Andres Schanzer, MD

Vascular Surgery Education

• 2007: UMass Postgraduate Education Committee; obtained approval for 4th Integrated Vascular Residency Training Program; Program Director for 10 years
• 2012-2017: Member, then Co-Chair (2016-2017) of American Program Directors in Vascular Surgery Education Committee
• 2017-2019: Member, American Program Directors in Vascular Surgery Defined Minimums for Case Logs Committee
• 2019-Present: Director, Vascular Surgery Board; Councilor, American Board of Surgery
• 2022-Present: Chair, Vascular Surgery Board Continuous Certification Committee

Regional Vascular Surgery Society

• 2012-2014: Councilor-at-large, New England Society of Vascular Surgery (NESVS)
• 2014-2017: Director, NESVS Postgraduate Course
• 2017-2020: Secretary, NESVS
• 2020-2021: President-Elect, NESVS
• 2021-2022: President, NESVS

Quality, Safety, and Guideline Committees

• 2009-2017: VSGNE Executive Committee; SVS Lower Extremity PAD Guidelines Committee
• 2010-2016: SVS PSO Quality Committee
• 2014-2017: Chair, VSGNE Research Advisory Committee
• 2015-2017: SVS Representative, ACC/AHA Guideline for Lower Extremity PAD
• 2015-2019: Member, Global Vascular Guidelines Writing Group
• 2023-Present: Member, SVS Type B Aortic Dissection Guideline Writing Group

Ongoing Leadership and Advisory Roles

• 2015-2024: Vascular Annual Meeting Program Committee; Chair 2021-2024
• 2017-2024: SVS Education Council
• 2018-2021: SVS Research Council
• 2018-2020: SVS Strategic Board of Directors; SVS Task Force on Future of Vascular Surgery
• 2020-2024: SVS Executive Board; Communications Committee
• 2023-Present: Associate Editor, Journal of Vascular Surgery

Please briefly describe your strategic vision for the future for vascular surgery and the key role SVS must play to realize that vision.

1. Branding Vascular Surgeons as Comprehensive Care Providers: A central goal is to elevate the public and healthcare community's recognition of vascular surgeons as the primary specialists for all patients with vascular diseases. This involves enhancing the image and understanding of our role in providing comprehensive care, thereby solidifying our leadership position in the healthcare landscape.

2. Protecting Reimbursement for the Diverse Vascular Therapies and Sites of Service Where Vascular Care is Delivered: To continue offering a wide range of necessary therapies to patients, it's imperative to safeguard the financial viability of the profession. This means actively working to maintain and improve reimbursement structures, ensuring that vascular surgeons can sustainably deliver high-quality care.

3. Leadership in Defining and Measuring Quality of Vascular Care: SVS must lead the way in developing standards and metrics for quality, encouraging their adoption across the field and characterizing appropriate versus inappropriate care, thereby elevating the overall standard of care.

4. Primary Source for High-Quality Education: It is essential for SVS to be the leading provider of educational content for all vascular surgery providers and patients. This involves curating and disseminating top-tier educational resources and training materials and maintaining the agility to cater to the evolving needs of the field.

5. Owning the Science through Support of Young Investigators: To advance the field, SVS needs to support young researchers and invest in their future. By fostering their development into independent, impactful investigators and clinical leaders, SVS can spearhead scientific innovation in vascular surgery. This involves expanding initiatives that provide resources, mentorship and funding to budding investigators.

6. Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Recognizing the need for a workforce that reflects and represents the diversity of its patient base, SVS should continue to integrate DEI values into all aspects of its work.

Through these strategic priorities, SVS will not only advance the field of vascular surgery but also ensure that it is positioned at the forefront of medical societies with regards to patient care, research and education.

Please highlight key activities or initiatives that exemplify your commitment to the success of SVS.

My longstanding dedication to the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is evident through my active participation in various committees, task forces, writing groups and councils, as well as the strategic board of directors, and the executive board. This involvement demonstrates my unwavering commitment to the success of SVS.

A prime example of my commitment is my involvement in the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) Program Committee, where I served in various capacities for 10 years. My aim was always to align my efforts with the goals of the SVS leadership to establish VAM as the premier global scientific meeting in vascular surgery. Recognizing that SVS is fundamentally a membership organization, I strived to shape VAM into a conference that caters to the needs and interests of all its members. The diversity in offerings at VAM was deliberate, ensuring that the conference provides value to every SVS member, regardless of their practice type, care setting or individual research interest.

