News from the SVS

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) executive board has established a task force to explore developing a vascular certification program for inpatient and outpatient care settings.

Noting the shift in professional reimbursement from payment for volume to payment for quality, along with a surge in outpatient endovascular care, “The SVS executive board believes that it is a critical time for vascular surgery to set standards based on quality improvement, efficiency and appropriateness,” said Dr. R. Clement Darling III, SVS president.

Task force chair Dr. Tony Sidawy will oversee two subcommittees, one for inpatient and one for office-based endovascular care (OBEC). Dr. Krishna Jain has been appointed chair of the OBEC subcommittee. A chair for the inpatient subcommittee has yet to be named.

“Vascular surgeons represented by the SVS should take the lead in defining quality and value standards for vascular care before they are defined for us,” said Dr. Sidawy.

“Offering an SVS-led certification process will inspire the most appropriate, high-quality vascular care and optimal outcomes for all patients,” Dr. Jain added.

Many SVS members are pioneers in the design and delivery of care in office-based practice settings, and they have been fierce advocates for this effort, said Dr. Darling. “We have heard our members loud and clear. They want SVS to play a major role in shaping the future of the office-based endovascular center, setting the bar for appropriateness and quality and helping all practitioners achieve it.

“We feel that to provide the best vascular care in a data-driven, quality-based system, the SVS needs to be actively involved in this process," he added. "Vascular surgeons have a long history of making data-driven decisions about which patients need an intervention, and since we treat patients medically as well as by endovascular or open techniques, we have a unique perspective."  

A data registry is a critical component and will be provided by the SVS Patient Safety Organization and Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI). VQI registries are already used in more than 430 vascular care settings, ranging from academic to community practice. VQI data can be used to benchmark performance and improve the quality of vascular care.

“Given that the SVS VQI has already been adopted by all types of facilities, including OBECs and vein centers, the SVS VQI is well positioned to help assess and improve quality of care,” said Dr. Jens Eldrup-Jorgensen, SVS PSO medical director.

The process will include discussions and potential collaboration with partners such as the American College of Surgeons, the Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society and the Intersociety Accreditation Council, Dr. Darling said, as well as societies such as the American Venous Forum, the Society for Vascular Ultrasound, and the Society for Vascular Nursing.

If established, a pilot program would be launched in 2018 with a full launch planned in 2019.

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) executive board has established a task force to explore developing a vascular certification program for inpatient and outpatient care settings.

Noting the shift in professional reimbursement from payment for volume to payment for quality, along with a surge in outpatient endovascular care, “The SVS executive board believes that it is a critical time for vascular surgery to set standards based on quality improvement, efficiency and appropriateness,” said Dr. R. Clement Darling III, SVS president.

Task force chair Dr. Tony Sidawy will oversee two subcommittees, one for inpatient and one for office-based endovascular care (OBEC). Dr. Krishna Jain has been appointed chair of the OBEC subcommittee. A chair for the inpatient subcommittee has yet to be named.

“Vascular surgeons represented by the SVS should take the lead in defining quality and value standards for vascular care before they are defined for us,” said Dr. Sidawy.

“Offering an SVS-led certification process will inspire the most appropriate, high-quality vascular care and optimal outcomes for all patients,” Dr. Jain added.

Many SVS members are pioneers in the design and delivery of care in office-based practice settings, and they have been fierce advocates for this effort, said Dr. Darling. “We have heard our members loud and clear. They want SVS to play a major role in shaping the future of the office-based endovascular center, setting the bar for appropriateness and quality and helping all practitioners achieve it.

“We feel that to provide the best vascular care in a data-driven, quality-based system, the SVS needs to be actively involved in this process," he added. "Vascular surgeons have a long history of making data-driven decisions about which patients need an intervention, and since we treat patients medically as well as by endovascular or open techniques, we have a unique perspective."  

A data registry is a critical component and will be provided by the SVS Patient Safety Organization and Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI). VQI registries are already used in more than 430 vascular care settings, ranging from academic to community practice. VQI data can be used to benchmark performance and improve the quality of vascular care.

“Given that the SVS VQI has already been adopted by all types of facilities, including OBECs and vein centers, the SVS VQI is well positioned to help assess and improve quality of care,” said Dr. Jens Eldrup-Jorgensen, SVS PSO medical director.

The process will include discussions and potential collaboration with partners such as the American College of Surgeons, the Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society and the Intersociety Accreditation Council, Dr. Darling said, as well as societies such as the American Venous Forum, the Society for Vascular Ultrasound, and the Society for Vascular Nursing.

If established, a pilot program would be launched in 2018 with a full launch planned in 2019.

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) executive board has established a task force to explore developing a vascular certification program for inpatient and outpatient care settings.

Noting the shift in professional reimbursement from payment for volume to payment for quality, along with a surge in outpatient endovascular care, “The SVS executive board believes that it is a critical time for vascular surgery to set standards based on quality improvement, efficiency and appropriateness,” said Dr. R. Clement Darling III, SVS president.

