On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Renee Cordrey, a physical therapist, researcher, and wound care specialist, to explore the vital role of physical therapy in wound management. Renee shares her journey from PT school to earning a PhD, where she studied how stress and “locus of control” impact patient healing. We discuss the unique functional lens PTs bring to the table—focusing on mobility, offloading, and specialized modalities like electrical stimulation—and the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration between WOC nurses and therapists. From proper wheelchair fitting to the psychosocial aspects of chronic wounds, Renee highlights how a holistic, team-based approach is essential for improving patient outcomes and navigating the complexities of modern wound care.
Resources:
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
APTA Specialist Certification
Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology and Wound Management
American Board of Wound Management (ABWM)
About the Speaker
Renee Cordrey, PT, PhD, MSPT, MPH, CWS, FAAWC, found her wound care passion while a physical therapist student. Since then, she has become board certified in wound care and focused her career on that specialty. She has worked in acute care, long term care, outpatient wound clinics, and academia. She is currently a physical therapist with Enhabit Home Health.
She has been very active within the wound care community throughout her career, having served four terms on the Board of Directors of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) and in various roles with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®), the American Board of Wound Management (ABWM), the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders, and Health Volunteers Overseas. She was honored with the Distinguished Member award from the AAWC and was included in the inaugural cohort of AAWC Fellows. She has also earned a Masters in Public Health, concentrating on health promotion and health education and completed her PhD examining how stress and locus of control interact with chronic wound healing. She has over 125 presentations and publications on wound-related topics.
Contact Hours: 0.75
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.