Elevating clinical wound care expertise
A group photo of the participants, attendees, and speakers at the second Monash Advanced Clinical Wound Practice Certificate for 2026.
The university welcomed healthcare professionals to another Monash Advanced Clinical Wound Practice Certificate 2026 session, following the first session held in February 2026. Held on campus, the certificate course was organised by the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences (JCSMHS) in collaboration with the Malaysia Association of Wound Clinicians.
The program brought together 56 participants from across the healthcare sector, comprising general practitioners, nurses, wound care practitioners and other healthcare professionals. Of the participants, 34 were from government institutions, and 22 were from private institutions.
The opening ceremony began with a welcome address by Associate Professor Dr Lee Chin Yen, Program Chairperson at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He welcomed returning participants from the February module and highlighted that the July program formed part of a broader workshop series, with another module planned for November.
Associate Professor Lee noted that complex wound care remains a major challenge for healthcare professionals, particularly as clinicians work to bridge the gap between theory and practice. He also acknowledged the organising committee, medical student volunteers, industry partners and supporting teams who contributed to the program.
Associate Professor Dr Lee Chin Yen delivered the opening remarks for the event.
The first lecture, delivered by Dr Yap Jiann Wen, Head of Wound/Stoma Care Unit at Hospital Queen Elizabeth and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Monash University Malaysia, focused on strategic positioning and offloading in pressure injury prevention. Dr Yap discussed updated approaches to pressure injury management, including the importance of individualised repositioning schedules, heel offloading and the use of appropriate support surfaces to reduce pressure-related complications.
The program then continued with Dr Ben Bullen, Lecturer in Wound Care at Monash University, who spoke on the importance of health literacy and patient engagement in wound care. His session highlighted how communication, shared decision-making, and patient confidence play a critical role in improving wound outcomes, particularly among patients managing diabetes-related foot disease.
Dr Ben Bullen delivered his lecture titled “Feeding the Healing Process: Nutrition Strategies in Wound Care”.
Associate Professor Dr Mohd Zurairie Mohd Zubir, Course Director for Postgraduate Wound Care Studies at the JCSMHS, delivered the third lecture on advancing wound assessment. He introduced participants to emerging technologies that support more accurate wound measurement, documentation and monitoring, including digital wound assessment tools, bacterial burden fluorescence imaging and thermal imaging.
Following the morning break, Dr Peta Tehan, Senior Lecturer and Course Director of Postgraduate Wound Care Studies at Monash University, presented on pedal acceleration time as a rapid bedside indicator of limb ischaemia. Her session emphasised the importance of vascular assessment in wound care, including Doppler waveforms, ankle-brachial index testing, toe pressures and newer assessment techniques that can support earlier diagnosis and referral.
Associate Professor Dr Edward Choke, Senior Consultant Vascular Surgeon and Limb Salvage Specialist at Northern Heart Hospital Penang, then spoke on limb salvage in chronic limb-threatening ischaemia. He outlined the key components of diabetic foot ulcer management, including metabolic optimisation, offloading, vascularity, infection management and education. He also stressed the importance of early revascularisation and timely referral to improve healing and reduce the risk of amputation.
Associate Professor Dr Edward Choke during his lecture session.
The afternoon program continued with industrial showcases and booth visits. Participants then moved into practical workshop sessions covering advanced adjunct therapies for wound healing and evidence-based strategies to prevent surgical site infections. The workshops were co-led by all speakers with assistance from the facilitators, Associate Professor Dr Adam Astrada and adjunct senior lecturers of JCSMHS, Dr Vilivkumaran Karupayah and Dr Wong Kee Ai.
The second day of the program continued with workshops on pressure injury management and precision dressing selection, followed by additional industry showcases, an “Ask Your Expert” interactive clinical challenges session, and certificate presentations.
A few of the workshop sessions held during the program.
Through a combination of theory, technology, practical training and multidisciplinary expertise, the second Monash Advanced Clinical Wound Practice Certificate 2026 reflects the university’s commitment to supporting continuing professional development in healthcare.