by Mike Armitage

Another year is in the books, and as we look toward the possibilities for 2013, it’s also a good time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year. The American College of Phlebology (ACP) was very busy in 2012, advancing vein care on all fronts through education, public awareness, advocacy, and research.

ACP Debuts Online Education Center

The ACP launched an Online Education Center, designed to provide accredited continuing medical education (CME ) content in an easily accessible online format. Content was drawn from a wide range of topics related to venous care, including venous anatomy and pathophysiology, sclerotherapy, treatment options for DVT , and testing for chronic venous insufficiency, among others, taken from AC Psponsored regional symposia.

The ACP Online Education Center is currently available to members and nonmembers, and most courses are available for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. To view the list of offerings and to take a course, please visit www.education. phlebology.org.

ACP-Produced PBS Special Airs

The culmination of much hard work from the AC P Public Education Committee and Chair Diana Neuhardt, RVT , RPhS, “Vein Health: Discoveries, New Technologies and Breakthroughs,” an AC P- produced documentary, aired on KAET -TV , the Phoenix PBS affiliate March 13, 2012, as part of its spring pledge drive.

Hosted by Dr. Helane Fronek, “Vein Health: Discoveries, New Technologies and Breakthroughs” walks the audience through the basics of how the venous system works, what happens when veins break down and the various treatment options. Dr. Fronek also moderates a panel of distinguished vein care experts from across the country, consisting of doctors Melvin Rosenblatt, Stephanie Dentoni, Lowell Kabnick, Nick Morrison and Steve Zimmet, who discuss vein health and take questions from a live studio audience.

Response to the show was overwhelming, and an edited version is being produced for distribution through PBS nationally. The show will begin to air in markets around the country in early 2013.

Healthy Veins…Healthy Legs Educates Patients

As a direct result of the PBS documentary, a group of authors from the AC P Public Education Committee put together an extensive, easy to understand publication dealing
with the causes, symptoms and treatments of vein disease, as well as practical guidelines for prevention and management. “Healthy Veins…Healthy Legs: A Patient’s Guide to Phlebology” is an essential tool for clinicians and patients alike looking to effectively understand this complex medical specialty and the variety of treatment options.

Copies of the book are available from the ACP at www.phlebology.org.

Rethinking Varicose Veins

The AC P partnered with the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), the American Venous Forum (AV F) and Covidien to launch the Rethink Varicose Veins campaign in 2012. As part of a national media campaign, swimming legend and Olympic medalist Summer Sanders joined the campaign as the official spokesperson to bring attention to varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency.

The nonbranded, educational campaign encourages those suffering from varicose veins to learn more about their condition and speak to vein specialist about treatment options. To find out more about the campaign, please visit www.rethinkvaricoseveins.org.

Research Database Nears Completion

Led by doctors Yung-Wei Chi, DO , FAHA, FSVM and Marlin Schul, MD , MBA, RVT , FAC P, a practical research database is near completion that will enable physicians to securely and efficiently input practical diagnosis and treatment data of venous disease into a singular, digitally accessible location. Designed to exceed the scope of a traditional registry, the research database will be a practical tool based on data from the electronic medical record (EMR ) system, thus serving as a comprehensive resource of information about venous disease research, treatments, patient care and patient feedback.

The data collected through this method will better aid in quantifying patient feedback and will allow researchers, organizations and clinicians to begin analyzing the impact of professional standards of practice on patient care.

2012 Annual Congress Breaks Records

The 2012 Annual Congress held at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, FL, November 15-18, 2012, not only broke with convention, but broke records as well. The scientific program, under the leadership of Program Committee Co- Chairs Diana Neuhardt RVT , RPhS, and Julianne Stoughton, MD , FAC S, featured exceptional opportunities for handson learning, live scanning and participation with renowned faculty, not to mention interaction with respected colleagues from around the world.

The four-day conference saw more than 150 unique educational sessions, 80 trade show exhibitors, and nearly 1,000 attendees, making it the best attended and most comprehensive program in the Annual Congress’ 26-year history.

Phlebology Forum Grows Readership

Launched at the 2011 Annual Congress, Phlebology Forum has quickly become a “must read” over the course of the last year. Publishing digitally, Phlebology Forum is the AC P’s peerreviewed journal dedicated to important topics in phlebology. Editor-in-Chief Nick Morrison, MD , FAC S, FAC Ph, RPhS, has assembled an esteemed editorial board, which chooses articles from phlebologic literature as well as from specialty journals to which many do not have access. Response has been overwhelming for a specialty publication of this type, and plans are in the works to expand the concept over the coming year. To view the latest issue, please visit: www. phlebology.org/resources/periodicals.html.

Looking Forward to 2013

While much was accomplished in 2012, the AC P has big plans for 2013. Look for content from the 2012 Annual Congress to be made available in the Online Education Center for CME credit, a regional comprehensive sclerotherapy course to be held March 18, 2013, in Dallas, TX, and for the first time in the U.S., the AC P will host the UIP World Congress, September 8-13, 2013, in Boston, MA .