Mega Doctor News
By Roberto Hugo González / Mega Doctor News
EDINBURG, Texas — DHR Health held its third annual wound care symposium on May 9 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, bringing together physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, and other healthcare professionals to discuss standards of care and evidence-based practices for treating hard-to-heal wounds.
Dr. Noel Oliveira, director of the Wound Care Center at DHR Health, told Mega Doctor News that this year’s symposium focused entirely on wound care, marking an expansion from previous events. According to Oliveira, prior symposiums addressed broader medical topics, while the 2026 program centered specifically on wound healing and related treatment approaches.
Oliveira said the symposium featured nationally recognized speakers, including Dr. Jayesh Shah, identified as the immediate past president of the Texas Medical Association, and Dr. Lawrence Lavery, a specialist in podiatric medicine and surgery and vice chair of research in orthopedic surgery at UT San Antonio.
“This year’s event was entirely dedicated to wound care,” Oliveira told Mega Doctor News, adding that the symposium drew a diverse audience of medical professionals involved in direct patient care. He said the event was modeled after leading national conferences and that DHR Health plans to continue hosting it annually with recognized experts in the field.
According to DHR Health, the program was designed to assess evidence-based practices and standards of care for patients with hard-to-heal wounds. Topics included wound bed preparation, interventions to prevent re-ulceration, and the role of glycemic control in wound healing. Organizers said the goal was to strengthen providers’ clinical knowledge and decision-making by presenting current recommendations and treatment strategies.
The symposium agenda included presentations on wound bed preparation by Dr. Jayesh Shah and risk stratification and prevention of re-ulceration by Dr. Lawrence Lavery. Oliveira and Annette Ozuna, PharmD, CDCES, presented a session titled Glycemic Balance: The Missing Piece in Wound Healing, which focused on the connection between diabetes management and recovery outcomes. A case review and panel discussion involving all faculty followed the educational sessions.
Oliveira said his presentation focused on treating new wound care patients while addressing diabetes management, a significant health issue in the Rio Grande Valley.
DHR Health stated that the educational activity aimed to help healthcare providers identify risk factors for ulcer recurrence, apply wound-bed preparation principles, interpret metabolic data related to glycemic control, and develop patient-centered strategies to improve healing outcomes and reduce recurrence rates. The event offered continuing medical education credit for physicians and continuing professional development hours for nurses.
