Just as the American College of Phlebology Foundation (ACPF) is wrapping up its successful Vision for Tomorrow capital campaign, it is embarking upon a short-term annual appeal to fund specific educational initiatives over the next year. The goal for this annual appeal is to raise $100,000 by December 31, 2013, for scholarships, research grants and an expanding fellowship program.

“We created the Annual Appeal so that those who have not had an opportunity to participate in the past can still be a part of the mission of the ACPF,” said Annual Appeal Co- Chair, Armen Roupenian, MD, FACS.

Commitment levels for the Annual Appeal start from $250 for individuals and from $1,000 for corporate investments, and will be utilized to fund the following programs:

Scholarships

Each year the ACPF funds 40 scholarships, which are applied toward registration, travel and lodging to the ACP Annual Congress. Through the program this year, recipients will have the opportunity to attend the 2013 UIP World Meeting (September 8-13, 2013, in Boston, MA), a combination of the ACP’s Annual Congress and the International Union of Phlebology’s quadrennial meeting, held for the first time in the U.S.

“The scholarship program has been extremely successful in bringing physicians and residents without much experience in phlebology to the Annual Congress,” noted ACP Membership Director, Caryl Tynan, CAE. “We’re able to introduce vein care and provide meaningful training to individuals who have little knowledge of our specialty. This is an extremely important outreach program.”

Grants

Research is the key to growth and recognition for the specialty of phlebology. As the ACP’s research database comes online later this year and begins to collect data from the EHR system, a new pool of data will be available to researchers looking to study issues important to patient care. The grant program fosters interest in this type of research.

Currently the ACP Foundation funds three research grants per year.

“The grant program is important to the advancement of research in our specialty,” noted ACPF Board Member and Chair of the ACP Research Committee, Yung-Wei Chi, DO, FAHA, FSVM. “Through these grants, we’re able to fund research specific to vein care and truly affect change in patient outcomes.”

Fellowship

The ACP Fellowship program is now in its second year at the prestigious New York University Langone Medical Center. Under the leadership of Lowell Kabnick, MD, FACS, FACPh, RPhS, the program trains post-graduates in the diagnosis and treatment of both deep and superficial venous disease through a comprehensive curriculum of fundamental principles, diagnostic evaluation, treatment and adjunctive education.

“The ACP fellowship program provides an extensive education in phlebology,” stated Program Director, Dr. Lowell Kabnick. “No other program equips graduates with this level of training in vein care.”

The ACP and ACPF are also in discussions to expand the program at Cornell, Duke and Harvard Universities over the next year.

These three programs are integral to the ACPF’s mission of outreach, education and advancement of vein care, and commitment to the Annual Appeal ensures that the goals set by the Foundation are achieved.

“Working alongside the staff and board of the ACPF on a daily basis keeps me focused on each step necessary to move every project and initiative forward, but sometimes I need to remind myself of the big picture and look back on all that has been accomplished in the seven years the ACPF has existed, and it is truly amazing,” noted ACPF Board of Directors Chair, Nick Morrison, MD, FACS, FACPh, RPhS. “I’m encouraged by all we’ve done, and through the funding provided by the Annual Appeal 2013, look forward to continuing the legacy the ACPF has established.”