July 2006 | Vol. 24, No. 7

SVU’s 29th Annual Conference is a Resounding Success

Photos by SVU Board Director David Parlato, BA RVT

	Ben Franklin (Ralph Archbold) speaks to the SVU Annual Conference attendees about accepting the challenge of change
Kathy Carter (left), Paula Heggerick and Melissa Vickery (right) thank Ben Franklin for his stirring welcoming comments

The energy and excitement was undeniable at the Society for Vascular Ultrasound’s 29th Annual Conference as almost 400 attendees experienced a multidisciplinary educational program. The Annual Conference took place June 1-3, 2006 at the Philadelphia Marriott in Philadelphia, PA. It was a great educational opportunity for registrants and offered an exhibition in the adjoining Pennsylvania Convention Center with more than 150 exhibitors. Attendees traveled from over 40 states and 5 international countries.

For the third time, SVU’s Annual Conference was held in conjunction with the annual scientific meetings of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society (PVSS) and the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology (SVMB). With over 1500 attendees from all four societies, this was the vascular event of the year!

Conference attendees study posters

Pre-conference attendees enjoyed popular sessions featuring “ICAVL Accreditation”, “The Digital Age: Transition to a Digital Lab”, and “Career Development.” Many attendees also chose to attend a “Special Vascular Physics Review Course” “sponsored by SVU, SVS, and Pegasus Lectures.

SVU President Melissa Vickery speaks at the annual SVU Business Meeting with the Executive Committee seated at the head table to take questions

The strength and variety of the topics at the 2006 SVU Annual Conference excited and engrossed the meeting attendees. The SVU Annual Conference Program Committee, Chaired by Kathleen Carter, BSN RN RVT FSVU, and Co-Chaired by Paula Heggerick, BS RVT RDMS FSVU, achieved a great accomplishment with the 2006 program. Congratulations for a very successful 2006 Annual Conference. Meeting highlights included:

• Nine early morning tutorials
• Keynote address : “Accepting the Challenge of Change” by Ralph Archbold, CSP CPAE as Ben Franklin
• Three special “Lunch with the Experts Sessions”
• Ergonomics Therapy Session – Dealing with Musculoskeletal Injury
• Invited Speakers Sessions on Endovascular Interventions; Hemodialysis Access; Hemodynamics; and Venous Insufficiency and Endovenous Therapy
• Poster Session
• The annual SVU Business Meeting was a great source of information for members
• Excitement was especially high around the presentation of several awards including the Dr. Alex Chao - Young Investigators Award, the Dr. D.E. Strandness Award, and the Pioneer Award

Annual Conference Co-Chairs Kathy Carter and Paula Heggerick invite attendees to SVU's 30th Anniversary Annual Conference in Baltimore next June

SVU looks forward with great anticipation to next year’s 30th Anniversary SVU Annual Conference on June 7-9, 2007 in Baltimore, MD. A 2007 Call for Papers brochure is available at the SVU website: www.svunet.org. Abstract submission deadline is February 1, 2007.

Special Anniversary events are being planned for the 2007 Annual Conference including a special 30th Anniversary party on Friday evening, June 8. So plan to join us in Baltimore as we turn back the clock to celebrate our history and look forward to the future.