Dear Friends,

The SVS Foundation is a fundamental part of our Society, entrusted with supporting programs that advance our knowledge of vascular disease and improve the care delivery process to our patients and communities.

Attending the Vascular Annual Meeting on a student travel scholarship nearly a decade ago changed the course of Andrea Obi’s career.

Already leaning toward vascular surgery, her VAM experience — including a mentor to show her the ropes — cemented that decision. “SVS made me feel not only that I belonged there, but that I was valued,” she said. “I’d never had that experience before.”

She wants prospective members today to feel that same camaraderie and sense of belonging she has always felt and urges them to apply for membership. The final deadline for 2019 is Dec. 1.

The end of the year is fast approaching, and SVS memberships are now up for 2020 renewals.

Dues invoices have been distributed to all members via email and must be paid by Dec. 31 to maintain SVS membership and access to the Journal of Vascular Surgery and SVSConnect. Statements will be mailed in early November, for those who need hard-copy invoices.

VRIC Submission Site Opens Oct. 29: Abstracts for the 2020 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference may be submitted beginning Oct. 29.

VRIC is held the day before and in the same location as the American Heart Association’s “Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine” Scientific Sessions. VRIC takes place May 4, and Vascular Discovery May 5 to 7, 2020, at the Hilton Chicago in Chicago.

Abstracts will be accepted through Jan. 7, 2020.

With physician distress a top concern of vascular surgeons, the SVS and its Wellness Task Force are launching a member/peer support program next month to help members develop coping techniques and optimize wellness. Launched in 2017, the task force was charged with proactively addressing vascular surgeon burnout with attention to the individual and organizational leadership. Lessons learned from member feedback through various surveys and focus groups have translated to structured interventions.

September 2019

(Note: An abbreviated version of this ran in the October issue of Vascular Specialist.)

News from JVS Publications - New Journal, New Websites

By Sean Lyden, MD and Matthew Mell, MD
SVS Government Relations Committee

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) are working to address the burden regarding the use of health IT and electronic health records in physician’s practices. Per its Request for Information; Reducing Administrative Burden to Put Patients Over Paperwork (CMS-6082-NC), CMS is seeking innovative ideas that broaden perspectives on potential solutions to relieve burden and ways to improve:

SVS’ Policy and Advocacy Council is working with its committees’ members to submit comments on proposed government rules that will directly impact vascular surgeons and the care they provide to Medicare patients.

The comments are in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) CY 2020 Proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Year 4 Quality Payment Program (QPP) and the Hospital Outpatient Perspective Payment System (HOPPS) Rules.

CMS issued the proposed rules in late July. Comments are due Sept. 27.

BY MISTY HUMPHRIES, MD ON BEHALF OF THE LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE