In Episode 4 of Healing By Design, hosts Jennifer Bierhup and Therese Laub sit down with wound care leader Alicia Bobak to explore one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare today: the lack of standardized wound care education.

Drawing from years of experience leading wound care programs, educating clinicians, and consulting across post-acute care, Alicia shares why education cannot stop after graduation. Together, they discuss the barriers clinicians face, including limited training, time constraints, reimbursement challenges, and the overwhelming number of products and educational resources available today.

The conversation also examines the role of collaboration, accountability, and critical thinking in wound care, emphasizing that successful patient outcomes require far more than choosing the right dressing. From nursing school curriculum to bedside decision-making, this episode challenges healthcare professionals to rethink how wound care education is taught, applied, and prioritized.

Whether you're a nurse, nurse practitioner, physician, therapist, administrator, or healthcare leader, this episode offers practical insights into building stronger clinical knowledge and improving patient outcomes through lifelong learning.

In this episode:

• Why wound care education lacks standardization
• The education gap in nursing and medical training
• The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration
• Common barriers clinicians face, including time and reimbursement
• Why critical thinking matters more than dressings alone
• AI, templates, and the future of wound care education
• Building accountability through lifelong learning
• Improving patient outcomes through better education

Healing By Design is a podcast powered by PAWSIC that explores the people, processes, and perspectives shaping better outcomes across the continuum of care.

What can healthcare providers learn when they stop talking and start listening to the patient?

In Episode 3 of Healing By Design, hosts Jennifer Bierhup and Therese Laub sit down with Joe Balusik to discuss his journey following a spinal cord injury that changed his life overnight. After decades of living with paralysis and navigating chronic wounds, Joe shares the lessons he's learned from both the patient chair and the healing journey that followed.

Joe reflects on rebuilding his life, overcoming pressure injuries, and the partnership he developed with his wound care team. Through humor, resilience, and honesty, he offers a perspective that every clinician, caregiver, and healthcare leader should hear.

Together, they explore the importance of patient engagement, communication, trust, and why successful wound healing depends on treating the whole person, not just the wound.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that the patient perspective is one of the most valuable tools in healthcare, and that healing happens best when patients and providers work as one team.

In this episode:

• Joe's spinal cord injury and life changing diagnosis
• Living with paralysis and chronic wounds
• The patient perspective on wound healing
• Building trust between patients and providers
• The role of communication and education in healing
• Resilience, humor, and maintaining hope
• Why healing is a partnership

Healing By Design is a podcast powered by PAWSIC that explores the people, processes, and perspectives shaping better outcomes across the continuum of care.

What happens when the healthcare professionals who spend the most time with patients are often the last to be included in the conversation?

In this episode of Healing By Design, host Jennifer Bierhup sits down with Certified Nursing Assistant, healthcare advocate, and PAWSIC Board Member Isaac Zralii to discuss the critical role CNAs play in patient care, wound prevention, and preserving skin integrity across the continuum of care.

Drawing from more than 21 years of experience in acute care, long-term care, behavioral health, rehabilitation, and COVID relief efforts, Isaac shares a perspective that is rarely heard in healthcare leadership discussions. As the first CNA to serve on the PAWSIC Board of Directors, he brings valuable insight into the challenges, opportunities, and realities facing frontline caregivers every day.

Together, Jennifer and Isaac explore why CNAs are often overlooked in healthcare conversations, the communication barriers that exist between nursing assistants and nursing staff, and how education can empower CNAs to identify changes in patient condition before they become serious complications.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that improving patient outcomes requires listening to the people who spend the most time at the bedside. From early wound identification to preserving skin integrity and preventing avoidable complications, CNAs are often the first line of defense in protecting patient health.

In this episode:

• Isaac's journey to becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant

• Why CNAs are often overlooked in healthcare discussions

• The communication gap between nurses and nursing assistants

• The role of CNAs in wound prevention and skin integrity

• Why frontline caregivers need better wound care education

• Burnout, staffing challenges, and patient ratios

• The concept of the CNA as the "ultimate observer."

• Creating pathways for early wound identification

• Building stronger interdisciplinary care teams

• What healthcare leaders need to understand about CNAs

Interested in supporting CNA advocacy and recognition? Explore the official PAWSIC CNA Collection and help celebrate the frontline caregivers who play a vital role in patient care every day.

Shop the CNA Collection:
https://pawsic-shop.printify.me/collection/cna

Healing By Design is a podcast powered by PAWSIC that explores the people, processes, and perspectives shaping better outcomes across the continuum of care.