Healing Hands Wound Care

09/19/2026

I left HEAL even more determined than I arrived.
I knew there was a need for S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™, but witnessing the response from clinicians opened my own eyes to just how deep that need really is.
I understand the tears differently now.
For years, many of us were taught to “react to red,” assess for redness and look for blanching. I taught it too. We were teaching what we had been taught.
But caring isn't enough if we haven't been equipped to recognize what we're looking at.
How can you treat me if you can't see me?
Seeing color isn't divisive. In healthcare, seeing color can save lives.
This isn't about blame. It's about awareness. Better assessment. Healthcare equity.
And I'm more determined than ever to be part of the change.
S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™ — See Color and Beyond. www.shadesofcareguide.com⁠�

09/16/2026

😭

09/16/2026

I’m still trying to find words big enough for what happened in Louisville. 🥹❤️

S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™ officially made its debut at the HEAL Wound Care Conference—and what an incredible debut it was!

I had the honor of presenting “Seeing Beyond Redness: Advancing Pressure Injury Assessment in Skin of Color,” and the attendance, engagement, and response were more than I could have imagined.

The room was FULL. The audience was engaged. We laughed, we learned, we had some uncomfortable but necessary conversations—and when the session ended, so many people stayed behind to talk, ask questions, share their experiences, and learn more about S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™.

And then there was the exhibit hall! ❤️

The support continued at the Healing Hands Wound Care booth, where nurses, educators, providers, and other wound care professionals stopped by to learn more about the S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™ framework and resources.

As a Black nurse with 18 years in wound care, standing on that stage and teaching clinicians how we can better recognize pressure injuries in darker skin was deeply personal.

S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™ was created because caring isn’t enough if we haven’t been equipped to recognize what we’re looking at.

This week reminded me that this conversation is needed—and people are ready to have it.

To my fellow nurses: sometimes the thing you noticed, questioned, experienced, or couldn't stop thinking about may be the very thing you were meant to address. Don't underestimate what can happen when your clinical experience meets your purpose.

Louisville, thank you for the incredible welcome.

S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™ has officially entered the room. ❤️🖤

See color and beyond.™

Olskool Jay Hoopa

09/16/2026

S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™ is going to graduate school. 🎓😭
Yesterday at the airport, while TSA was going through my conference supplies, a gentleman suddenly said loud enough for everybody around us to hear:
“That’s the phenomenal speaker! I just witnessed her!” 😂
I laughed, thanked him, and during all the TSA chaos, I gave him one of my S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™ mini pocket guides.
I had absolutely NO IDEA who he was.
This morning, I woke up to an email.
He is a physical therapist and professor in New York University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, where he teaches wound care and integumentary care to third-year students.
And he was writing to ask my permission to introduce S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™, share some of the clinical concepts from my HEAL presentation, and include my work in his pressure injury education.
Y'all. 😭
S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™ is going to graduate school at NYU! 🎓
But here's the part that stayed with me:
I didn't know who he was when I was kind to him.
I didn't know his title.
I didn't know where he worked.
I didn't know he taught future clinicians.
I was just being me—even while TSA was auditing my whole life. 😂
You never know who is watching, who is listening, who needs what you're carrying—or where one genuine encounter might lead.
Louisville, you were GOOD to S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™. ❤️
See color and beyond.™

09/07/2026

7 DAYS. ❤️
One week from today, I’ll be presenting S.H.A.D.E.S. of Care™ at HEAL 2026!
What started as a question at the bedside has grown into a framework designed to help clinicians see color—and beyond.
Louisville, I’ll see you next Monday.
The countdown is officially ON! ⏳
📍 HEAL 2026 | Louisville, KY
📅 September 14–16

09/02/2026

Well…this was unexpected. 😂
Recently, I shared my clinical perspective on LinkedIn about being cautious with adhesives on below-the-knee wounds—particularly when we're dealing with fragile or compromised skin.
And today, this arrived at the Healing Hands Wound Care office. 👀📦
Comfort Release sent over their adhesive dressings designed for sensitive and fragile skin for me to explore.
I haven't evaluated them yet, so no review from me just yet. 😉 But I appreciate companies that listen to the clinical conversations happening at the bedside and are willing to put their solutions in clinicians' hands.
Assessment first. Product second. Always.
I'll share what I learn.

08/31/2026

08/29/2026

Tonight was a full-circle moment I’ll never forget. 🥹❤️
Years ago, I was the nursing student who was so frustrated with how hard nursing school felt that I didn’t even attend my own graduation.
Tonight, I was invited back to deliver the keynote at their pinning ceremony.
But one of the most meaningful moments happened afterward.
Some of my former professors were in tears. They told me, “Valerie, we never knew you were upset. You were always so happy and positive.”
Whew. 😭
They knew the smiling student. They didn’t know everything I was carrying underneath that smile.
And tonight, those same professors who helped prepare me got to watch me stand before the next generation of nurses and share something I had to learn for myself:
Preparation doesn’t always feel like preparation. Sometimes it feels like frustration.
There will be doors you never planned for, problems you never expected to solve, and people you never imagined you would be called to serve.
So stay curious. Pay attention. Protect dignity. Be available.
Because sometimes your purpose is hiding inside a problem you haven’t encountered yet.
To my former professors: thank you for not giving up on me—even when I didn’t understand what you were preparing me for. ❤️
And to the newly pinned nurses: when the door opens and you wonder whether you’re ready, I hope you remember tonight and have the courage to ask:
“Why not me?”
Only God could write a story like this. 🙏🏾
Congratulations, nurses. Now go discover what all that preparation was for. 🩺❤️
# Judson university

08/23/2026

Www.healinghandswoundcare.com