VISION FOR THE FUTURE FROM THE NEW AVLS PRESIDENT

Vision for the Future from New AVLS President

By Dr. Mark Meissner, AVLS President 2021-2022

As October approaches, those of us in the venous community look forward to the AVLS Annual Congress and the accompanying transition in leadership of our Society. It is truly a privilege to assume the role of AVLS President from Dr. Marlin Schul. The

American Vein & Lymphatic Society is very special in this regard.

Election to leadership in our Society implies not only previous history of service to the Society but also anticipation that our leaders will continue to contribute to the advancement of venous disease in general and the AVLS specifically. This model differs from other specialty societies, where leadership is often an honorary position based mainly on past achievements. Not so in the AVLS, where virtually every member can aspire to become a member of the board of directors and leadership is based more on an interest in advancing the cause of venous disease than on past academic achievements.

The AVLS is also unique in that both the membership and board of directors come from a spectrum of specialties and a variety of practice backgrounds, including small private practices, large group practices, and academic practices. Our differences make our Society both unique and effective - we can share knowledge and learn across disciplines, perform research across multiple specialties, and direct our advocacy efforts towards issues identified by busy practitioners committed to solving the underlying problems. The Society has made a concerted effort to maintain a balanced board that reflects the diversity of membership. A final unique aspect of the AVLS is the duration of commitment by the Society’s leadership. Rather than the one-year terms of office in many societies, most board members serve for several years before nomination to the executive committee, and the President has usually served on the executive committee for six years before beginning their

two-year term. Rather than having an agenda that may change year to year, the continuity of leadership in the AVLS assures that things that are working well continue to do so and that both new and existing initiatives are carried forward to their completion. It is with these fundamentals in mind that I assume the role of AVLS President, not only with the privilege of assuring the organization’s forward progress but also with a degree of trepidation. The bar for leadership in the Society has been set very high not only by the organization’s previous leaders but also by our members who enthusiastically participate in the Society’s efforts. While the AVLS (formerly the American College of Phlebology) has always been the leader in venous education, the past several presidents have grown the research and advocacy efforts of the AVLS to an equally high level. Dr. Marlin Schul’s contribution to this newsletter outlines many of these achievements, and Marlin deserves generous recognition for the Society’s many accomplishments over the past two years. My goals for the Society over the next two years are to continue to support the outstanding progress made in advocacy and research through the Health Policy Committee and PRO registry, respectively. The registry has matured to the point where we can investigate the outcomes of our care in a meaningful fashion. As an example, under the direction of Dr. Fedor Lurie and Dr. Marlin Schul, the PRO registry is being used in a pilot project by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) to evaluate the value of vein center accreditation. With maturing data, we can look forward to an increasing number of studies to provide evidence for the work that we do.

The Research Committee will also continue to work on evidence-based guidelines for the care of patients with venous disorders. In conjunction with the Society for Vascular Surgery and the American Venous Forum, updated guidelines for the management of superficial venous disease are well underway and are currently at the meta-analysis stage. The critical questions regarding pelvic and iliac venous disease have also been developed, and the evidence synthesis with subsequent metaanalysis will begin this year. Education has always been at the forefront of the efforts of the AVLS. Although we won’t have the benefit of the personal relationships at the annual congress, Margaret Mann and the program committee have put together an outstanding program for our first virtual meeting. I fully expect the educational value of this year’s conference to meet or exceed that of previous AVLS congresses. The AVLS will also continue to have a prominent role in the International Working Group on Pelvic Venous Disorders. Publication of the “SVP” classification system for pelvic venous disorders is anticipated this fall, and several members of our organization are involved in the development of a patient-reported outcome instrument under the direction of Neil Khilnani.

The strength of the AVLS lies in the diversity of its membership. We are in an excellent position with an enthusiastic board of directors that represent the breadth of our specialty. Over the next two years, I would like to encourage further growth, particularly from areas that may be currently under-represented, such as vascular medicine and lymphedema specialists. I would also ask for the participation of all of our current members – in the registry, research projects, advocacy, and our educational efforts. If something interests you, please ask to participate. This is your Society and, in the end, it is the contributions of our members that are responsible for most of the Society’s achievements.