Session by session, time slot by time slot, the 2019 Vascular Annual Meeting is coming together.

From how to deal with type II endoleaks to what you wish you’d known about vascular surgery during med school, SVS members are chiming in online, on SVSConnect.

I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Cynthia Shortell, Professor and Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and Chief of Staff of the Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

On Nov. 1, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Quality Payment Program (QPP) final rule.

In Memoriam Robert M. Blumenberg, 84, Dec. 2, 2018. Dr. Blumenberg treated combat casualties during the Vietnam War. During his surgical career, he was president of the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, authored numerous clinical papers and wrote “Scalpel!: Memoirs of a Surgeon.”

Medical school and rigorous surgical training traditionally do not include advanced instruction in leadership skills, yet they are integral to achieving career success.

A new Quality Council. A new Appropriateness Committee. Task forces exploring workforce shortages in vascular surgery, burnout and wellness, and a vascular center verification program for inpatient and outpatient settings.

Registration is now open for The SVS’s Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) 2019. VRIC will be held this year on May 13 in Boston, Mass., the day before the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Vascular Discoveries meeting (previously known as ATVB meeting).

This year’s Vascular Annual Meeting will have a new and elegant air about it, with the introduction of a Gala to benefit the SVS Foundation. It is replacing the traditional President’s Reception, at the request of SVS President Michel S. Makaroun. Dr.

As I reflect upon the past year, 2018 has certainly made a mark for addressing burnout among medical professionals, enforcing wellness, and targeting implicit and explicit gender bias in medicine and surgery.