About the American Board of Wound Healing (ABWH)

What Certified Wound Care Specialists Say About ABWH

Feedback from physicians, nurses, and wound care specialists who completed their wound care certification or hyperbaric medicine recertification through the American Board of Wound Healing.
4.9/5
Certification Process
5/5
CME & Educational Value
4.8/5
Support & Responsiveness
4.9/5
Professional Recognition

The American Board of Wound Healing (ABWH) is a credentialing organization dedicated to advancing clinical excellence in wound care and hyperbaric medicine.

We provide recognized wound care certification pathways for physicians, nurses, technicians, and allied health professionals who meet established standards of education, experience, and examination.

Through our Certified Skin & Wound Specialist (CSWS), Certified Hyperbaric & Wound Specialist (CHWS), and Certified Hyperbaric Medicine Specialist (CHMS) programs, ABWH ensures that healthcare practitioners are equipped with the advanced knowledge and clinical skills necessary to deliver safe, evidence-based patient care.

Our mission is to maintain high standards of professional competence, support continuous learning through continuing medical education (CME), and uphold the integrity of certification for the benefit of both clinicians and the patients they serve.

Reviewing | ABWH
About ABWH

Trusted Wound Expert Leadership Through ABWH

The American Board of Wound Healing (ABWH) empowers clinicians through its physician wound care certification and wound care specialist certification programs. Becoming one demonstrates your advanced expertise and commitment to improving patient outcomes in wound management and hyperbaric medicine.

Professional Development Focus:

  • Education: Comprehensive certification pathways for physicians and specialists
  • Motivation: Continuous learning supported by structured recertification
  • Clinical Growth: Recognition that strengthens professional credibility and patient trust
Learn More About CertificationLearn More About Certification
CHOOSE YOUR PATH TO CERTIFICATION

Explore Our Wound Care Certifications

Take the next step toward professional excellence in wound care and hyperbaric medicine. Choose from the American Board of Wound Healing’s most sought-after certification programs.
View All Certification ExamsView All Certification Exams
Physician Certification Wound Care | ABWH

Physician Certification in Wound Care

Validate your clinical expertise and qualify for official physician wound care certification through the ABWH

  • Available Year-Round
  • For Physicians and Surgeons
Certified Skin and Wound Specialist | ABWH

Certified Skin & Wound Specialist (CSWS)

Pursue wound care specialist certification that recognizes your advanced skills in patient care and wound management.

  • Applications Open
  • For Nurses, Therapists, and Clinicians
Certified Hyperbaric and Wound Specialist | ABWH

Certified Hyperbaric & Wound Specialist (CHWS)

Earn dual recognition in wound healing and hyperbaric medicine as a certified wound care specialist.

