January 2007 | Vol. 25, No. 1

Chapter News

Paula Walsh: Co-Chair Chapters Committee
Shelly Burns: Co-Chair Chapters Committee

Chapter Dues and Membership Lists Due in January

Reminder to all SVU Affiliated Chapter Presidents to update your chapter membership list and submit it to the SVU national office this month along with your Chapter’s 2007 dues payment. For further information please contact Missi McLean in the SVU office at mmclean@svunet.org or 800-788-8346.

Chapters Breakfast

A Chapters-sponsored Breakfast is being planned for the SVU 2007 Annual Conference in Baltimore, June 7-9, 2007. This event will be an opportunity for interested persons to obtain information about established chapters in their area or how to organize a new chapter. Additional details will be announced in the upcoming months. Representatives of all Affiliated Chapters should plan to attend. Chapters also are invited to help sponsor the Chapter Breakfast by making a contribution to SVU in lieu of the Silent Auction this year.

Houston Society of Non-Invasive Vascular Technology Sonographer Awareness Month 2006 Activities

The Houston Society of Non-Invasive Technology (HSNIVT) chapter has developed close ties to the staff and students at Alvin Community College (ACC) and would like to spotlight some of the activities associated with Sonographer Awareness Month, and beyond, by the two organizations.

HSNIVT held a fundraiser October 19th at the Alvin Community College Fall Festival. A total of $385 was raised for the Vascular Scholarship through the sale of face painting, temporary tattoos and Mardi Gras masks. Ultrasound student volunteers for the event included: John Yoder, Ashley Dore and Jeanna Bell, who gave their time and talents toward improving the HSNIVT scholarship.

On October 18th, students from the accredited cardiovascular program at ACC participated in the schools’ Open House and Health Fair for the community. The students held informative demonstrations on the benefits of formal education in cardiovascular ultrasound, performed ankle to brachial indices, carotid screening and EKG’s in addition to providing literature on peripheral vascular diseases to the public.

Over the past year Dina DuBose and Tammy Gabbert have given countless volunteer hours and administrative talents to helping HSNIVT grow. Because of their commitment, the meetings have been well organized and thus well attended. We wish them well as they graduate from the program and move forward in their vascular ultrasound careers.

HSNIVT also would like to thank members Donna Aguirre-Lewis, Jessica Murphy and Karen Broadbent who have given massive amounts of their time in honor of Sonographer Awareness Month. Donna found countless sponsors to donate door prizes. Karen whipped the website into a prize, and Jessica organized the loads of volunteers to improve vascular ultrasound as a profession.

Thank you for making Houston Society of Non-Invasive Vascular Technology a success in 2006.

Greater Pittsburgh Vascular Technologists

Ed Hardy, President of the GPVT chapter, has relayed news of their two meetings held in 2006. The Spring meeting was held on June 24th at Allegheny General Hospital and was sponsored in part by Phillips Medical. The speakers for the day were Dr. Dean Healy on Carotid Stents and on Current Management of Venous Thromboembolism, Dr. Joel Spero on Hypercoagulable States, Debbie Pirt on Review of SVU Updates, and Brian Bedell from Phillips on New Innovations in Vascular Equipment. They had 32 attendees for the meeting.

GPVT’s second meeting of the year was held on Nov.18 at UPMC Passavant Hospital and was sponsored in part by GE. Medical. The speakers were Gene Doverspike from GE Medical with a Vascular Potpourri of Interesting Cases, Debbie Pirt on Vascular Anomalies and Non-Clinical Issues in the Vascular Lab, and Ed Hardy on Evaluating Arterial Doppler Signals in Arterial Duplex Imaging. This meeting was very well attended by 51 attendees.

GPVT is now reporting an increase in membership, up to 68 members from an area of nearly a 100 mile radius.

TRI-C students with instructor

Northern Ohio Vascular Association

The Northern Ohio Vascular Association (NOVA) held its annual Fall Symposium on November 4, 2006 at Southwest General Health Center and Hospital in Middleburg Heights, OH. The conference, which was well attended by nearly 50 members and students, provided 5.5 SVU-CME’s.

Guest speakers included Curtis Lockhart, MD, and Mike Grubb, RVT- teaming together to discuss endovascular surgery, procedures and imaging techniques. Vic Kalakuntla, MD, discussed EVAR (Endovascular AAA Repair). Larry Raber, RVT RDMS RTR covered basic TCD and interesting carotid cases. Margaret Park, RVT RDCS FASE introduced IMT/BART. Angela Jagan, RN RVT highlighted upcoming NOVA and SVU events, and membership benefits.

First place: May Thurner Syndrome presented by Traci Jenkins (2nd year student) and Rodica Pop (1st year student).

Second place: Ultrasound Guided Thrombin Injection for Pseudoaneurysm, presented by June Hapney(2nd year) and Baljinder Mauthaun (1st year).

Highlighting the meeting was NOVA’s third Student Poster Competition by our vascular students from the TRI-C college DMS program. Second and first year student teams competed in a fierce competition for the “best” poster. This year poster judging was done by a random selection of attendees. The students were judged on the theme, presentation, accuracy, and ability to answer questions. The winners received cash prizes or book store gift certificates. The college program has incorporated the poster competition as part of the required curriculum. Cost to members was $50.00 and non members $100.00. There is no cost to students involved with the poster presentation. Pictures from the “winners circle” are enclosed.

NOVA is proud to recognize the accomplishments of several of our members:

• June Hapney, (2nd year Tri-C DMS student) was recently the recipient of the Veterans Administration Vascular Technology Scholarship.
• Dr. David Rollins, Anne Wilson, and Dr. Vic Kalakuntla, were recognized for their article “Arterial Revascularization in Patients with Diabetes: an Overview” in the December 2006 (4Q) Special Issue of SVU’s Journal for Vascular Ultrasound.

Contact Barb Wolfs at 440-816-2781 or Margaret Park at 216-445-5175, or by e-mail Parkm@ccf.org, for further information on NOVA or NOVA membership.