Developing a Wound and Skin Care Program

The purpose of this article is to review the process used in a large Veterans Affairs facility to unite a group of diverse wound care specialists together into a coordinated program. Program development is an iterative, interactive process requiring continued recycling of efforts until projects are completed. The Program Development Cycle is presented as an example of intentional planning that has been divided into 4 phases: (1) identifying the agency culture, (2) engaging in targeted project development, (3) developing operational strategies, and (4) conducting follow-up analysis. Specific examples of developing a mission, program goals, and wound care champions are discussed. Discussion also incorporates suggestions for changing organizational culture, developing policies and procedures, using best practices and guidelines, creating a wound fair, and incorporating a skin bundle and the challenges of outcome assessment.