The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) announced the merger of its Section on Outpatient and Office Vascular Care (SOOVC) and the Community Practice Section (CPS), marking the creation of the new Section on Ambulatory Vascular Care (SAVC), which is set to launch in early fall. In a bid to advance outpatient vascular care, the SVS established SOOVC in 2019 and, then, in 2021, the CPS.
The decision to merge these two sections comes as the traditional boundaries of vascular care continue to blur as the vascular surgical specialty evolves.
According to SVS leadership, increasing overlap between community practices, outpatient labs, vein clinics and other outpatient settings has highlighted the need for a more unified approach.
Recognizing this, Anil Hingorani, MD, of Total Vascular Care in New York, and Robert Molnar, MD, of Michigan Vascular Center, in collaboration with SVS staff, proposed the merger to bring together resources and expertise under one umbrella. Hingorani previously held the role of chair of the SOOVC Steering Committee, while Molnar chaired the CPS Steering Committee.
SAVC will encompass a broad range of outpatient vascular care settings, including community practices, office-based labs (OBLs), ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital-affiliated outpatient facilities.
With this new section, the SVS aims to enhance its efforts in education, advocacy, quality, ethics, research and overall member value within the burgeoning landscape of outpatient vascular care.
“All current members of the CPS and SOOVC will automatically become members of the new section,” said Hingorani, who will serve as the chair of the SAVC. “We are excited about the contributions this section will make to the field of vascular care.”
Hingorani will be joined on SAVC by Geetha Jeyabalan, MD, of MedStar Health and Vascular Institute in Annapolis, Maryland, who will perform the role of vice chair.
The merger’s call for volunteers to join the SAVC Steering Committee closed in August. Members interested in leadership roles will find opportunities to shape the direction of the new section as it begins to take shape.
They are encouraged to keep an eye out for upcoming SVS communications for more information and to stay updated on SAVC’s progress, including within the pages of Vascular Specialist.
Awards update
Under their current section names, nominations are now open for the 2024–25 SVS awards. The Excellence in Community Practice Award will retain its name, continuing to honor outstanding contributions in this area.
Starting in 2025, the awards previously associated with SOOVC will be rebranded under the new SAVC. This includes the SOOVC Presentation Award and the Research Seed Grant, which will carry the new SAVC acronym moving forward.
SVS members are encouraged to apply for the current awards, and nominations are due by Tuesday, Oct. 15.
For more information and to submit your nominations for any of the awards, visit vascular.org/Awards.