  • Register Anytime
  • Globally Recognized
  • Our Team

Our Board of Directors

Dr. Gregory Bohn, FAPWCA, FACHM

Dr. Gregory Bohn
FAPWCA, FACHM

PRESIDENT
Dr. Brock Liden, FAPWCA

Dr. Brock Liden
FAPWCA

Board Member
Dr. Jeffrey Niezgoda, MD, FACHM, MAPWCA, CHWS

Dr. Jeffrey Niezgoda
MD, FACHM, MAPWCA, CHWS

Board Member
Karen L. Bauer, DNP, A.P.R.N.-F.N.P., CWS, FAPWCA

Karen L. Bauer
DNP, A.P.R.N.-F.N.P., CWS, FAPWCA

Board Member
Dr. Christine Shettel RN, BSN, CHWS, PWRC, MAPWCA

Dr. Christine Shettel
RN, BSN, CHWS, PWRC, MAPWCA

Board Member
Dr. Jonathan Johnson, MD, MBA, CWSP, FAPWCA

Dr. Jonathan Johnson
MD, MBA, CWSP, FAPWCA

Board Member
Blake Kostka, MBA, BSN, RN, WCC

Blake Kostka
MBA, BSN, RN, WCC

Board Member
Dr. Vijay Sharma MD, FAPWCA

Dr. Vijay Sharma
MD, FAPWCA

Board Member
Dr. Gregory Bohn, FAPWCA, FACHM

Dr. Gregory Bohn
FAPWCA, FACHM

PRESIDENT
Dr. Brock Liden, FAPWCA

Dr. Brock Liden
FAPWCA

Board Member
Dr. Jeffrey Niezgoda, MD, FACHM, MAPWCA, CHWS

DR. Jeffrey Niezgoda
MD, FACHM, MAPWCA, CHWS

Board Member
Karen L. Bauer, DNP, A.P.R.N.-F.N.P., CWS, FAPWCA

Karen L. Bauer
DNP, A.P.R.N.-F.N.P., CWS, FAPWCA

Board Member
Dr. Christine Shettel RN, BSN, CHWS, PWRC, MAPWCA

dR. Christine Shettel
RN, BSN, CHWS, PWRC, MAPWCA

Board Member
Dr. Jonathan Johnson, MD, MBA, CWSP, FAPWCA

dR. Jonathan Johnson
MD, MBA, CWSP, FAPWCA

Board Member
Blake Kostka, MBA, BSN, RN, WCC

Blake Kostka
MBA, BSN, RN, WCC

Board Member
Dr. Vijay Sharma MD, FAPWCA

dR. Vijay Sharma
MD, FAPWCA

Board Member
  • Contact Us for Wound Care Certification and Specialist Support

Advance Skills with Wound Care Certification from ABWH

Reach out for questions about wound care certification, hyperbaric specialist credentials, or recertification requirements.

Contact Form
Dr. Gregory Bohn, FAPWCA, FACHM

Dr. Gregory Bohn, FAPWCA, FACHM

PRESIDENT

Dr. Gregory Bohn, FAPWCA, FACHM is a practicing General Surgeon and Wound Care Physician. He currently is the Medical Director of the Westshore Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine as well as maintaining a full time General Surgery Practice.

He is Board Certified in Surgery by the American Board of Surgery and in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine by the American Board of Preventative Medicine.
Dr. Bohn has worked as a consultant in both Wound Care and Surgery. Interested in education, he has directed courses in Wound Care and Surgery. He has helped to plan major wound care meetings as well as participating as a speaker. He has worked nationally as a Medical Director in wound care covering the Midwest area.
He graduated from Wayne State University with his Medical Doctorate in 1978 and completed Residency in General Surgery in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Blodgett and St Mary’s Hospital in 1982. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeon, Fellow of The American College of Hyperbaric Medicine, and member of multiple professional surgical societies and wound care associations.
Dr. Brock Liden, FAPWCA

Dr. Brock Liden, FAPWCA

Board Member

Dr. Brock Liden, FAPWCA is a co-founder of the Berger Health System Wound Healing Center with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Circleville, Ohio.

He is a Diplomat, of the American Board of Podiatric Medicine and of the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry and a Fellow of the American Professional Wound Care Association. Dr. Liden is a Physician Certified in Wound Care with Specialty Interest in Wound Care, Limb Salvage, and Charcot reconstruction. He has participated in multiple research trials and is a recognized national and international faculty.

Dr. Jeffrey Niezgoda, MD, FACHM, MAPWCA, CHWS

Dr. Jeffrey Niezgoda, MD, FACHM, MAPWCA, CHWS

Board Member

Dr. Jeffrey Niezgoda is the Founder and President Emeritus of AZH Wound & Hyperbaric Center MKE. Advancing the Zenith of Healthcare is a novel company established by Dr. Niezgoda in 2017, dedicated to excellence in wound, hyperbaric and regenerative clinical services.
Dr. Niezgoda is also the President and Chief Medical Officer of WebCME, an international educational company with a mission to provide wound care and hyperbaric education over the internet. Over the past 10 years, WebCME has trained over five thousand healthcare providers. For 16 years (1998-2013) Dr. Niezgoda held the position of Medical Director of the Center for Comprehensive Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee Wisconsin and served as the President and Chief Medical Officer of Hyperbaric & Wound Care Associates. He is the President of the American Professional Wound Care Association and Past President of the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine.
Dr. Niezgoda holds an M.D. from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, and is a 1981 graduate of U.S. Air Force Academy.
Karen L. Bauer, DNP, A.P.R.N.-F.N.P., CWS, FAPWCA

Karen L. Bauer, DNP, A.P.R.N.-F.N.P., CWS, FAPWCA

Board Member

Dr. Karen Bauer is a Wound Certified Nurse Practitioner. She graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Toledo, an M.S. from the Ohio State University, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from The University of Toledo.

She has been practicing as a nurse practitioner for 15 years, with 13 of those years being in the field of wound management and 8 in vascular medicine. She currently practices at the University of Toledo Medical Center as well as multiple outreach sites encompassing ambulatory clinics, long-term care, and acute care centers. Karen has developed and oversees a team of advanced practice
providers as well as services within the wound and vascular fields.

