SVT Advances Vascular Technology Concerns on Capitol Hill

12/07/00 — The quality of professional healthcare services was the subject of recent discussions between key members of Congress who are concerned about the status of the United States healthcare system, and representatives of the Society of Vascular Technology (SVT). As part of SVT's Washington Healthcare Initiative, SVT members, with support and assistance from Washington, DC-based law firm, Arent Fox, addressed the vascular technology profession's views on various healthcare initiatives currently being deliberated by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) and Congress, including credentialing standards for the vascular profession, Medicare physician fee schedules and the Medicare hospital outpatient system. SVT members emphasized its support for the manner in which HCFA conducts its rule making and expressed appreciation for the soon-to-be released HCFA Program Memorandum that will provide for general supervision for basic ultrasound services under the Medicare Part B payment rules.

Anne Jones, SVT Government Relations Chair, stated, "Our objective was to urge our Representatives in Congress to support those programs that are vital to the efficient delivery of Healthcare services system-wide. In addition, our group focused on educating those Senators and Representatives about the benefits of ultrasound imaging and the role of the vascular technologist in the provision of non-invasive diagnoses." One extremely important issue is the need for national credentialing standards for vascular technologists.

Ultrasound imaging provides a means of visualizing internal structures so that normal and abnormal findings can be evaluated and diagnosed at no risk to the patient. this advanced technology is used to noninvasively evaluate heart function, blood flow and fetal growth and development. By using high frequency sound waves to obtain images of the interior of the body, certified vascular technologists and other diagnostic ultrasound professionals provide a vital, low-cost diagnostic service to physicians and other clinicians that can, in many circumstances, eliminate the need for much more costly and invasive diagnostic studies.

Suzanne Stone, SVT Executive Director, stated, "These meetings not only provided an opportunity to voice the concerns of SVT, but they produced helpful contacts that will be vital to future legislative matters. We appreciate every SVT member who participated in this crucial activity, as well as those elected Representatives who endeavor to support the Healthcare Community."

The Society of Vascular Technology is comprised of more than 3,750 vascular technologists, physicians, and other allied health professionals. SVT was founded in 1977 with a mandate to achieve excellence in patient care, educational programs, and scientific endeavors. SVT remains committed to those goals and is the only professional organization completely dedicated to the advancement of noninvasive vascular technology in the diagnosis of vascular disease.