Director's Note

by Steve Elias, MD, FACSSomewhere in northeast Italy exists Mediclinic. A surreal place—an amalgam of Italian design, smart buildings, spa culture and highend outpatient medical care—it probably should be called the “City of Oz.” The presiding benevolent wizard is called “El Presidente.”

On a dark winter’s night, one can only go two ways—joy or darkness. I chose darkness. Not for any conscious reason or thought but by serendipity and coincidence.

Walking his daughter's dog along the streets of New York with a small baggie in hand and coffee table books in mind, Medical Director Steven Elias uses this experience to reflect on the Spring 2015 issue of Vein Magazine.

In this issue of VEIN Magazine we do you a lot of favors by bringing information from both national and international sources.

I am in Brooklyn walking through an old, beautifully designed bank with my two sons, Jeremy and Sam. It is the kind of bank that is architecturally so interesting with columns, mosaics, gilded ceilings and the character of the early 1900s. Nothing like the bland, generic ones now found on every corn ...

We need to aim higher when it comes to health care, not lower. Enter the value-based health care approach.

Sit at the airport. Observe. Why do so many people – men and women – wear their pants too long? I’m not talking about “stylish” young men whose problem with long pants begins at their waist (where the “waist” begins somewhere between their hips and mid high.) No, I’m talking about th ...

We need to look east. To the east lies Europe. I went to speak at the UIP meeting in September. Upon arrival, my wife and I decided that we weren’t in Kansas anymore…and certainly not in New York.

There is some guy in NYC with the last name Ruiz. Actually, there are probably a fair number of people in NYC with the last name Ruiz. But the Ruiz who I am looking for works for the NYPD Traffic Patrol. He works the area around NY Presbyterian Hospital. He definitely works on Tuesdays and Wednesday ...

Relevant educational questions are being asked: Who should learn how to treat vein disease? Who should be teaching others about venous disease? What are the educational requirements to teach others about venous disease? What are the standards to assess adequate venous education? Who should real ...