Fistula Solution once again drew crowds with the Wound and Fistula Coloring Contest at SAWC Spring 2024. Our judges faced a veritable Sistine Chapel ceiling of complexity in choosing the top entries, but after much spirited debate three masterpieces emerged, dripping with talent, vibrant hues, and sheer intensity.
Second Runner Up
In the grand tradition of Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical sketches, Joan Black from HCA Northwest Hospital presented us with a modern twist on the Renaissance master's detailed studies of hands. Her work featured the subtle play of color to depict a potential triple fistula. Imagine a Jackson Pollock-esque effusion, where the high-volume effluent splatters with wild abandon, illustrating the patient's rather, shall we say, hands-on approach to their own care. The psychological intricacies of such scenarios certainly require a touch of Freud, making a mental health expert an essential part of the fistula care team.
First Runner Up
Tabassum Merchant from Orlando Health delivered a visual feast reminiscent of Hiroshi Sugimoto's tranquil yet evocative seascapes. Her piece features a fistula triplet serenely coexisting with an ostomy stoma within a challenging wound bed. The subtle, soothing use of color belies the chaotic reality of managing a sloughy wound with uncontrolled effluent. Ensuring patients’ nutritional needs are met to support healing calls for a nutritionist skilled in the delicate art of short bowel syndrome management – think of them as the culinary Picasso of the medical world.
First Place
And the pièce de résistance, the crowning jewel, goes to Jeanne Ozinga of OU Medical Center. Channeling the vibrant spirit of fellow Sooner artist Eugene Bavinger, her masterpiece is a symphony of color and complexity. It vividly captures the Herculean challenges of managing a complex open abdomen case, featuring an open wound, exposed bowel, enteric fistulas, urostomy and ostomy stomas, eschar, slough, and – wait for it – pieces of ham. This tableau of medical drama demands a multidisciplinary team worthy of a Michelangelo fresco, including a WOC nurses, surgeons, physician assistants, nutritionists, psychologists, and families, and also Fistula Solution!
A standing ovation to all our artists and their awe-inspiring entries! We eagerly anticipate another round of creative brilliance at WOCNext 2024!
