WoundCasters

Wound Care Today USA
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to WoundCasters, a podcast from Wound Care Today USA, where we go beyond the basics of wound management. Hosted by Dr. Felix Boecker, each episode features in-depth conversations with leading clinicians, scientists, and innovators to uncover the science, technology, and best practices driving better wound outcomes. From cutting-edge products and clinical research to ethical challenges and real-world case insights, WoundCasters delivers fresh, practical knowledge for every wound care professional.

  1. 19H AGO

    Ep.16 Unravelling Coding, Coverage, and Compliance with Kathleen Schaum

    In this episode of WoundCasters, host Felix Boecker sits down with Kathleen Schaum, one of the most respected voices in wound care reimbursement, to unpack the realities of coding, coverage, and payment in an increasingly complex healthcare system. With more than five decades of experience in reimbursement education, consulting, and policy interpretation, Kathleen offers a rare longitudinal perspective on how wound care payment has evolved—from a time with few sites of service and minimal coverage options to today’s fragmented, highly regulated reimbursement landscape. Kathleen explains how the introduction of DRGs, outpatient departments, home health, and skilled nursing facilities reshaped wound care delivery—and why reimbursement was never designed as a master plan. The conversation dives into common pitfalls clinicians face today, including misunderstanding coverage versus prior authorization, failing to read payer contracts, and underestimating the importance of clear, concise documentation. Kathleen emphasizes that while many wound care professionals no longer struggle to get paid, they increasingly struggle to keep what they’re paid due to audits, denials, and documentation gaps. The episode also addresses education gaps for clinicians, manufacturers, and innovators alike. Kathleen shares why reimbursement must be considered early—whether setting up a new practice, launching a product, or developing new technology—and why documentation should tell a clear, defensible story that meets medical necessity standards. From advice for new clinicians entering wound care to guidance for manufacturers navigating FDA clearance and payment pathways, this conversation reinforces a central truth: clinical excellence alone isn’t enough. Understanding reimbursement is essential to sustaining wound care practices and ensuring patient access to care.

    53 min

  2. FEB 3

    Ep.15 Innovation, Data, and the Business of Wounds

    In this episode of WoundCasters, host Felix Boecker is joined by Scott Nelson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Swift Medical, for a wide-ranging conversation that bridges technology, data, and the evolving wound care marketplace. From the early days of digital wound imaging to today’s AI-driven measurement, tissue analysis, and predictive tools, Scott shares how wound documentation has matured—and why consistency, accuracy, and actionable data matter more than ever in clinical decision-making. The discussion moves beyond technology into the broader wound care ecosystem, including EMR integration, clinician feedback, and how improved measurement alone can influence outcomes by prompting earlier interventions and treatment plan changes. Scott also introduces his work on the Wound Care Fund and Innovation Index, a market-mapping and financial modeling project designed to better define the size, value, and investment potential of the wound care industry. Through a commercial and investor-focused lens, he explains why wound care has historically struggled for attention—and why that narrative is beginning to change. The episode concludes with a forward-looking discussion on where wound care is headed next, with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence, education gaps, and market maturity. Scott offers a candid perspective on why improving foundational wound education may be just as critical as any new technology, and why the industry must take greater ownership of its future. This conversation offers clinicians, innovators, and industry leaders a clearer view of how data, education, and investment intersect in shaping the next chapter of wound care.

    49 min

  3. JAN 20

    Ep.14 Innovation Beyond Healing: Addressing Wound Odor

    Use code "CEMAG25" for 50% off at clarahealthcare.com In this episode of WoundCasters, host Felix Boecker is joined by Maurice Lubetzki and Clément from CemagCare to explore a rarely discussed but deeply impactful challenge in wound care: malodorous wounds. The conversation centers on Cinesteam, a novel cinnamon-based secondary dressing designed not to mask odor, but to chemically bind and neutralize the volatile compounds responsible for it. What begins as a discussion of product innovation quickly becomes a broader conversation about patient dignity, caregiver burden, and quality of life. The guests share the origin story behind Cinesteam, which began with a French oncology nurse confronting the daily reality of fungating and tumoral wounds. Through extensive research, testing, and collaboration with clinicians and patients, CemagCare developed a dressing that leverages pharmaceutical-grade Sri Lankan cinnamon to address odor at its source—even in heavily exudative wounds where traditional charcoal dressings often fail. Felix and the team dive into how the dressing works, when to use it, contraindications, and why odor should be treated as a symptom—not a side effect clinicians are forced to tolerate. The episode also offers a candid look at the realities of bringing a new wound care product to market, including years-long R&D cycles, regulatory pathways in Europe versus the U.S., reimbursement challenges, and the importance of clinician-driven innovation. As CemagCare begins expanding access in the U.S., the discussion highlights the unmet need for solutions that prioritize dignity alongside healing—and why addressing odor can be transformative for patients, families, and care teams alike. DISCLAIMER The following podcast features a company discussing their product technology and offering a promotional discount to listeners. This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Wound Care Today USA. Healthcare professionals should evaluate all products based on their clinical judgment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wound Care Today USA.

