DMEPOS Warriors: Sue Currence, BSN, RN, WOCN for Austin Pharmacy & Medical Supplies

Published in Wound Care on May 27, 2020

Meet Sue Currence, BSN, RN, WOCN for Austin Pharmacy & Medical Supplies, a VGM member since 2016! As a wound, ostomy, and continence nurse (WOCN), Sue has a vast knowledge of the wound care industry. We asked Sue about her experience with wound care and its importance as a specialty in the home medical equipment industry.

Please describe your role and responsibilities with Austin Pharmacy.
I have been with Austin Pharmacy and Medical Supply (APMS) for five years. We are the only DME in the Mid-Atlantic region to have had 3 WOC nurses on staff. Our owner and CEO is very forward-thinking and proactive when it comes to the specialty of wound, ostomy, and continence care!

Can you tell us more about your background and how you originally got connected to the industry?
Before coming to APMS, I enjoyed a 37-year career at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Maryland, where I practiced as an in- and out-patient WOCN. I developed the first ostomy center in the area in 1978. Over time, it grew to add on a hospital-based wound center that employs WCCs, WOC nurses, and MDs. I volunteer there now. After I retired from St. Joe's in 2014, I was asked to join the team at Austin.

I have been an active member of the WOCN society since 1977, serving in various national, regional, and local offices. We have experienced a number of challenges, changes, and growth since the society began.

What are some of the growing pains you’ve experienced in the industry, and how have you overcome them?
In the late seventies, our largest challenge was the recognition and acceptance of a fairly new nursing specialty. Over the years, credentialing and education programs were foremost, along with earning certification every five years and meeting the requirements.

What sets WOCN Nurses apart from other nurses?
I believe the breadth of knowledge and skills we possess makes us unique, as we passionately care for people with ostomies, wounds and incontinence, and podiatry.

What is your “why” for working in this industry?
WOC nurses are generally solo practitioners, so we have the autonomy to manage patient care. We require minimal direction or supervision, and we are always thinking "out of the box."

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