Van Nuys, CA (PRWEB) March 18, 2014 -- George Andros, MD, the Founder & Medical Director of the Amputation Prevention Center at Valley Presbyterian Hospital, will co-chair the Diabetic Foot Global Conference (DFCon). DFCon is the premier international, multidisciplinary diabetic foot conference in North America, and it will be held March 20-22 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel.
Now in its 13th year, DFCon brings together more than 400 physicians who diagnose and manage the diabetic foot to heal wounds and prevent amputation. The conference attracts vascular surgeons, podiatrists, orthopaedists, general practitioners, infectious disease specialists, family physicians, wound care/enterostomal nurses, diabetes educators and vascular technologists who share the goal of creating effective, multidisciplinary teams.
“When working together in multidisciplinary teams, physicians, vascular surgeons and foot care specialists from a wide range of disciplines have achieved the best results in diabetic limb salvage,” said Dr. Andros, a world-renowned vascular surgeon who co-founded and co-chairs DFCon with David G. Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD. “Learning how to collaborate on new and innovative techniques will enable dedicated teams to provide these high-risk patients with access to the latest education and treatments that can save their limbs and improve their lives.”
DFCon will include talks, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, specialty symposia and workshops that delve into diagnostic and interventional strategies for diabetic foot ulcers and amputation prevention. Featuring a world-renowned international faculty, DFCon offers the opportunity to review state-of-the-art concepts and techniques. Advanced discussions address the challenges of establishing teams that provide care that is both comprehensive and expeditious to avoid the harmful effects of delayed treatment.
A highlight of the conference will be the 11thAnnual Edward James Olmos Award for Advocacy in Amputation Prevention The award is named in honor of the renowned actor and director Edward James Olmos, who has been active in raising awareness of the ravages of diabetes and the importance of limb preservation in the Latino community. Every male member of Olmos’s family, including his father and all of his uncles, either died or lost limbs as a result of diabetes. He has made it his mission to educate his community, which has one of the highest rates of diabetes and limb amputation.
This year’s award honoree, Dr. Michael Edmonds, is a world-renowned expert in the field of diabetes and care of the diabetic foot, and is globally recognized as a pioneer in utilizing a multidisciplinary approach for treatment. In 1981, he established King’s College Diabetic Foot Clinic in London, England, the world’s first diabetic foot clinic, which now is widely accepted as an ideal model of care. Within three years of its inception, the clinic achieved a 50% reduction in major amputation.
“The Edward James Olmos Award for Advocacy is a special honor given to a physician whose philosophy on diabetes care and medical accomplishments represent hope for diabetic patients and the future of diabetes care,” said Dr. Andros. “Dr. Edmonds has made an indelible mark in the medical community devoted to diabetes care and treatments for the diabetic foot. His devotion to teamwork and success in amputation prevention has taught and inspired each and every one of us.”
Dr. Andros will be moderating the Thursday morning session of the conference, which will showcase case studies from around the globe, including reports from Cuba, Australia, Italy, India, the United Kingdom, Los Angeles and Washington DC. On Friday morning, he will moderate a group of lectures highlighting the vascular aspects of modern diabetic amputation prevention.
Valley Presbyterian Hospital and its Amputation Prevention Center (APC) sponsor DFCon. The APC is among only a handful of facilities nationwide that brings together the interdisciplinary expertise of vascular and podiatric surgeons, limb salvage and wound management specialists in one state-of-the-art setting.
ABOUT VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL
Valley Presbyterian Hospital (VPH) is an independent, nonprofit and nonsectarian hospital serving the medical needs of the San Fernando Valley community for more than 50 years. VPH has grown to become one of the largest acute care hospitals in the Valley region and continues to provide patient-centered care for a healthy community. The 350-bed facility offers advanced technology and a full range of medical services to improve and save lives. For more information, visit http://www.valleypres.org.
Susan von Seggern, Casparian Marketing Communications, +1 (213) 840-0077, [email protected]
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