The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Strategic Board of Directors (SBOD), at its January 2024 meeting, reached a consensus to form and launch a special task force appointed by immediate Past President Joseph Mills, MD, to assess the significant progress made by vascular surgery as an independent medical specialty over the past two decades and looking forward, analyze and identify strategic gaps, if any, that must be addressed for vascular surgery to reach its “optimal state.”
The process began before any knowledge of the recent submission to ABMS of the planned Cardiovascular Medicine Board. The goal of this task force is to help us fully understand the implications to individual diplomats, trainees, and our organizations regarding forming an independent board versus maintaining the status quo. While many have a visceral reaction to what they think would be preferable, the SVS makes a well-informed decision after genuinely understanding all the ramifications.
A membership call for action resulted in 30 volunteers for the task force. The SVS Executive Board (EB) approved the appointees and overarching objective of the SVS Task Force: To examine the two primary existing models of Board Certification, Free-standing or Federated, and complete an objective, concise analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, which may provide an optimal path forward for vascular surgery.
The composition of the Task Force intentionally provides a representative cross-section of the SVS membership from practice type to time in practice, as well as including those who support the formation of an independent board and those who lean against its formation. Mike Dalsing, MD, serves as Chair of the Task Force and members include the following: James Black, MD; Karan Chawla, MD; Clem Darling, MD; Alan Dietzek, MD; Dennis Gable, MD; Elizabeth Genovese, MD; Tom Huber, MD; Vik Kashyap, MD; Elina Quiroga, MD; Matt Sideman, MD; Natalie Sridharan, MD; and Gabriela Velazquez, MD. Matt Eagleton, MD, SVS President; Keith Calligaro, MD, SVS President Elect; Linda Harris, MD, SVS Vice-President; and Joe Mills, MD, Immediate Past President, are ex-officio members.
The Task Force has conducted four Zoom calls and most recently held a meeting on July 25 at SVS Headquarters. The foundation for the Task Force’s work was identifying key guiding research questions solicited from the SVS EB, the SVS SBOD, and Task Force members, which helped with discovery and discussion during each call/meeting. Questions focused on the following areas: the role, function and relationships of key organizations involved in Vascular Board Certification; characteristics and differences in free-standing models within the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and federated models within the American Board of Surgery(ABS)/ABMS: an opportunity analysis; detailed review of ABS and Vascular Surgery Board (VSB); financial variables and cost considerations; training/workforce impacts; and branding the specialty and board certification(tied together or separate).
To answer these questions, interviews were conducted with the executive staff and leadership of the ABS, VSB, ACGME, ABMS, ABTS and ABCRS. At the in-person meeting on July 25, a panel of representatives from the organizations interviewed was convened during the meeting for a two-hour Q&A session. Follow-up questions based on the interviews were asked of the participants. The Task Force members also engaged in a “scenario planning” exercise to examine key forces and factors shaping vascular surgery and how they may interact to create different environments, as well as an analysis of how vascular surgery can best prepare for those conditions.
The task force will finish its analysis in September and prepare a final summary report for review by the SVS EB in November. Upon review, SVS will share an Executive Summary with members for comment. SVS leadership will present the final report to the SBOD at the January 2025 meeting. The SVS EB will then process the feedback from the SBOD and decide on the next course of action.
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Strategic Board of Directors (SBOD), at its January 2024 meeting, reached a consensus to form and launch a special task force appointed by immediate Past President Joseph Mills, MD, to assess the significant progress made by vascular surgery as an independent medical specialty over the past two decades and looking forward, analyze and identify strategic gaps, if any, that must be addressed for vascular surgery to reach its “optimal state.”
The process began before any knowledge of the recent submission to ABMS of the planned Cardiovascular Medicine Board. The goal of this task force is to help us fully understand the implications to individual diplomats, trainees, and our organizations regarding forming an independent board versus maintaining the status quo. While many have a visceral reaction to what they think would be preferable, the SVS makes a well-informed decision after genuinely understanding all the ramifications.
A membership call for action resulted in 30 volunteers for the task force. The SVS Executive Board (EB) approved the appointees and overarching objective of the SVS Task Force: To examine the two primary existing models of Board Certification, Free-standing or Federated, and complete an objective, concise analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, which may provide an optimal path forward for vascular surgery.
The composition of the Task Force intentionally provides a representative cross-section of the SVS membership from practice type to time in practice, as well as including those who support the formation of an independent board and those who lean against its formation. Mike Dalsing, MD, serves as Chair of the Task Force and members include the following: James Black, MD; Karan Chawla, MD; Clem Darling, MD; Alan Dietzek, MD; Dennis Gable, MD; Elizabeth Genovese, MD; Tom Huber, MD; Vik Kashyap, MD; Elina Quiroga, MD; Matt Sideman, MD; Natalie Sridharan, MD; and Gabriela Velazquez, MD. Matt Eagleton, MD, SVS President; Keith Calligaro, MD, SVS President Elect; Linda Harris, MD, SVS Vice-President; and Joe Mills, MD, Immediate Past President, are ex-officio members.
The Task Force has conducted four Zoom calls and most recently held a meeting on July 25 at SVS Headquarters. The foundation for the Task Force’s work was identifying key guiding research questions solicited from the SVS EB, the SVS SBOD, and Task Force members, which helped with discovery and discussion during each call/meeting. Questions focused on the following areas: the role, function and relationships of key organizations involved in Vascular Board Certification; characteristics and differences in free-standing models within the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and federated models within the American Board of Surgery(ABS)/ABMS: an opportunity analysis; detailed review of ABS and Vascular Surgery Board (VSB); financial variables and cost considerations; training/workforce impacts; and branding the specialty and board certification(tied together or separate).
To answer these questions, interviews were conducted with the executive staff and leadership of the ABS, VSB, ACGME, ABMS, ABTS and ABCRS. At the in-person meeting on July 25, a panel of representatives from the organizations interviewed was convened during the meeting for a two-hour Q&A session. Follow-up questions based on the interviews were asked of the participants. The Task Force members also engaged in a “scenario planning” exercise to examine key forces and factors shaping vascular surgery and how they may interact to create different environments, as well as an analysis of how vascular surgery can best prepare for those conditions.
The task force will finish its analysis in September and prepare a final summary report for review by the SVS EB in November. Upon review, SVS will share an Executive Summary with members for comment. SVS leadership will present the final report to the SBOD at the January 2025 meeting. The SVS EB will then process the feedback from the SBOD and decide on the next course of action.