SVS members in the news
Richard Lynn, MD, a vascular surgeon from Palm Beach, Florida, has been elected second vice-president-elect of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Articles & Press Releases
Recent Articles
Diabetes Awareness Month: The utility of SVS branding fliers for diabetic foot ulcers
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. The Branding Toolkit (see cover story) can help SVS members promote the valuable care they provide those with the disease.
Local matters: Three community service honorees in profile
By Beth Bales
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has honored three members in community practice for their leadership of patients and their local communities, as well as exemplary professional practice and leadership.
From the Editor: On Professionals and Professionalism
On March 19, 2019, I sat in the audience of the scientific sessions at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery (SCVS). I was there with two of my trainees who were eagerly waiting to present their research.
SVS ONLINE: Crawford Forum sets the stage for vascular surgery future
BY BRYAN KAY
The Stanford University, California, vascular chief had intended it to be constructed this way. As is custom, the at-that-point SVS president-elect had been charged with devising the coveted E. Stanley Crawford Critical Issues Forum.
Outgoing SVS president outlines state of Society diversity
BY BRYAN KAY
Delivering data demonstrating the composition of the SVS along age, gender and ethnic lines, he indicated work remained to be done to achieve a more diverse organization, telling the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) replacement that “we ought to be able to do better.”
SVS issues statement abhorring injustice and violence amid unrest in US
BY BRYAN KAY
Joining other bodies of medical professionals, the two organizations highlighted the sacred oath taken by physicians to “save and extend the quality of life” of all people. They went on to state that as membership groups they abhorred “injustice and violence of any kind.”
SVS Foundation Board structure changed
BY BETH BALES
Expanding the Board provides for broader representation while the three-year term for the chair provides continuity, said Michel S. Makaroun, MD, whose term as chair ended June 20. The changes as a whole “position the SVS Foundation Board for further growth,” he said.
SVS vice president, treasurer announced on SVS ONLINE opening day
BY BETH BALES AND BRYAN KAY
The results were announced during the second session of the SVS Annual Business Meeting Saturday, June 20, when Dalman officially became SVS president, succeeding Kim Hodgson, MD.
Double whammy: Pair of Annual Business Meetings slated for 2020
BY BETH BALES
In a year full of changes, the SVS Annual Business Meeting is changing, too, with two separate virtual meetings scheduled for 2020 instead of one live event.
VESAP5 to debut this summer
BY BETH BALES
The fifth edition of the Vascular Educational Self-Assessment Program (VESAP), with a substantially enlarged section on vascular ultrasound and imaging, is expected to be introduced by Aug. 1. VESAP4 will expire on July 31.
Coding event set to take place Sept. 25–26
BY BRYAN KAY
Registration has opened for 2020 iteration of the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Coding and Reimbursement Workshop scheduled to take place from Sept. 25–26.
SVS remains nimble in face of pandemic, pivots to focus on priorities and needs of membership
BY BETH BALES
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) started 2020 with plans intensifying for the Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) in May, the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in June, the launch of the branding initiative and a host of other SVS priorities.
VESAP5 debuting by Aug. 1
BY BETH BALES
THE FIFTH EDITION of the Vascular Educational Self-Assessment Program (VESAP) will be available before the beginning of August, when VESAP4 expires.
Recent Articles
Quality initiative: New pocket guides now available
New pocket guides of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) clinical practice guidelines and reporting standards are now available, with printed guides sent to all members.
Quality Council zeroes in on Appropriate Use Criteria
The Quality Council has earmarked a major initiative for 2021, and it will involve sponsorship of the first official set of SVS Appropriate Use Criteria guidelines, focusing on claudication.
Keeping a close watch for QPP developments
The Quality and Performance Measures Committee (QPMC) is tasked with monitoring and creating national performance measures that are relevant to vascular surgeons.
SVS births brand new Communications Committee
The SVS Communications Committee, equipped with three subcommittees, is a new addition for 2021.
Furthering diversity goals in SVS appointments
The SVS Appointments Committee has made great efforts to be more transparent, diverse and equitable in recent years—a process its chair and members plan to continue.
Advocating for ‘fair and equitable coverage’ of vascular services
Among the many projects of the SVS Coding and Reimbursement Committee, advocating appropriate coverage for vascular services continues to be a major focus. In 2021, the committee, led by chair Sunita Srivastava, MD, will continue to increase its coverage initiatives, working with government and private payers.
Continuing the cause of the SVS Branding Toolkit
A new SVS Branding Toolkit is the culmination of hard work over the past two years by the Public and Professional Outreach (PPO) Committee, according to campaign spearhead and committee chair Joseph L. Mills, MD. And there’s more to come for 2021.
