Let’s Talk about It
Advancing Society Communication to Reach the New Horizon By Vineet Mishra, MD, FAAD, FAVLS
Communication is essential for any healthy relationship. For the AVLS, improving the conversation amongst members and leadership was imperative to accomplishing the objectives of the New Horizon Strategic Plan. To facilitate member connections, the AVLS enhanced the digital newsletters, created the myAVLS magazine, launched the MAC, and redesigned the website. The Society’s primary means of informing members is its digital newsletters. Previously, VeinLine was sent twice a month as a conglomeration of all updates from the Society and the field of venous and lymphatic medicine. As the Society grew and our updates grew more varied, many news items were getting lost in the mix. To combat this, in 2019, we decided to segment the newsletter into four weekly editions, Advocacy Insider, Research Review, Learning Matters, and Member Connection. Each newsletter reflected a tenet of the New Horizon Strategic Campaign. With segmented newsletters, members can filter their news to topics significant to them. Additionally, we can share Society news and items from across the field of venous and lymphatic medicine relevant to each subject. For instance, Member Connection can now highlight a Member of the Month, introducing members to each other in more depth. The Research Review can share the latest relevant
articles published in the past month across the field of venous and lymphatic medicine. Sometimes, however, the conversation needs to go deeper than email can provide. The myAVLS magazine, born out of the Daily Congress newspapers, offers space for long-form articles and an in-depth look at topics and projects the Society is tackling. The long-form approach of the magazine offers context for the news blurbs sent by email throughout the year. Articles grant a glimpse into the minds of AVLS leadership, explaining their goal and hopes for the continued growth and success of the Society. MyAVLS magazine began in 2019 with its first edition announcing the name change of the American College of Phlebology to the American Vein & Lymphatic Society. The magazine is published twice a year, with a spring edition distributed digitally and a fall edition distributed physically to Annual Congress attendees and digitally to all members. While newsletters and a magazine provide various ways to engage with the Society, all good conversations have two sides. To facilitate member communication amongst members and the leadership, the AVLS launched the MAC, My AVLS Community. The MAC is an online discussion forum exclusively for AVLS members.
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