A Holistic Approach to Treating Complex Wounds

2025 Wound Care Symposium Presented by the Texas Healthcare Alliance Chamber of Commerce and South Texas Health System McAllen

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Lorena Hernandez and Mariza Gonzalez stand beside the enlarged program agenda for the 2025 Wound Care Symposium at the Cambria Hotel in McAllen, Texas. Photo by Roberto Hugo González / Mega Doctor News.
Lorena Hernandez and Mariza Gonzalez stand beside the enlarged program agenda for the 2025 Wound Care Symposium at the Cambria Hotel in McAllen, Texas. Photo by Roberto Hugo González / Mega Doctor News.
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By Roberto Hugo González / Mega Doctor News

The Texas Healthcare Alliance Chamber of Commerce and South Texas Health System hosted the 2025 Wound Care Symposium on October 10, 2025, at the Cambria Hotel Banquet Center in McAllen, Texas. The event brought together physicians, advanced practitioners, students, and vendors for a full day of education dedicated to improving wound care practices in the Rio Grande Valley.

The symposium featured a series of physician-led presentations addressing the most pressing issues in wound care. Jose Sobrevilla, MD, opened the clinical discussions with his session on “Delays & Drivers for Proper Wound Healing.” He focused on how care barriers can affect outcomes and why timely intervention matters. Following him, Jose Rodriguez, MD, presented “Lymphedema Management,” offering insight into a condition that significantly affects wound healing when left untreated.

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Joseph Caporusso, DPM, delivered two sessions during the event. His first presentation, “Identification of High Risk in a Diabetic Foot,” examined risk factors that clinicians must recognize early. Later in the afternoon, he returned with “Advancing Wound Care Through Clinical Research,” focusing on evidence-based approaches that can support better clinical decisions.

Other specialists also contributed detailed presentations. Pedro Mego, MD, discussed the importance of assessing circulation in his talk, “Is Checking the Circulation Important for Wound Healing? PAD & PVD.” His session emphasized the importance of vascular health to wound recovery. Pedro Abanto, MD, explained “What Are the 10 Causes of Bed Sores?” highlighting avoidable factors that often lead to complications. Alejandro Hernandez, MD, presented “Wound Bed Prep,” outlining methods that prepare tissues for optimal healing. The final physician speaker, Maria Aguinaga, MD, addressed “Atypical Wounds,” providing clarity on complex wound types that do not fit standard patterns.

Co-founder Lorena Hernandez, RN, explained why the symposium focused solely on wound care. She said the topic has been widely discussed in the news, especially regarding Medicare and CMS investigations. According to her, many issues arise not from wrongdoing but from “lack of knowledge or lack of experience and lack of documentation.” She added that clinicians often “are doing it for the right reasons, it’s just that they’re missing those components.” She described the symposium as a way to give local professionals access to education they usually have to travel to receive.

Students attended from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley as well as other nursing programs, with some registering independently. Hernandez said, “Some of the schools are actually giving them clinical hours,” and participants also received continuing education credits. She noted the value of connecting students with specialists who may guide them toward future careers.

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Vendors played an important role in the event by presenting products and services used in wound care. Hernandez said vendors were invited to “showcase their product to not only the doctors that are here today, but also the nurse practitioners and the nursing students.”

Texas Healthcare Alliance Chamber of Commerce, founded by Mariza Gonzalez and Hernandez earlier in 2025, has gained rapid support from local healthcare providers. Gonzalez said the chamber was conceptualized in January and implemented in April. Despite its young age, the organization has already organized a major educational event with strong attendance. Gonzalez announced plans to hold another symposium in June 2026 to align with Wound Care Awareness Month. She said the goal is to “highlight all our members” and expand the event’s scope because “it takes a whole team to heal a wound.”

The 2025 Wound Care Symposium delivered a full day of structured learning and interaction, closing with 6 CME or 6 CNE credits for participants. With high turnout and positive feedback, the event demonstrated a significant demand for wound care education in South Texas. Gonzalez and Hernandez expressed enthusiasm for future growth and acknowledged that the chamber may soon need a larger venue to serve the community better.

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