BOARD CHAIR

Podiatrist and Educator, Researcher in Wound Care

Dr Nicoletta (Nikki) Frescos is an experienced podiatrist, credentialled advanced wound care practitioner and was recently awarded Fellow of Wounds Australia. She is a practicing clinician, educator and has a keen research interest in Diabetic Foot Disease, wound related pain and chronic lower limb wounds. Nikki holds a variety of positions, she works as a podiatrist at Northern Health Diabetes Foot Unit and Chronic Wound Service, she is the Research Development Lead at the Faculty of Pain Medicine, Australian New Zealand College of Anaesthetist, and the Wound Research Study Coordinator at the Austin Health where she is conducting Randomised Control Trials on wound management studies including international research collaborations on new therapies. Her passion for teaching and care of the diabetic foot has extended to being an Interplast Aust/NZ volunteer clinical educator on the prevention and management of DFD in the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Nauru. Furthermore, she is the Australian representative for D-Foot International, Vice president elect for the Asia Pacific Association of the Diabetes Limb Prevention and Australian representative for the Commonwealth Wound Care Alliance. 

BOARD VICE-CHAIR

Nurse Practitioner

Andrea Minnis is a Nurse Practitioner in wound management and has 3 decades of experience working with clients with chronic and complex wounds and oedema in both public health and the private sector. With a background in public practice, Andrea established her private practice in 2013 and provides wound assessment and management to clients across Victoria and over the border to NSW . Andrea holds a Masters degree in Nursing (Research) and is passionate about improving community access to specialist wound management services and fostering the role of the Nurse Practitioner in wound management.  

BOARD SECRETARY

Nurse Practitioner

Terry Swanson, our inaugural Chair,  completed her undergraduate work in the USA before immigrating to Australia. She was endorsed by NBV in 2003 and Victorian Government in 2004 as one of the first Nurse Practitioners in her state and in the area of wound management. Terry was admitted as a Fellow of the Australian Wound Management Association in 2010 for her significant contribution to wound management at a state, national and international level. She is the current Vice Chair of the International Wound Infection Institute (IWII) and chaired the development and publication of the 2016 IWII Consensus Document Update on Wound Infection and is Co- chair of the 2022 publication. 

Terry served as the Chair of IWII from 2012 until 2015. In 2020 Terry was invited onto the World Union Wound Healing Societies Board and is the current Co-chair of the Supporting Societies subcommittee. Terry has published and presented on chronic wounds and wound infection nationally and internationally. She was the co-author and co- editor for the book Wound Management for the Advanced Practitioner. Terry was the Scientific Chair of the 2018 Wounds Australia National Conference and Co-chair for the 2022 conference.  She has held positions of responsibility of various nursing and wound related boards locally, nationally, and internationally. Frequently, Terry is an invited speaker nationally and internationally and loves to share her knowledge and passion of helping to heal and provide best practice.

BOARD TREASURER

Wound Consultant

Jan Rice AM trained at The Alfred hospital-1970-1973 and progressed through various training programs to eventually study Plastic Surgery Nursing at the VPSU from 1979-1993. This led her into wound management in a formal sense in 1994 when she joined Wound Foundation of Australia, which became part of Monash University college of Pharmacy—working there until 2007. Jan then ran through LaTrobe University -World of Wounds and was running this service from 2007-2013.

She has authored many short papers on wound management and co-authored book chapters and a training manual in plastic surgical nursing. Jan has worked on many advisory boards and been a member of many committees focused on wound care. In 2006 Jan set up a wound clinic at a large metropolitan Melbourne General Practice, which ran until 2021. She holds a Masters in Wound Care, and now runs her own consultancy business- Jan Rice WoundCareServices Pty Ltd- which sees her consulting in aged care, acute private surgical hospitals and private homes.

Over 30 years of specific wound training, Jan has been an invited speaker at many State, National and International conferences and wound meetings. Jan was awarded an Australia Medal in the OAM awards in 2021.

BOARD MEMBER

Adjunct Professor, Curtin University; Adjunct Associate Professor, La Trobe University

Dr Emily Haesler is Adjunct Professor at Curtin University, Adjunct Associate Professor in Aged Care at La Trobe University, and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Australian National University Medical School and a Wounds Australia Fellow. She is on Executive Board of the International Wound Infection Institute. She is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Nursing Studies, and on Editorial Boards for the Journal of Tissue Viability, Wound Practice and Research, WCET® Journal and WOUNDS. Emily’s research interests include methodology, evidence-based clinical guidelines, consensus methods, social network analysis, translational research and qualitative research. She is a GRADE-certified guideline methodologist leading projects such as the Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Guideline , the International Pressure Injury Guideline, the International Ostomy Guideline and the IWII's Wound Infection in Clinical Practice. She is passionate about mixed-methods approaches to developing clinical guidance, patient engagement, wound care in low-resource countries, and supporting novice researchers.