I firmly believe in the importance of unity in our specialty, especially given our relatively small size. The SVS VAM meeting serves as an ideal platform to promote this unity. By coming and staying together with a unified voice, we are better positioned to advocate effectively for our patients and our profession. As a specialty, avoiding fragmentation is crucial if we are to realize significant changes and gains for our patients, our providers and our field.

In line with these beliefs, my goals for VAM were threefold:

1. To increase the number of submissions year over year, achieving a record number of submissions
2. To increase the number of in-person attendees year over year, aiming for the highest attendance ever
3. To enhance the diversity and inclusiveness of all aspects of VAM, including its leadership, presenters, moderators, and discussants.

Reflecting on my tenure leading the VAM program committee, I am pleased to note that we successfully achieved the first and third goals. I am hopeful that this year, under new leadership, we will also accomplish the second goal, thereby furthering the success and influence of SVS.

Please highlight key leadership positions you hold or have held, and/or significant leadership achievements you have accomplished in vascular surgery or organized medicine and summarize how these have prepared you for the position of SVS Vice President.

I am proud that my career has been marked by a series of notable accomplishments and roles that exemplify my ability to lead effectively in complex and collaborative environments. In an effort to continue to grow as an effective leader, I am currently enrolled in the Brandeis Executive Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program. I am scheduled to graduate from the program in May, 2026.

As founding Medical Director of the US Fenestrated and Branched Aortic Research Consortium, I demonstrated leadership uniting 10 site-specific studies into a cohesive, multicenter cohort study. This initiative highlights my capacity to execute large-scale collaborative efforts with different stakeholders—industry, FDA, research staff and clinicians. It required not just an understanding of the scientific value of such a collaboration and an ability to articulate a vision, but also the ability to bring together diverse groups for a common purpose.

As Director of the UMass Memorial Heart and Vascular Center, I successfully manage and align key stakeholders from various specialties: vascular surgery, cardiology, cardiac surgery and cardiovascular anesthesia. This alignment has allowed us to realize many mutually beneficial achievements in interdisciplinary collaboration (ie: construction of a 4400 square foot, off campus, office-based laboratory; construction of 8 new hybrid catheterization labs and 2 hybrid operating rooms).

My approach to leadership is characterized by a strong emphasis on collaboration and team building. Recognizing the value of different perspectives in complex decision-making and strategic planning, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to listen and create alignment among diverse groups. This skill is particularly important for the SVS, where the integration of various viewpoints can lead to more comprehensive strategy and effectiveness.

My commitment to hard work, coupled with my core values of collaboration and team building, have allowed me to be an effective leader. My track record suggests that I am well-equipped to build on the strong foundation of SVS leadership that members have enjoyed and to drive further evolution of our organization. I understand the importance of both leadership and partnership in achieving high levels of achievement, which is particularly pertinent for this role.

Please highlight activities or initiatives that best exemplify your commitment to clinical and academic excellence in vascular surgery.

My commitment to clinical and academic excellence in vascular surgery is best exemplified through the growth and development of the team at UMass, which has become nationally and internationally recognized for its diverse contributions to the field. My focus has always been on building a high-performing team, rather than solely on individual achievements.

When I first joined UMass, the vascular surgery department consisted of three faculty members, one vascular surgery fellow, no Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) and two administrators, operating at a single hospital. The clinical program was robust, but there was a notable absence of a research program. Over time, I have been instrumental in expanding the department to include 10 faculty members, 10 integrated vascular surgery residents, 14 APPs, 8 administrators and 21 vascular lab technicians. This growth extends across four hospitals, a freestanding outpatient vein center, and a standalone outpatient office-based laboratory (OBL).

One of the key achievements during my tenure has been the establishment of a strong research program. We now boast two NIH-funded basic scientists and several externally funded clinical scientists, underscoring our commitment to advancing the field through research. Our team is currently participating in 18 clinical trials, demonstrating our active role in the forefront of vascular surgery research.

Our clinical programs stand out not only for their excellence but also for their wide recognition. We receive referrals from across the United States and Europe, a testament to the high standard of care we provide across the entire spectrum of vascular surgery. This level of excellence in patient care and research is a direct result of our cohesive and efficient team dynamics.

Most importantly, our team operates with a dual focus: providing outstanding care to our patients and fostering a supportive and nurturing environment for each other. This approach ensures not only the delivery of top-tier medical services but also the cultivation of a positive and productive workplace. This balance between patient care, team well-being, and ongoing research and development exemplifies my commitment to elevating both the clinical and academic standards in the field of vascular surgery.