The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has unveiled its strategic plans for fiscal year 2024-2025. On April 2, the SVS Executive Board (EB) and Strategic Board of Directors (SBOD) approved the budget presented by SVS Treasurer Thomas Forbes, MD. The budget culminated efforts by over 30 SVS Committees, Task Forces and Sections and reflects a strategic alignment with the organization's top priorities.
At the forefront of SVS's agenda is launching a comprehensive branding campaign for vascular surgery. With an initial allocation exceeding $1 million, this initiative aims to enhance visibility and deliver focused messaging across various stakeholders, including patients, caregivers, referring providers, healthcare executives and medical school faculty and students. The collaboration with the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery (APDVS) underscores SVS's commitment to fostering a robust network within the medical community.
"One of the most important elements of success in strategy implementation is directly tying priorities to the budget allocation process," noted SVS Executive Director Ken Slaw, PhD.
The approved budget reflects investments across SVS' strategic domains, including Advocacy, Education, Research, Practice and Quality Assurance. In advocacy, plans are underway to host a biennial LIVE Advocacy Leadership training event in Washington, D.C., alongside continuous advocacy and leadership skill development for SVS members. Education initiatives are set to evolve with enhancements to the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM), the introduction of new educational forums and the launch of a revamped model for the sixth edition of the Vascular Education and Self-Assessment Program (VESAP6).
Research endeavors will witness the inception of two new task forces focused on innovation in vascular surgery and SVS-driven clinical trials. Practice-related investments include convening writer's groups to address key topics such as the economics of vascular practice and refining vascular surgery for pediatric patients.
To reinforce quality assurance measures, the SVS will continue to promote the Vascular Verification Program, a collaboration with the American College of Surgery on a "center of excellence" model and propose new vascular surgery performance measures for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) MVP program. As part of efforts to strengthen vascular surgery as an independent specialty, the SVS will also undertake a thorough examination of the certification board model versus the federated model within the American Board of Surgery.
Notably, the SVS will establish a new senior section to enhance engagement among senior members and provide tailored education on pertinent topics, further enriching the collaborative landscape within the SVS community.
The SVS stands poised to lead and inspire advancements in vascular surgery, driving innovation and excellence in patient care. With a steadfast commitment to its mission, the SVS charts a course toward a future defined by progress and impact in vascular health.
“A budget tells the story of where an organization is headed, and it looks to be an exciting story for SVS over the next several years,” said Slaw.