Emily is also a standards developer,  (including the Australian Wound Standards) and an ISO-trained accreditor working in accreditation and auditing in aged care and medical education. She is involved in research and education in medical training and general practice, and sits on the ACT-NSW General Practice Workforce Planning and Prioritisation Steering Committee, the AMC Prevocational Medical Training Standards Advisory Group, and the ANU Medical School Curriculum Advisory Board.

In 2021, 2023 and 2024 Emily featured in the World’s Top 2% of Scientists, based on Stanford and Elsevier data.

BOARD MEMBER

Wound Care, Monash University

Dr Geoff Sussman OAM holds a position in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University, and is the Associate Professor of Wound Care, he also a Clinical (Lecturer) within Medical Education of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences University of Melbourne. He is a wound consultant at the Wound Clinic Austin Hospital. He has been a faculty member at St Anne’s College Oxford University and the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Auckland University. He lectures in Pharmacology, Sports Medicine and Wound Care. He has been involved in wound management for over 30 years in clinical research and clinical practice and teaching and has over 100 publications including 45 book chapters.

Geoff was Chairman of Wounds Australia, is an Executive board member of The International Wound Infection Institute, is the Past President of The Asia Pacific Association for Diabetic Limb Problems. He was an executive board member of the Australasian Wound and Tissue Repair Society. He was the inaugural Secretary of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies. He is an associate editor of the International Wound Journal, a member of the editorial board of Wound Practice and Research, Chronic Wound Care Management and Research journal and is a member of the advisory committee for Post Graduate Wound Care education at Monash University. He was awarded an OAM in the Queens birthday Honours in 2006 for his work in wound care as a researcher, educator and clinician. He was recognised at the 2008 World Wound Healing Congress in Toronto with a lifetime achievement award for his work in wound management. He was also awarded in Kuala Lumpur a lifetime achievement award by the Asia Pacific Association for Diabetic Limb Problems for his outstanding contribution in the field of Diabetic Limb. In 2021 he was a State finalist for Senior Australian of the Year.

Nurse Practitioner
Wound Wise Consulting & Education

Melinda has worked in wound management for more than 30 years in a variety of settings from the Victorian Adult Burns Unit, to community nursing, research and lecturing in wound care at RMIT, Monash & Latrobe Universities. Melinda works in private practice as a Nurse Practitioner in wound management, following her endorsement in 2013. Her work is mainly in aged care, community and in private wound clinics, providing consultancy and education. Melinda has presented at many state, national and international; conferences and thrives on teaching others about the importance of holistic wound management. Melinda is a past member of the Wounds Australia Education Pillar and been a committee member of several state conferences. Melinda is credentialled as an Advanced Wound Practitioner by Wounds Australia.

Wound Nurse Practitioner and Lymphoedema Practitioner

Aiwei is a Nurse Practitioner specialising in wound and lymphoedema management and also works as a Wound Clinical Nurse Consultant at Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH). She is passionate in enhancing patient outcomes through research insights, lifelong learning and fostering interprofessional collaboration.  Aiwei coordinates the RMH Wound Resource Nurse program that supports best practice wound care and education. She has participated in research trials, including RCTs.

With a desire to empower nurses and clinicians through continuous learning and exploration, Aiwei has presented education, and at conferences nationally and internationally. She collaborated with National University of Singapore as a co-developer and lecturer of the wound care modules for their post graduate programs from 2018 -2023, and she remains engaged in speaking at forums in Singapore and Malaysia.

Aiwei is also a Chief Examiner for Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) OSCE and is a current member of the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners. She has previously served on Wounds Australia state committee as education officer.

CNC Wound Management
Bendigo Health

Toni is an experienced and highly dedicated Wound Clinical Nurse Consultant with over 20 years of experience. She specialises in the comprehensive assessment, treatment, and management of complex wounds in both the public and private sectors. With a wealth of both wound and oedema knowledge Toni plays a crucial role in improving patient outcomes and guiding healthcare teams in the clinical and homebased settings.

Toni’s commitment to continuous professional development and her compassionate approach to patient care have earned her a reputation as a trusted clinician in the field. Toni has been a past committee member of Wounds Australia (Vic) and has been involved in numerous local, state and national conferences.

Wound Consultant and Lymphoedema Practitioner
Good Wound Care

As an advanced practice nurse, Donna has worked in wound management for 25 years in community, disability, acute, aged care and the state health department. Donna has undertaken Casley Smith Lymphoedema Therapist training in 2017 and is an accredited Australasian Lymphology Association Lymphoedema Practitioner. Donna works in private practice, combining the clinical portfolios of wounds and chronic oedema in regional Victoria and provides education, governance, and consultancy services. Donna was awarded best presented case study at the 2022 Wounds Australia national conference and has previously served on the state branch. Donna has a special interest in growing online communities and podcasting to reach new wound clinicians via novel methods who otherwise have limited access to bedside learning support.