INSIDE CVR, American Vein open new clinics 8 Veniti funds venous stent system 18 Treating spider veins can be complex 30 Physician designs scientific leg rest 34
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 Vol. 9 No. 6 VEINTHERAPYNEWS.COM
An ACP recognized resource for news and information for and about the phlebology community
AVF, ACP suspend merger talks
ACP will continue closer collaboration with AVF, others By Mark Forrestal, MD, FACPh Over the past year, the American College of Phlebology (ACP) and the American Venous Forum (AVF) actively engaged in discussions to merge our respective organizations. To that end, both organizations assembled a negotiating team, and a consultant seasoned in these types of inter-societal unifications was enlisted to guide the process and provide insight into the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead.
Because of the similar missions of the two groups, the ACP leadership was confident unification would strengthen our collective voice for venous and lymphatic health and help us accomplish our common goals more efficiently and effectively. While the benefits were numerous and important, it was understood from the beginning that merging our two cultures would not be without its challenges. In late July, it was determined the timing for a formal merger was not appropriate, but a desire for closer collaboration between our
two societies on projects of common interest endures, with the intent of reconsidering a merger in the future. Although this round of negotiations did not result in unification, the process was instructive for the ACP and its leadership, illuminating the desire from community leaders MERGER
continued on page 14
ELECTION 2016
How the outcome could affect you By Jeffrey Miller, MD As we approach the 2016 presidential election, we have many issues to consider before casting our vote. This epic event is perhaps one of the craziest election cycles in history. Unless something bizarre happens, one of the two major party candidates will become the next president. And before the November choice arrives, it’s worthwhile to consider the current state of affairs.
STATE OF AFFAIRS We have the lowest labor participation rates in over three decades. 20 percent of U.S. families don’t have a single member who is employed, and median household income is down. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that home ownership is nearing a 48-year-low. Speaking of homes, more young Americans now live with their parents than at any time since The Great Depression. Forty-three percent of student loan borrowers aren’t making any loan payments. At the same time, the U.S. debt is steadily climbing and approaching $20 trillion. This corresponds to the national debt per person in the U.S. at $59,783, which is a staggering figure indeed. Furthermore, food stamp usage has reached an all-time high, with up to one
in every five Americans enrolled in the program. If all of this is not scary enough, the death toll of terrorism around the globe has jumped nearly 800 percent in the past five years. The authors of a study, which tabulated the numbers, say that the exponential increase shows two troubling trends: 1) More attacks are happening, and 2) They tend to be deadlier than ever. The list of important issues on which to base your decision is long: the economy, foreign policy, immigration, entitlement
ELECTION 2016
continued on page 32
VEIN THERAPY NEWS 13552 Highway 183 N, Suite A, Austin, Texas 78750 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID SAN ANTONIO, TX PERMIT#244