Understanding Lymphedema: A Foundational Course

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  • Author
    Heather Barnhart PT, PhD, CWS, AWCC, CLT-LANA, CLWT
  • Video time
    60 Minutes
  • Post Test
    Required
  • CE Credit
    1.0 contact hour


Nurses Feed Their Young is approved as a provider of continuing nursing education by the Florida State Board of Nursing. Florida Board of Nursing Provider Number: 50-42784.

Course Description

Understanding Lymphedema: A Foundational Course will provide the learner with clinically relevant information regarding the disease of lymphedema. A review of the lymphatic system's anatomy and physiology will prepare the learner to understand the role of the endothelial glycocalyx layer and the revision to Starling's Law of the microcirculation to appreciate how and why all edema is related to lymphatic dysfunction. Additionally, the interconnection of the lymphatic system with the other body systems will be explored to provide the learner with a whole systems approach for patient management to optimize outcomes. Moreover, chronic forms of edema and lymphedema are common medical ailments that can be successfully managed through proper identification and understanding of the standards of care. 

Course Lessons

Heather Barnhart PT, PhD, CWS, AWCC, CLT-LANA, CLWT

Dr. Heather Barnhart is the Director of Clinical Affairs for Koya Medical. Previously, she was a Professor in the Physical Therapy Program at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. As a physical therapist, her expertise is integumentary dysfunction, and she holds four board certifications/credentials.  

With a rich 30-year work history spanning academia and the private sector, Heather is a recognized key opinion leader. Her active involvement in numerous professional organizations, coupled with her research, publications, and national and international presentations on integumentary-related issues, underscores her influence in the field.  

Dr. Barnhart is currently on the board of the World Alliance of Wound and Lymphedema Care, the advisory board for the Why Wound Care Campaign, and the Editorial Board for Today’s Wound Clinic. She is also Faculty and Director of Wound Education for the International Lymphedema and Wound Training Institute. In the past, she has served on the planning committees for the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and the American Vein and Lymphatic Society.