INSIDE AVA

INSIDE AVA: NOTES FROM THE EXECUTIVE TEAM

Cate Brennan, MBA, CAE, AVA Chief Executive Officer

Tonya Hutchison, CAE,

AVA Chief Operations Officer

“IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, ANY ROAD WILL GET YOU THERE.” LEWIS CARROLL “IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, YOU’LL END UP SOMEPLACE ELSE.” YOGI BERRA

WELCOME TO 2022!

I sometimes feel like the whole world has been wandering down the foggy path of COVID-19 – plugging forward, despite abject uncertainty. While the above quotes can seem to say the same thing at first blush, one represents deliberate, purposeful choices made, while the other is that of a wanderer with no aim. As the COVID conversation turns from “pandemic” to “endemic”, my hope is the fog is lifting and we are purposefully and deliberately charting our destinations: not only our world and nation, but also as individuals and as an association.

At the beginning of each year, AVA welcomes new officers and board members. President Tonja Stevens, RN, BSN, VA-BCTM will lead AVA this year. The Board of Directors met face-to-face (wow!) in January to learn about how to be an effective board member and stewards of AVA resources. A good portion of their generous volunteer time was spend scrutinizing and updating the AVA strategic plan and charters, which serve as roadmaps to our committees and special interest groups. The board has many responsibilities, but the “duty of foresight” is important to the future of AVA. AVA employs “strategic thinking” instead of strategic planning. This allows the organization to be agile and dynamic in response to the times. There will be more to come soon on the strategic plan. Please take a moment to visit here to learn about your dedicated board.

Speaking of volunteer and board service, are you interested? AVA is seeking increased participation from bedside clinicians. Do you have experience as an AVA Network leader or have served on local or national professional, charitable or corporate boards? The AVA Board Development Council (BDC) works all year round to identify, recruit and vet board candidates for the AVA and AVA Foundation boards. In general, the BDC seeks members who have a commitment to support the mission of the organizations. The strategic priorities generally determine what specific experience or expertise is desired to help achieve those goals. Applicants are evaluated on their professional and volunteer qualifications and what they can contribute to strategy-focused conversations and other contributions in guiding the work of committees, SIGs and task forces. Both organizations strive to achieve and reflect the diversity AVA. Please visit here to volunteer for board or committee service.

JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR VASCULAR ACCESS (JAVA)

JAVA, AVA’s peer-reviewed quarterly journal, is a highly rated benefit of membership. But like many professional journals during COVID-19, its researchers and authors, many of whom are clinicians, have been overworked and highly stressed. This has led to a decrease in the quantity of manuscripts, though it is beginning to improve. Here’s the opportunity: JAVA is actively seeking authors who can submit quality manuscripts. The AVA board has authorized a JAVA Task Force to develop a plan to attract new authors and researchers. Another likely outcome is a narrowly focused mentor program to assist aspiring researchers and authors. Watch this space CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 5

INSIDE AVA: NOTES FROM THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

for more details to come. The JAVA editor-in-chief contractor position is currently open, and the job description is being rewritten. You can submit your interest by contacting cbrennan@avainfo.org.

AVA FACTOIDS

• The AVASM22 exhibitor prospectus will be available in early March

• The CARES group membership campaign was launched to AVA Networks in January. Contact cbrennan@avainfo. org for more information or to sign your Network up for this campaign.

• The 3-course Fundamentals of PIV™ Access™, developed in conjunction with B. Braun Medical Inc., will soon launch the #201 course with the #301 course launch in Fall 2022. The novel training courses center the failure rate of PIVCs and improving the training of the placement of PIVCs. The online education completely free of charge to medical, nursing, respiratory therapist, and other allied healthcare schools. Are you a preceptor or faculty? Please go here for more information.

• New in AVA Academy! (CE courses) o Putting the Standards into Practice...and Not Stopping There o Getting Back to Pre-COVID Strategies for Prevention of CLABSI o Love at First Sight: Leveraging Vein Visualization Technology to Improve Patient Satisfaction and Provider Resilience

o Building on the Bundle: Leveraging Nasal Decolonization to Help Prevent BSI in Critical Care Patients

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