    40 min

  4. JAN 6

    Ep.13 We All Have Our Frog Floats

    In this episode of WoundCasters, Felix Boecker explores a deceptively simple leadership lesson drawn from Admiral William McRaven’s The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: the story of the “frog float.” What began as a humiliating, menial assignment for a young Navy SEAL became a powerful test of humility, discipline, and character—qualities that prove just as essential in chronic wound care as they are in military leadership. Felix connects this lesson directly to daily clinical practice, where even the most highly trained professionals encounter tasks that feel beneath their role or credentials. From cleaning up after a messy debridement to staying late for documentation, dealing with insurance calls, or helping a patient with something small but meaningful, these moments reveal far more about leadership and professionalism than any complex procedure. How clinicians handle these “frog floats” shapes team culture, morale, trust, and ultimately patient outcomes. This episode challenges listeners to rethink the value of small tasks and embrace them as part of the larger mission of healing. True excellence in wound care, Felix argues, is built not on ego or status, but on humility, shared responsibility, and a willingness to do the little things well—especially when no one is watching.

    12 min

  5. 12/30/2025

    Ep.12 You Can’t Surge Trust

    In this episode, Felix Boecker explores one of Admiral William McRaven’s key leadership principles—“You can’t surge trust”—and brings it directly into the world of chronic wound care. Trust, he argues, is not something clinicians can summon in moments of crisis; it’s something they build slowly, through consistency, honesty, relationships, and the everyday decisions that shape patient care. Drawing from his own practice, Felix explains why trust is no longer automatically granted to clinicians and how it must instead be intentionally earned with patients who may be overwhelmed, skeptical, or carrying the weight of past negative experiences. But trust doesn’t stop with patients. True wound healing requires a team—clinic staff, home health nurses, and an extended network of referring providers. Felix breaks down what it means to build trust across every layer of this care continuum, from clear communication and collaborative problem-solving to respecting the expertise of those who see patients where clinicians can’t. The episode paints a realistic, compassionate picture of healthcare built on reliability, transparency, empathy, and partnership. In a field where outcomes often hinge on patient adherence and seamless teamwork, trust isn’t optional—it’s the quiet foundation that makes healing possible.

    14 min

  6. 12/16/2025

    Ep.11 The Future of Limb Salvage w/ Dr. Arthur Evensen

    In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Felix Boecker sits down with Dr. Arthur Evensen, a podiatric surgeon whose research at the Tucson VA has produced groundbreaking outcomes in limb salvage and complex wound healing. Dr. Evensen shares his journey from residency at one of the nation’s premier limb-salvage programs to his new role serving rural Missouri—where resource limitations have sparked creativity, advocacy, and a deep commitment to patient dignity. Together, they unpack why unnecessary amputations remain far too common, despite clear evidence that proactive podiatric care dramatically lowers risk. Dr. Evensen explains the barriers, the cost myths, and the life-altering implications amputations carry—including the staggering post-amputation mortality statistics many clinicians never learn. Along the way, Felix and Dr. Evensen explore pH biology, the philosophy of limb salvage, rural medicine challenges, patient autonomy, advocating for access in underserved communities, and why every dressing change is ultimately an act of preserving life, mobility, and dignity. This is a must-listen episode for clinicians passionate about innovation, limb preservation, evidence-based wound care, and the future of interdisciplinary practice.

    53 min

  7. 12/02/2025

    Ep.10 When in Command, Command

    In this leadership-focused episode, host Felix Boecker unpacks Admiral William McRaven’s principle: “When in command, command.” What does decisive leadership look like in the high-stakes world of chronic wound care? Felix breaks it down with real-world examples and clear takeaways clinicians can apply immediately. From delivering difficult news to patients, to resolving staff disagreements, to confidently directing care across the continuum, this episode explores how strong leadership directly impacts patient outcomes—and clinic culture. Felix also delves into when and how to pivot treatment plans, command tough conversations, collaborate with referring specialists, and even lead decisively on the business side of practice management. Whether you’re treating complex wounds, running a clinic, or supporting a multidisciplinary team, this episode offers a grounded, practical look at the courageous clarity today’s wound care leaders need.

    17 min

  8. 11/18/2025

    Ep.09 Compression Done Right: Lymphedema, Venous Ulcers, and the Law of Laplace

    In this episode of Woundcasters, host Dr. Felix Boecker is joined by Anna Stewart, OT and lymphedema specialist at the University of Michigan, for a deep dive into one of the most under-recognized drivers of chronic wounds: lymphedema. Anna shares how her path from massage therapist to occupational therapist shaped her hands-on understanding of tissue, and why so many clinicians and therapists still miss early-stage lymphedema until fibrosis, skin changes, and wounds are already present. Together, Felix and Anna unpack the relationship between chronic venous insufficiency and secondary lymphedema, when it makes sense to refer venous leg ulcer patients to a lymphedema specialist, and how tools like photobiomodulation (red light therapy), vibration, and negative-pressure “cupping” can support tissue normalization and fluid movement. Anna also walks through the art and physics of compression—from short-stretch vs. long-stretch bandages to toe management and the Law of Laplace—highlighting common pitfalls that turn wraps into tourniquets instead of therapy. The conversation closes with practical tips on finding qualified lymphedema therapists, addressing system and supply barriers, and why Anna is optimistic about growing awareness and research in lymphatic care. If you manage patients with edema, venous disease, or chronic wounds, this is a must-listen episode.

    40 min
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About

Welcome to WoundCasters, a podcast from Wound Care Today USA, where we go beyond the basics of wound management. Hosted by Dr. Felix Boecker, each episode features in-depth conversations with leading clinicians, scientists, and innovators to uncover the science, technology, and best practices driving better wound outcomes. From cutting-edge products and clinical research to ethical challenges and real-world case insights, WoundCasters delivers fresh, practical knowledge for every wound care professional.

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