Pushing forward VA facilities for the betterment of vascular surgery
The SVS VA Vascular Surgeons Committee is looking ahead this year to reclaim procedural volume at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities—ravaged by COVID-19—and to facilitate construction of hybrid suites.
Inaugural leadership program overcomes pandemic difficulties
The inaugural cohort of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Leadership Development Program had to show some resilience early.
CMS confirms Physician Fee Schedule cuts; SVS members asked to contact lawmakers
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) has delivered a blow to vascular surgery in the form of a 7% cut in total payment for the services it provides. The cuts are included in the agency’s final rule for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), and were slated to take effect Jan.1, 2021.
Dalman to trainees: ‘Vascular surgery is a tremendously rewarding career’
For aspiring vascular trainees, interview season is a time of great stress as well as opportunity. Graduating medical students and residents prepare the pitches of a lifetime.
Appropriateness Committee seeks to push ahead with new guidelines
It was a central plank of the presidential agenda set out by immediate past president Kim Hodgson, MD. And now the SVS Appropriateness Committee has targeted further development of the Society’s first set of Appropriate Use Criteria guidelines.
New committee to deliver diversity position statement
The newly formed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee plans to implement the recommendations from the DEI Task Force.
New Year will bring new SVS online education portal
As part of the Education Council (see related story, below), the Education Committee is breaking new ground in 2021.
Overseeing governance and expanding SVS footprint
The Policy and Advocacy Council is composed of the leaders of the Coding and Reimbursement, Government Relations, PAC, Quality and Performance Measures, and VA Vascular Surgeons committees.
Recent Articles
Overseeing governance and expanding SVS footprint
The Policy and Advocacy Council is composed of the leaders of the Coding and Reimbursement, Government Relations, PAC, Quality and Performance Measures, and VA Vascular Surgeons committees.
Gaining stronger representation for community practice surgeons
Since its inception, the Community Practice Committee has been a valuable resource for surgeons working in settings that serve local communities.
Forging ahead with a new identity and planning for VRIC 2021
The Basic and Translational Research Committee (BTRC) is the new name of the former Research and Education Committee.
Deadlines near for Society, Foundation awards
Applications are due early in 2021 for a number of Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and SVS Foundation awards, honors and grants.
Missing your journals? Be sure your dues are paid
Have you paid your 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery dues? If you haven’t, you’re missing access to all of the latest research in the Journal of Vascular Surgery publications.
Cover Story: Ronald L. Dalman, MD, SVS President
While there is little doubt the pandemic has impacted each vascular surgeon and the SVS as a Society in numerous ways, the commitment and dedication of SVS committee, council and task force members to deliver on the mission has remained undaunted.
New link-up for the Document Oversight Committee
The SVS Document Oversight Committee—or the DOC—will be aligning with the SVS Quality Council in order to further its crucial work during the course of 2021.
Preparing for VAM—with alternative options on deck
The Postgraduate Education Committee is hard at work to try to provide the most compelling, timely educational material for SVS members this year, chair Vikram Kashyap, MD, tells Vascular Specialist.
Going global: Society gets new International Mentorship Program
The International Relations Committee has launched a new International Mentorship Program to provide experienced SVS academic mentors for members outside the United States who do not have access to individuals who can assist them in professional growth.
Partnering with SVS PAC in fight over payment cuts
As 2020 brought both the prospect of significant reimbursement challenges for surgical services as well as the tremendous clinical and financial challenges of the pandemic, the SVS Government Relations Committee focused intensely on efforts to head off implementation of steep cuts to 2021 Medicare reimbursements.
Council moves SVS into vascular population health vacuum
The Clinical Practice Council, chaired by William Shutze, MD, has numerous ongoing and new projects and initiatives, including the new SVS Population Health Initiative.
Foundation looks to up contribution levels in 2021
Led by chair Peter Nelson, MD, the SVS Foundation Development Committee works with Foundation chair Peter Lawrence, MD, and the SVS Foundation Board to develop strategies to promote SVS member donations.
Publications Committee braced for major change in year ahead
The Publications Committee is responsible for overseeing, among others, the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS) family, the Rutherford textbook and Seminars in Vascular Surgery. After conducting reviews and interviews, committee members as a group put forth candidates for the editorship of JVS and Rutherford to the SVS Executive Committee for its final decisions, according to committee chair Peter Henke, MD.
Avoiding the ‘tragedy of the unprepared’
At the conclusion of a challenging 2020, we at the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) have a clear mission ahead: We must work with the U.S. Congress to avoid what military experts refer to as a “tragedy of the unprepared.”