Task force chair Dr. Tony Sidawy will oversee two subcommittees, one for inpatient and one for office-based endovascular care (OBEC). Dr. Krishna Jain has been appointed chair of the OBEC subcommittee. A chair for the inpatient subcommittee has yet to be named.

“Vascular surgeons represented by the SVS should take the lead in defining quality and value standards for vascular care before they are defined for us,” said Dr. Sidawy.

“Offering an SVS-led certification process will inspire the most appropriate, high-quality vascular care and optimal outcomes for all patients,” Dr. Jain added.

Many SVS members are pioneers in the design and delivery of care in office-based practice settings, and they have been fierce advocates for this effort, said Dr. Darling. “We have heard our members loud and clear. They want SVS to play a major role in shaping the future of the office-based endovascular center, setting the bar for appropriateness and quality and helping all practitioners achieve it.

“We feel that to provide the best vascular care in a data-driven, quality-based system, the SVS needs to be actively involved in this process," he added. "Vascular surgeons have a long history of making data-driven decisions about which patients need an intervention, and since we treat patients medically as well as by endovascular or open techniques, we have a unique perspective."  

A data registry is a critical component and will be provided by the SVS Patient Safety Organization and Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI). VQI registries are already used in more than 430 vascular care settings, ranging from academic to community practice. VQI data can be used to benchmark performance and improve the quality of vascular care.

“Given that the SVS VQI has already been adopted by all types of facilities, including OBECs and vein centers, the SVS VQI is well positioned to help assess and improve quality of care,” said Dr. Jens Eldrup-Jorgensen, SVS PSO medical director.

The process will include discussions and potential collaboration with partners such as the American College of Surgeons, the Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society and the Intersociety Accreditation Council, Dr. Darling said, as well as societies such as the American Venous Forum, the Society for Vascular Ultrasound, and the Society for Vascular Nursing.

If established, a pilot program would be launched in 2018 with a full launch planned in 2019.

Participants at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) have lots more to look forward to than sunny skies, beaches and palm trees. A number of new program features are planned to add interest and value to the meeting, said Dr. Ron Dalman.
Dr. Dalman chairs the SVS Program Committee, which develops programming and content for VAM, the premiere meeting for vascular specialists. 
The 2017 meeting will be May 31-June 3 in beautiful San Diego, with plenaries and exhibits set for June 1-3. 

Changes for 2017 include:
•   More and potentially longer sessions with collaborative specialty societies, such as the American Venous Forum, the Society for Vascular Ultrasound and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. “These sessions provide a multi-disciplinary perspective on our common problems and showcase the SVS’ leadership role in vascular health and disease management,” said Dr. Dalman. Members provided positive feedback on last year’s partnership sessions, so this year, these program features will be significantly expanded.
•   An educational review course highlighting some of the more frequently missed questions from the latest version of the Vascular Education Self-Assessment Program (VESAP3). 
•   Guideline summaries, organized by the SVS Document Oversight Committee and presented by the authorship group for each, on critical topics such as abdominal aortic aneurysms, aortic dissection, venous disease and more. These summaries will be incorporated into post-graduate programming. “It makes sense to cover current practice guidelines and consensus documents, as several high-profile efforts are being updated this year,” said Dr. Dalman. “We can give attendees an executive summary of current guidelines by their respective authors, and attendees will come away with unique insights into why the most impactful and significant changes were included in each respective document.”
• Sessions of potential interest to surgeons in community practice environments, marked in the schedule as such by the SVS Community Practice Committee. 

“These improvements will increase the value of the Annual Meeting for all attendees,” Dr. Dalman said. “We’re emphasizing interactive education, not simply passive learning. It’s going to be very exciting – and different in both style and substance.”
A Californian himself, Dr. Dalman also is looking forward to showing off his state. “San Diego is a wonderful place to vacation and the meeting venue provides convenient access to the Gaslamp District, the waterfront and the world-famous beaches,” he said. 
“We encourage our members to bring their families to San Diego and make a vacation out of it.”
With the programming additions, increased opportunities for participation, the educational activities planned plus the perfect location, he added, “This is going to be a spectacular meeting.”

Participants at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) have lots more to look forward to than sunny skies, beaches and palm trees. A number of new program features are planned to add interest and value to the meeting, said Dr. Ron Dalman.
Dr. Dalman chairs the SVS Program Committee, which develops programming and content for VAM, the premiere meeting for vascular specialists. 
The 2017 meeting will be May 31-June 3 in beautiful San Diego, with plenaries and exhibits set for June 1-3. 

Changes for 2017 include:
•   More and potentially longer sessions with collaborative specialty societies, such as the American Venous Forum, the Society for Vascular Ultrasound and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. “These sessions provide a multi-disciplinary perspective on our common problems and showcase the SVS’ leadership role in vascular health and disease management,” said Dr. Dalman. Members provided positive feedback on last year’s partnership sessions, so this year, these program features will be significantly expanded.
•   An educational review course highlighting some of the more frequently missed questions from the latest version of the Vascular Education Self-Assessment Program (VESAP3). 
•   Guideline summaries, organized by the SVS Document Oversight Committee and presented by the authorship group for each, on critical topics such as abdominal aortic aneurysms, aortic dissection, venous disease and more. These summaries will be incorporated into post-graduate programming. “It makes sense to cover current practice guidelines and consensus documents, as several high-profile efforts are being updated this year,” said Dr. Dalman. “We can give attendees an executive summary of current guidelines by their respective authors, and attendees will come away with unique insights into why the most impactful and significant changes were included in each respective document.”
• Sessions of potential interest to surgeons in community practice environments, marked in the schedule as such by the SVS Community Practice Committee. 

