message.

Since our last Journal issue in September, we have continued to advance our strategic priorities. The board has been diligently seeking out our next Chief Executive Officer and plans to have news to share early in the new year. We have also had several exciting leadership updates to share:

• Troy Curtis, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of NSWOCC
• Bruce Millar, with over 30 years of experience in finance and leadership has joined our team as the Chief Financial Officer and Human Resources Manager
• Kevin Woo has taken on the role of Chief Research Officer, leading a new NSWOCC Research Centre of Excellence
• Jonathan Mancor has taken on the role of Program Coordinator for the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Institute

Please join me in congratulating and welcoming this team of exceptional individuals who will assist with moving the association forward in the years to follow.

The WCET^®-NSWOCC^® 2026 Joint Congress planning is well underway. I hope that you can join me in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia April 24^th to 28^th for this global sharing of wound, ostomy and continence expertise. An outstanding lineup of international and Canadian keynote speakers have been secured. Early bird registration is available until January 15, 2026!

Our core programs continue to move forward with new best practice recommendations. Work on the next update to the Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Standards of Practice is now underway, led by Allison Lachaine, the Core Program leader for Professional Development. This also marks the final issue of Volume 1 of the Canadian Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence and I would like to commend the team and Editor-in-Chief Lina Martins for the exceptional work developing our journal into an academic success. It is also with great excitement that I share the news that the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care has announced funding for 150 Registered Practical nurses to complete the Skin Wellness Associate Nurse Program as well as 600 Personal Support Workers (PSW) to complete the PSW and Caregiver Skin Health Education Course. This significant investment in wound, ostomy and continence within the Long-Term Care sector is set to have a sustained, high impact on the care of Ontario’s most vulnerable. 

As I write what is my second-to-last President’s Message, I’m struck by how quickly these past two years have gone. What felt like so long when I began has turned into just a moment, one filled with challenges, growth, and more shared accomplishments than I could ever imagine. Serving as your President has been a privilege, and I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity. As we move into 2026, let us carry forward this same spirit of innovation, compassion, and collaboration. I look forward to seeing many of you in Vancouver as we write the next chapter of NSWOCC together.