She is certified as a wound specialist through the American Board of Wound Management and currently serves as both the Director of Wound Services at the University of Toledo in the Division of Vascular, Endovascular, and Wound Surgery, and the Program Director at the Fulton County Wound and Hyperbaric Center. She served as the Consumer Board Member for the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care from 2016-2018, engaging in multiple committees and initiatives. She is a current nurse board member for the AAWC. She is also an Editorial Board Member for Wound Management and Prevention and Advances in Skin and Wound Care. Karen lectures regionally, nationally, and internationally.

She is a published researcher. She loves dogs, food, and watching her daughter play soccer in her free time.
Dr. Christine Shettel RN, BSN, CHWS, PWRC, MAPWCA

Dr. Christine Shettel RN, BSN, CHWS, PWRC, MAPWCA

Board Member

Christine has over 20 years of clinical and educational experience specializing in Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine. She is on currently on staff at Acelity as a Medical Education Manager and, faculty at WebCME.
Chris also has clinical experience as a Clinical Vice President for a Wound Care Center Management Company, Home Health, Women’s Oncology, Hospice, and Pediatric Intensive Care at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
Christine has a B.S.N. from Messiah College, and is a registered nurse, certified in wound care and hyperbaric medicine through the American Board of Wound Healing (ABWH), and a Masters of American Professional Wound Care Association (APWCA). She is in demand as a speaker at wound care symposiums at local, regional, and national level. She has also function as a wound care educator for numerous companies specializing in wound care advanced therapies. Christine is also published in the area of wound care research.
She currently is on the Board of Directors for both the APWCA and ABWH.
Dr. Jonathan Johnson, MD, MBA, CWSP, FAPWCA

Dr. Jonathan Johnson, MD, MBA, CWSP, FAPWCA

Board Member

Jonathan Johnson, MD, MBA, CWSP, FAPWCA is the founder and surgical director of Comprehensive Wound Care Services based in Washington, DC. Also known as “Dr. Wounds” he is board certified by the American Board of Wound Management and a fellow of the American Professional Wound Care Association.
Dr. Johnson is also the Chief Medical Officer at Halo Biologics.
Dr. Johnson trained in general surgery with a fellowship as the Sylvester J. Carter Hand and Plastic surgery fellow at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Hospital Center of Cornell University. He holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Finance from The Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a physician board member of The Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) and the American Professional Wound Care Association (APWCA).
Dr. Johnson has numerous publications and research projects focused in wound care and decreasing health disparities in underserved populations. Dr. Johnson is board member at Capital Youth Empowerment Program (CYEP) a non-profit focused on fatherhood development and education and a founding member of the Johnson-Jones Family Foundation.
Blake Kostka, MBA, BSN, RN, WCC

Blake Kostka, MBA, BSN, RN, WCC

Board Member

Blake Kostka is the Vice President of Nursing & Outpatient Clinical Services for RestorixHealth, a national leader in wound care and hyperbaric management services.

Since joining RestorixHealth in 2015, he has served in various clinical and leadership roles. Blake currently oversees the company’s nursing and clinical services strategy, including associate training, performance improvement and clinical development of both wound care and hyperbaric oxygen certification programs.

Blake holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Saginaw Valley State University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from Ohio University and holds a Wound Care Certification (WCC ).

Dr. Vijay Sharma MD, FAPWCA

Dr. Vijay Sharma MD, FAPWCA

Board Member

Dr Vijay Sharma is a practicing Internal Medicine physician and a Wound Care physician. Dr. Sharma is board-certified in Internal Medicine, in Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine and holds a certification in Wound care.
He is currently actively practicing outpatient internal medicine, is an attending physician for the subacute rehab at Keswick multicare ctr, part of the wound care team for the entire keswick multicare ctr facility and is also a certified wound care physician at the University of Maryland Midtown campus.
Dr. Sharma has been practicing internal medicine for over 17 years and wound care for over 10 years. He also has over 3 years of experience in serving as a medical expert in medical legal cases.
Dr. Sharma graduated from University of Szeged, Albert Szent. Gyorgyi medical school, completed residency training at University of Maryland Midtown campus in Baltimore MD and Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland PA. He has been practicing in Baltimore Maryland since 2006.
Dr. Sharma holds keen interest in wound care and is currently certified with a physician certification with American Board of wound healing(ABWH) and is a fellow with the American professional wound care Association(APWCA). Dr. Sharma believes in treating the whole patient–not just the wound–and helping to correct underlying health conditions and promote healthy lifestyles for successful wound healing. He prides himself in the ability to help patients manage their wounds until they are healed.