Charles Lucre, ACT
Charles Lucre, Medal of the Order of Australia recipient and Life Member of Wounds Australia, was well known within the wound community in Canberra. As a member of the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care Unit at Canberra Hospital, he was loved and respected by staff and patients.
Charles was passionate about wound care and education and eager to assist health care providers and nurses in particular, to increase their knowledge in wound care to improve patient outcomes. He attended every twilight education session and never missed a conference, supporting the AWMA (ACT) until his passing. He is remembered for his friendly approach, support and commitment to wound care and always had a smile.
Helen Dengate, ACT
Helen Dengate, Registered Nurse and Stomal Therapy Nurse was a pioneer in wound management in the ACT. She worked as a Wound/Stoma/Continence Clinical Nurse Consultant in the community setting and was instrumental in the development of wound clinics in the early 1990's, implementing best practice across the ACT. She made a positive difference to the nursing community, was dedicated to providing exceptional care and was a mentor and role model to her colleagues.
Helen was an active member of the ACT Wound Management Association until her unexpected death in January 2012. It was with great sadness that the community lost a valuable member and friend and she is greatly missed.
Janet Vincent, SA
Janet Vincent was a long-standing Australian Wound Management Association (SA) committee member who was dedicated to providing care to individuals with wounds. At all times, Janet strived to make a positive difference and actively taught, supported and guided her colleagues.
Janet is recognised and remembered for her vibrant and passionate contribution to the Wound Management community.
Winifred (Winne) Felle, WA
In May 1990, Winifred (Winnie) Felle, an Irish nurse who worked for a pharmaceutical company (Fauldings) in Perth, facilitated a meeting with seven nurses who had an interest in wound care. This group of nurses shared a concern that there was a need to update knowledge of wound management in Western Australia and they decided to call themselves the West Australian Wound Care Interested Nurses Group. The group proceeded to organise a study day entitled Wound care – a time for change, which was held in September 1990, followed by another very successful study day, 'Wound Care – Are We Changing?' in July 1991.
Subsequently the West Australian Wound Care Association (WAWCA) was formed in 1992, followed by the first national wound care conference, Turning wound care upside down, in Perth in 1993. In 1995, some of the conference proceeds were set aside in a scholarship fund to support conference attendance, education and research in acknowledgement of Winnie's contribution to the founding of WAWCA.
Sandy Dean, Vic
Sandy Dean was a Life Member and Fellow of the Australian Wound Management Association (now Wounds Australia), past AWMA National Nursing Representative and past President of AWMA Victoria. Sandy was a leader in the field of wound management, educating others and ultimately caring for people with chronic and complex wounds.
Sandy was pivotal in updating clinical practice guidelines to provide a foundation for future practice in the area of pressure injury prevention. In collaboration with her colleague and friend Cathy Young they gained world recognition as experts in hospital mattresses. This ground-breaking investigation, critiquing and classifying the quality of a foam surface, set a minimum standard for clinicians to follow and changed practice in hospitals nationally which were included in the Pan Pacific guidelines for the prevention and management of pressure injury.
Sandy recognised the importance of supporting members to enhance their professional development through education and networking with other professionals, particularly through attendance at major conferences.
