In February of 2015, the American Venous Forum takes its 27th annual meeting to Palm Springs, California. From February 25th through 27th, The Westin Mission Hills will host the exciting three-day program for health professionals interested in improving venous and lymphatic health of their patients and the general population.
This meeting is a unique opportunity to learn about the latest research results and innovative, practical solutions from the very people who move the field of venous and lymphatic health care forward. World-renowned experts will participate in discussion panels, sharing their views and experiences while critically assessing recent developments in the field. The annual meeting is accredited by the American College of Surgeons— AMA PRA Category 1 Credits and self-assessment credits will be provided. Registration for the 2015 annual meeting is open now!
The rapidly changing health care environment, especially in the United States, increasingly affects professionals treating patients with venous and lymphatic diseases. AVF addresses these pressures by including presentations and discussions of current and emerging issues. The David Sumner Venous Summit: Office-Based Venous Interventions – The Next Generation is chaired by incoming AVF President John Blebea and will be held on the opening day of the meeting. This program will cover topics ranging from accreditation of vein clinics to utilization of social media for marketing, from financial aspects of venous practice to ensuring patient safety in office procedures.
The Villavicencio Symposium, cochaired by Lowell Kabnick and Peter Lawrence, will focus on the present and future of venous health care. The symposium will address the significance of vein center accreditation, the present and future of physician reimbursement, strategies for developing a national determination policy, and the role of AVF and other professional societies in addressing current challenges. Each presentation will be followed by a panel discussion.
As the leading force in generating and analyzing evidence that is the basis of current best clinical practice, the American Venous Forum is enthusiastically looking forward to advancing this position and to bridging the existing gap between science and health care policy. The D. Eugene Strandness memorial lecture will be given by Andrei L. Kindzelski, MD, PhD, the NIH program director in the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources. In his lecture and the following discussion, Dr. Kindzelski will provide an overview on the NIH role in venous disease research, insight to the NIH support structure and committees, and additional information on NIH initiatives, clinical trials, training grants and other programs. We will learn how AVF and its members can become more successful in working with the NIH to address burning issues surrounding venous and lymphatic health.
Adhering to AVF tradition, a free afternoon will be offered on Thursday to allow attendees to take a break from the intense program. For attendees interested in golf, the AVF golf outing will be held on Thursday afternoon as an AVF Foundation fundraising event. Lunch and prizes will be offered to golf participants. The open afternoon allows meeting attendees to enjoy all that Palm Springs has to offer.
Friday will be the busiest day of the meeting. In addition to scientific sessions, the specialty symposia will focus on venous and lymphatic issues in vascular medicine and thrombosis, wound care, lymphedema and compression, biomechanics and bioengineering, deep venous disease, animal models in venous research and superficial venous disease. New this year is the Allied Health Symposium, which will be equally interesting for practicing physicians and allied health care professionals. Friday evening closes with the forum finale, a dinner event with live music, awards presentation and a silent auction.
The American Venous Forum is a place to discuss new ideas and findings, and the place to advance these ideas to the reality of venous and lymphatic care. The AVF’s success depends on active participation of its members and meeting attendees. Join AVF at the 27th annual meeting in Palm Springs. Register online at www.veinforum.org!
