May 2004 | Vol. 22/No. 5

President's Message

See You in Anaheim!

by George L. Berdejo, BA RVT FSVU

Spring is here, and that means our Society’s Annual Conference will very quickly be upon us. This year’s Annual Conference promises to be one of our very best. The Society for Vascular Ultrasound is pleased to invite you to attend Vascular Annual Meeting 2004, June 3-5, in Anaheim, CA. We will be joined by the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) for this year’s combined meeting. This will be an historic event where four prominent vascular associations will come together for the first time to create the world’s premier event for vascular ultrasound specialists. In addition to SVS, the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society (PVSS), and the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology (SVMB) also will be meeting in Anaheim.

SVU’s Annual Conference Chair Kathleen Carter and Co-Chair Judy Fried, along with their committee, have planned an event that promises to eclipse even the grand events of years' past. A “Key Issues” Session has been scheduled for the first day of the meeting. This session will highlight current critical issues in vascular laboratory management today and will provide the membership with a vehicle through which they can voice their concerns and opinions to each other and to the SVU leadership in an open forum. This year’s Annual Conference will also include sessions on emerging technologies and hemodialysis access. We will also be bringing you a host of excellent scientific papers and an opportunity for a “Lunch with the Experts” session on Thursday, the first day of the meeting. Special pre- and post-conference educational activities have also been planned. With the Annual Conference only a month away, yes it is almost here, register today to attend SVU’s Annual Conference in Anaheim. Also make your room reservations ASAP through the housing bureau so that you will get a room in the Anaheim Hilton Hotel, SVU’s headquarters hotel. We need many more SVU members to register for this important annual conference with the vascular surgeons. Register TODAY!

North Jersey Chapter Meeting

I want to extend special congratulations and thanks to the North Jersey Vascular Association (NJVA) Chapter and its leadership. As a member, I attended their Spring meeting held on Saturday April 24, which attracted over 100 people. Several excellent presentations were delivered and a hands-on technical session also was provided. Prior to the business meeting, Jeanette Flannery, RVT, RDMS, President of the North Jersey Vascular Association Chapter, made a passionate plea to the NJVA members for support of the national Society. Her efforts on behalf of SVU are to be commended and are sincerely appreciated. I would also like to acknowledge Cliff Araki and Ginny Vyniski for their hard work and support of the Society.

This NJVA meeting was an excellent example of the benefits accrued both to the local membership and to the national Society when we have active local chapters. Jeanette used a template of a laptop presentation developed by SVU’s Chapters Committee Chair Debbie Pirt and her committee that details the multitude of benefits provided to the membership at large as a result of the hard work of the leadership of the national Society. This presentation is a product of the Strategic Plan Initiative, VISION 2005, which the SVU leadership continues to work diligently to advance.

Member Recruitment Campaign

The Spring season is a time for rebirth and new growth. Let us model our Society accordingly by reaching out to those in our profession who are not yet members of SVU, or who have been lost to follow-up, by keeping in mind our membership recruitment theme of Each One ( current member) Reach One ( new member), our goal for 2004, the year of multiplication of membership for the SVU. Thanks for your support of SVU!

George Berdejo, BA, RVT
President, Society for Vascular Ultrasound

The Voice for the Vascular Ultrasound Profession