EWMA
EWMA Honorary Speaker 2018:
Veronika Gerber Sue Bale EWMA President
EWMA was pleased to present Veronika Gerber as the Honorary Speaker 2018 at this year’s EWMA conference in Krakow.
Originally, Veronika Gerber trained as paediatric nurse and she still values the special experiences and privileges that caring for children has brought her very much. Working with children helped her develop the patience, friendliness, empathy and commitment, which is necessary especially in paediatrics, but has stayed with her throughout the whole of her professional life. Not being content with the work in the ward, she started to develop her skills in palliative care. This formerly neglected field of medical work is now a respected sub-discipline in Germany – a success to which Veronika Gerber has contributed a tremendous amount. Looking for further new challenges, Veronika Gerber established one of the first wound ambulances in Aurich, a small town in Northwest Germany. From this remote corner, she gained nationwide attention with a new model in wound healing which combined hospital and ambulant care. For many years she has lectured in wound healing. Thousands of German nurses and doctors profited from her teaching, experiences and skills. Her enormous knowledge, huge experience and the ability to motivate colleagues from different disciplines to work together qualified her for leading positions in the newly founded Initiative Chronische Wunden (ICW). After a short time Veronika Gerber was elected as chairperson which is a highly responsible role with a high work load to lead an organization of now nearly 4000 members. Interprofessionality and multidisciplinarity are keystones of modern wound management. Veronika Gerber represents these aspects ideally through the whole course of her life and her always-friendly mediating personality. Correspondence: ewma@ewma.org
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EWMA Journal 
2018 vol 19 no 2