DALLAS, April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ConvaTec, a world-leading developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies for community and hospital care, today announced that the company has donated $10,000 to the AAWC Global Volunteers through the SAWC Walk for Wellness that took place at the 24th Annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and Wound Healing Society (SAWC/WHS) in Dallas, Texas from April 14 to April 17, 2011.

The Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) is the largest, not-for-profit, multi-specialty organization in the United States dedicated to the research and clinical application of evidence-based wound care. AAWC exists to be the leader in interdisciplinary wound care and tissue preservation. The Walk for Wellness helped raise awareness about the AAWC Global Volunteers program and the need for ongoing education and training programs about proper wound treatment for the underserved in developing countries and North America.

"We appreciate the generous donation from ConvaTec and all of those who 'walked for wellness'," said Terry Treadwell, MD, FACS, AAWC President. "These funds will help us create new opportunities for professional education programs in the areas of the world where they are most needed."

Conference participants were provided with pedometers that counted each step they took during the conference. At the end of each day, participants logged in the number of steps they walked and could monitor their personal standing.

"We are pleased to continue our sponsorship of the SAWC Walk for Wellness and work together with the many men and woman who attended SAWC to make a difference in the lives of people in desperate need of wound care in developing countries," stated Lori Toner, Vice President of ConvaTec Wound Therapeutics Marketing. "The AAWC Global Volunteers program provides more than just treatment - they provide education and training to local healthcare professionals and the community to continue the advancement of treatment. We are happy to contribute to the ongoing work they do."

About The AAWC Volunteers Program

The AAWC Global Volunteers program is an initiative dedicated to bringing the science of wound care to the underserved in developing countries and North America. It is supported by the volunteer leadership of AAWC Members, in partnership with Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO). The goal of these visits is twofold. The first goal is to present an outlined teaching curriculum to both the medical community and to the surrounding community. The second goal is to teach modern wound care, acting as educators in the clinical setting. The mission of the volunteer is to identify and train local health care personnel who can, in time, assume the role of training others. Visit www.aawconline.org for more information.

About the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) and Wound Healing Society (WHS)

The 24th Annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and Wound Healing Society Spring Meeting (SAWC/WHS Spring)  is regarded industry-wide as the premier educational wound care-focused program. From its humble beginning in 1988, when a small group of enterostomal (ET) nurses and physicians interested in this new discipline created a mission and vision to provide an interdisciplinary forum on wound care, the SAWC/WHS Spring meeting has grown to become the largest annual gathering of wound care clinicians, researchers and industry representatives in the United States.

This is the fifth year that the Wound Healing Society (WHS) will have their annual meeting in combination with SAWC Spring. Founded in 1989, WHS is recognized among professionals and government agencies as a leading scientific organization focused in this area of wound healing. Today, its membership consists of about 500 clinicians and scientists. The SAWC/WHS partnership reflects the need for clinicians to better understand the research and science behind wound management for optimal outcomes while underscoring the importance of proving medical necessity in an increasingly regulated healthcare world.

About ConvaTec

ConvaTec is a leading developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies that have helped improve the lives of millions of people worldwide. With four key focus areas – Ostomy Care, Wound Therapeutics, Continence and Critical Care, and Infusion Devices – ConvaTec products support healthcare professionals from the hospital to the community health setting. For more information, please visit www.convatec.com.

SOURCE ConvaTec