Lympha Press Leadership Series: Frank Aviles, PT, CWS, CLT-LANA

Named the President of the Save a Leg, Save a Life Foundation (SALSAL) in 2022, Frank Aviles is passionate about the early diagnosis and treatment of wounds: “People don’t realize that they should treat a wound just as they would a cancer diagnosis. They need to go directly to someone who specializes in wound care.” The non-profit’s 14-member board is comprised of “the brightest minds in wound care” and the vision for the organization is to give patients a voice and provide them with education so they can advocate for themselves. One of SALSAL’s recent innovations? Patient assistance events with over 20 stations to diagnose a variety of conditions and establish a healing path forward. With over 30 years in lymphedema and wound care, Aviles has seen many advances: “I remember when we were cautioned against using pumps,” he says. Now, they are an integral part of patient treatment plans. But how did he arrive at this profession? His dream was to be an astronaut! At the age of four, his family moved from Puerto Rico to Cape Canaveral. They knew he would be the first to graduate from college and wanted him to have every opportunity to pursue his dream. When an eyesight problem dashed his hopes of NASA or becoming a pilot, he pivoted to science and healthcare – and the rest is history. You’ll be inspired by the success story Frank Aviles shares as well as his heart for people. The Lympha Press Leadership Series is intended to raise awareness to leaders in lymphedema, CVI, wounds, and lipedema and the organizations that advocate for awareness and research. Lympha Press is proud to offer this content to serve both clinicians and patients.