“These improvements will increase the value of the Annual Meeting for all attendees,” Dr. Dalman said. “We’re emphasizing interactive education, not simply passive learning. It’s going to be very exciting – and different in both style and substance.”
A Californian himself, Dr. Dalman also is looking forward to showing off his state. “San Diego is a wonderful place to vacation and the meeting venue provides convenient access to the Gaslamp District, the waterfront and the world-famous beaches,” he said. 
“We encourage our members to bring their families to San Diego and make a vacation out of it.”
With the programming additions, increased opportunities for participation, the educational activities planned plus the perfect location, he added, “This is going to be a spectacular meeting.”

Participants at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) have lots more to look forward to than sunny skies, beaches and palm trees. A number of new program features are planned to add interest and value to the meeting, said Dr. Ron Dalman.
Dr. Dalman chairs the SVS Program Committee, which develops programming and content for VAM, the premiere meeting for vascular specialists. 
The 2017 meeting will be May 31-June 3 in beautiful San Diego, with plenaries and exhibits set for June 1-3. 

Changes for 2017 include:
•   More and potentially longer sessions with collaborative specialty societies, such as the American Venous Forum, the Society for Vascular Ultrasound and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. “These sessions provide a multi-disciplinary perspective on our common problems and showcase the SVS’ leadership role in vascular health and disease management,” said Dr. Dalman. Members provided positive feedback on last year’s partnership sessions, so this year, these program features will be significantly expanded.
•   An educational review course highlighting some of the more frequently missed questions from the latest version of the Vascular Education Self-Assessment Program (VESAP3). 
•   Guideline summaries, organized by the SVS Document Oversight Committee and presented by the authorship group for each, on critical topics such as abdominal aortic aneurysms, aortic dissection, venous disease and more. These summaries will be incorporated into post-graduate programming. “It makes sense to cover current practice guidelines and consensus documents, as several high-profile efforts are being updated this year,” said Dr. Dalman. “We can give attendees an executive summary of current guidelines by their respective authors, and attendees will come away with unique insights into why the most impactful and significant changes were included in each respective document.”
• Sessions of potential interest to surgeons in community practice environments, marked in the schedule as such by the SVS Community Practice Committee. 

“These improvements will increase the value of the Annual Meeting for all attendees,” Dr. Dalman said. “We’re emphasizing interactive education, not simply passive learning. It’s going to be very exciting – and different in both style and substance.”
A Californian himself, Dr. Dalman also is looking forward to showing off his state. “San Diego is a wonderful place to vacation and the meeting venue provides convenient access to the Gaslamp District, the waterfront and the world-famous beaches,” he said. 
“We encourage our members to bring their families to San Diego and make a vacation out of it.”
With the programming additions, increased opportunities for participation, the educational activities planned plus the perfect location, he added, “This is going to be a spectacular meeting.”

Abstracts for the 2017 Vascular Annual Meeting are now being accepted. The submission site opened Monday, Nov. 14 for the meeting, to be held May 31 to June 3, 2017, in San Diego. Plenary sessions and exhibits will be June 1 to 3.

Participants may submit abstracts into any of 14 categories and a number of presentation types, including videos. In 2016, organizers selected approximately two-thirds of the submitted abstracts, and this year the VAM Program Committee is seeking additional venues for people to present their work in, including more sessions and other presentation formats.

Click here for abstract guidelines and more information. Abstracts themselves may be submitted here.

Abstracts for the 2017 Vascular Annual Meeting are now being accepted. The submission site opened Monday, Nov. 14 for the meeting, to be held May 31 to June 3, 2017, in San Diego. Plenary sessions and exhibits will be June 1 to 3.

Participants may submit abstracts into any of 14 categories and a number of presentation types, including videos. In 2016, organizers selected approximately two-thirds of the submitted abstracts, and this year the VAM Program Committee is seeking additional venues for people to present their work in, including more sessions and other presentation formats.

Click here for abstract guidelines and more information. Abstracts themselves may be submitted here.

Abstracts for the 2017 Vascular Annual Meeting are now being accepted. The submission site opened Monday, Nov. 14 for the meeting, to be held May 31 to June 3, 2017, in San Diego. Plenary sessions and exhibits will be June 1 to 3.

Participants may submit abstracts into any of 14 categories and a number of presentation types, including videos. In 2016, organizers selected approximately two-thirds of the submitted abstracts, and this year the VAM Program Committee is seeking additional venues for people to present their work in, including more sessions and other presentation formats.

Click here for abstract guidelines and more information. Abstracts themselves may be submitted here.