From how to deal with type II endoleaks to what you wish you’d known about vascular surgery during med school, SVS members are chiming in online, on SVSConnect.

This new online community is the place to be for collaboration, engagement and communication. On SVSConnect, members can start and participate in discussions on any topic they wish, and can also ask general questions of SVS and SVS leadership.

I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Cynthia Shortell, Professor and Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and Chief of Staff of the Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

On Nov. 1, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Quality Payment Program (QPP) final rule.

In Memoriam Robert M. Blumenberg, 84, Dec. 2, 2018. Dr. Blumenberg treated combat casualties during the Vietnam War. During his surgical career, he was president of the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, authored numerous clinical papers and wrote “Scalpel!: Memoirs of a Surgeon.”

Do you know of an SVS member who has passed away? Please let us know at communications@vascularsociety.org.

Spotlight

Medical school and rigorous surgical training traditionally do not include advanced instruction in leadership skills, yet they are integral to achieving career success.

Ruth L. Bush, MD, JD, MPH, knew that despite increases in the number of women entering science and medicine, “few women exist in academic leadership positions.” And though her institution at the time— Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Texas — had an executive leadership program, there was nothing specifically for women to navigate leadership in the clinical or academic environment, she said.

A new Quality Council. A new Appropriateness Committee. Task forces exploring workforce shortages in vascular surgery, burnout and wellness, and a vascular center verification program for inpatient and outpatient settings. A new Section within the Society for Vascular Surgery for physician assistants and another in process for Outpatient Vascular Care. A member engagement and networking site. A management home for the Society for Vascular Nursing, Delaware County Vascular Society and Association for Program Directors in Vascular Surgery. An expanded SVS Foundation mission.

Registration is now open for The SVS’s Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) 2019. VRIC will be held this year on May 13 in Boston, Mass., the day before the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Vascular Discoveries meeting (previously known as ATVB meeting). VRIC is the premier vascular venue for emerging vascular science and translational research important to vascular patients, and VRIC welcomes both clinicians and clinician scientists interested in developing future therapeutics and devices for vascular patients.

This year’s Vascular Annual Meeting will have a new and elegant air about it, with the introduction of a Gala to benefit the SVS Foundation. It is replacing the traditional President’s Reception, at the request of SVS President Michel S. Makaroun. Dr. Markaroun wants an event to not only celebrate with colleagues but also to benefit a cause close to his heart, the SVS Foundation.

Tickets are $250 each, of which $150 is a tax-deductible contribution to the SVS Foundation’s general Greatest Need Fund.

As I reflect upon the past year, 2018 has certainly made a mark for addressing burnout among medical professionals, enforcing wellness, and targeting implicit and explicit gender bias in medicine and surgery.

The Society for Vascular Surgery® Vascular Quality Initiative® (SVS VQI) recently notched yet another milestone when it welcomed its 500th participating center to the registry. Now, with 513 centers, 500,000 procedures, and 3,000 participating physicians entering cases across 12 different vascular procedures, the VQI has experienced significant growth since its inception in 2011.