INSIDE AVA:
NOTES FROM THE EXECUTIVE TEAM Cate Brennan, MBA, CAE | Chief Executive Officer and Tonya Hutchison, CAE | Chief Operations Officer
This column allows the AVA Executive Team to keep you up to date on new member benefits on the horizon, our educational activities, AVA programs, services, advocacy, and other issues of interest. AVA is your professional home, and we always want to hear from you on how we can improve our services. Please email at cbrennan@avainfo.org and thutchison@avainfo.org.
COVID-19 and the Delta variant continue to have a significant impact on our vascular access specialists, the healthcare industry, and AVA. The entire globe continues to struggle with infection and vaccination rates, and now, sadly, among children too young to be vaccinated. On Aug. 10, the AVA Board of Directors made the difficult decision to make AVASM21 completely virtual. Here is the statement:
equally grateful to each of you for your dedication to AVA. We welcome your thoughts and ideas on how to improve today, tomorrow and the future.
AVA ANNOUNCES NEW GROUP MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN In July, AVA staff announced the new CARES by AVA membership campaign. CARES stands for Competency, Action, Results, Education, Satisfaction. The overall goal of CARES is to improve the vascular
AVA BOARD STATEMENT ON COVID-19 In consideration of current events related to COVID-19 and the safety of attendees, exhibitors, speakers, staff and other external partners, the AVA Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to change the face-to-face scientific meeting, set to be in Orlando, FL, to a completely virtual event. Our conference planning staff is now pivoting to expand the current virtual event and ensure the delivery of high-quality, impactful continuing education and networking for all stakeholders. The event date will remain September 16-19, 2021. Complete information will be coming within the next week about event details and how to transfer your in-person registration to virtual or cancel. Please watch your email and the AVA website for updates as they become available. Sincerely, Jocelyn Hill, AVA Board President on behalf of the AVA Board of Directors But despite the uncertainty of an ever-changing landscape, AVA continues to move ahead with developing valuable, innovative programs and services for both members and non-members. We are deeply thankful for the enormous amount of time, creativity, and leadership of our Board of Directors and volunteers; they do AVA’s important work while simultaneously juggling stressful “real” jobs. We are
access (VA) knowledge of all types of healthcare providers who provide VA services in hospitals, outpatient clinics, infusion clinics, mobile clinical teams, and home settings. Specifically, AVA’s goal is to diversify the types of healthcare professions within the AVA membership, CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2021 2
