While Dr. Michael Dalsing doesn’t have a crystal ball, he is nonetheless making two predictions in the wake of the November presidential election:

The 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule includes many changes beneficial to SVS members, following many months of work, including submission of comments, by SVS members and advocacy staff. The schedule was released on Nov. 2, 2016. 

As Dr. Samson noted in his column (page 2), the words of Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan remind us the times are a-changing.

The January issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery and Lymphatic Disorders will offer something new for the new year: an article for which Continuing Medical Education credit is offered.

Preliminary available data from the groundbreaking CREST-2 trial indicate the value and positive results of intensive medical therapy, whether patients also received revascularization as well, said Dr. Brajesh K. Lal, principal investigator.

The holiday season – the season of caring and goodwill, for giving -- is upon us. It’s the season where people reach out to help people in need, to help make the world a better place, to impact the future through donations of time, effort and money.  

Since Congress scrapped the formula for Medicare reimbursement in 2015, SVS has worked closely with legislators to shape the replacement rule, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and ensure our members’ voices are heard on Capitol Hill.

Participants at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) have lots more to look forward to than sunny skies, beaches and palm trees. A number of new program features are planned to add interest and value to the meeting, said Dr. Ron Dalman.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1072","field_deltas":{},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":480,"width":270,"style":"width: 270px; height: 480px; float: right; margin: 2px;","class":"media-image media-element file-media-large","data-delta":"1"},"fields":{}}]]Both doctor and

Dear Friends:

Thank you for all your support, past and present, of the SVS and its many different missions. You are part of an amazing organization, and its success is due to you and each member of our Society.