Vein Specialist

With the unified, collective voice of clinical associations, physician specialty societies, provider groups, wound clinics, and business entity members, the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders – of which AVF is a member – helped shape a range of important CMS policies that support fair reimbursement, appropriate coverage, and equitable patient access to wound care products and services. These shared advocacy successes include:

• Gained reimbursement that better reflects the true cost of delivering care by successfully mobilizing CMS to establish a predictable, consistent national reimbursement rate for blood-derived products in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule to better reflect complexity, time, and costs.
• Protected quality clinical careand evidence-based treatment by successfully advocating CMS’ Medicare Administrative Contractors to remove arbitrary application limitations and incorporate substantive stakeholder input in their final local coverage determinations (LCDs) for CTPs (skin substitutes) in venous leg ulcer/diabetic foot ulcer. The final LCDs now enable clinicians to have more application flexibility and an extended episode of care to help heal the chronic wounds of their patients.
• Attained fix to claims processing issues that were driving surgical dressing denialsand impacting access. When Alliance members noted a lack of alignment with HCPCS codes and modifiers for surgical dressings in the MACs’ claims processing system that was resulting in false limitations and denials, we compiled examples and escalated the issue. As a result, MACs adjusted the processing system and updated their surgical dressings policy article to clarify modifier quantity limitations, facilitating coverage & payment for surgical dressing application to a second wound.

Read more about the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders advocacy work and 2024 activities in its recently released 2024 Annual Report. (Link to: https://www.woundcarestakeholders.org/about/annual-reports/2024-annual-report)

Our last conversation was just days ago—and it was a moment I will forever cherish.

I was speaking to a dear friend and colleague, Mark Arian, CEO of our consulting business for nearly the last eight years. He knew and I knew that these would be our final words to each other—but we let that be unspoken.

He told me how blessed he felt to work with such incredible people—and equally how those same people touched his life. And, incredibly, in his very last words to me, he offered a wonderful blessing, part of his religious tradition which he held deeply.

The actual words are far too personal to share. But with his unfortunate passing, these sentiments will forever attest to the grace, love, and humanity that defined Mark. 

During my life I’ve had these end-of-life conversations a few times with people I knew professionally and personally and who I held dear. No doubt, most of us have. What amazes me is that while I struggled to find the words, they never did. While the details are as unique as the individuals and their lives, the spirit of what they tell is profoundly similar.

They seem to see things so clearly—as if after the refiner’s fire, when all that is left is pure gold. What remains is complete clarity, reduced to our most natural form. 

It’s also a reminder to all of us—of what matters most. 

Yes, tomorrow is important but today is paramount.

As leaders, we try to predict tomorrow. But even more important is perceiving and appreciating today. And isn’t that all we ever have?

Indeed, abundance is not measured in titles, positions, and careers—that’s only what we do. What endures is who we are—our very essence:

Grace. Unearned and unmerited, it is a feeling, an action, a perspective, a virtue that rises above the rest. 

Empathy. Meeting people where they are—and, in every conversation, striving to help them feel better than they did before.

Listening. Twice as much as we speak.

Authenticity. The more we open up and share, the more relatable we are to others.

Inclusiveness. Diversity is a fact, inclusion is a behavior … leading the many, while at the same time understanding the perspectives of all.

Purpose. Why we do what we do. It comes from being connected to something bigger than ourselves.

Love. Here is a timeless truth that resonates deeply: When we tell people, “We couldn’t have done it without you,” what we’re really saying is, “You are loved.”

Powerful and intrinsic, these motivators distill the essence of our shared humanity. Because when the varnish comes off, the façade fades—these are the desires we all share. To belong, to make a difference.

Indeed, that’s what really matters. 

Just as I was concluding this message, I was reminded yet again—when I learned of another loss suffered by someone on our leadership team. Linda Hyman, our CHRO, lost her husband, Ken. Theirs was a long and strong partnership of more than 50 years.

Whether we’re immersed in warmth and love or burdened by heartache and tragedy, each day starts the same for all of us. With every sunrise, we have a choice of how we show up—to be there for each other.

Copyright 2025 by Korn Ferry. Reprinted with permission.

We are pleased to announce that the 45th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Phlebology will be held on July 17–18, 2025, in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido.

As part of the meeting, we will host an International Session, providing an excellent opportunity for discussions conducted in English.

We are currently accepting abstract submissions from around the world for the International Session.

If you are interested, please submit your abstract via the link below:

https://www.congre.co.jp/jsp45/en/index.html

We look forward to your participation!

The Hackett Hemwall Patterson Foundation (HHPF), a non-profit organization, is committed to delivering compassionate healthcare to global communities. Through our International Service-Learning trips to underdeveloped countries—specifically Honduras and Mexico—teams of dedicated healthcare professionals administer a range of treatments including prolotherapy, a regenerative medicine technique for chronic pain, as well as ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy for vein disease, wound care, hemodialysis access for patients with renal failure, ENT surgery, and audiology.

These trips provide essential medical care to those in need and also offer comprehensive training programs for doctors, with an emphasis on supporting healthcare professionals within the country. In addition to these efforts, HHPF conducts research and makes significant medical donations to clinics and hospitals, further strengthening healthcare infrastructure in underserved regions.

Most of our experts come from the United States, but over the years we have had expert doctors, vascular surgery fellows, surgical and medical residents, RVTs, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants from all over the world.The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine sponsored the phlebology courses and today it is a renowned CME-accredited Phlebology hands-on course.

For over 20 years, the HHPF’s Veins Team has been on a mission—literally—to bring life-changing vascular care to the people of Honduras. Each year, this team of international physicians, vascular surgeons, and medical volunteers embarks on a week-long mission across the three communities of Tela, La Ceiba, and the remote location of Olanchito to provide critical treatment for chronic venous disease.

Because of the limited availability of anesthesia, somewhat unreliable electricity, and uncertain access to other vein ablative therapies, the main treatment offered to patients is ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy for axial vein reflux to help alleviate pain, swelling, and discomfort while preventing more serious complications. Other non-thermal ablative therapies are also offered to a limited number of patients. Clinic Medical Director Lindy McHutchison, MD from North Carolina describes the impact of this treatment as “changing quality of life in just 10 minutes.”

A significant number of patients have leg ulcers that are multifactorial in origin, can be painful and debilitating, and are often infected. Patients with concomitant axial superficial venous reflux are treated with foam ablation of the affected veins. Comprehensive wound care is provided including local wound treatment, dressings, and antibiotics. To ensure long-term recovery, patients receive follow-up care and year-round access to wound-cleaning supplies—a vital resource for those in remote areas with limited healthcare options.

Recognizing an even greater need, starting in 2024 NavYash Gupta, MD and the team expanded their services to renal failure patients on chronic hemodialysis who are being managed primarily via non-tunneled temporary catheters. Because renal transplantation is essentially non-existent in Honduras, creation of arterio-venous fistulae in this patient population is highly impactful in creating a reliable access point for dialysis, thus reducing infection risks and ensuring that patients with kidney failure can receive safer, long-term treatment. Currently this is being offered in the remote town of Olanchito with plans to expand the program in 2025 by collaborating with local hospitals and the sole dialysis unit in town. However, the impact goes beyond immediate patient care; this initiative also serves as a critical training and teaching opportunity for vascular specialists. By performing AV fistula procedures on-site, the HHPF team is equipping local and international vascular doctors with essential surgical skills to improve dialysis access in underserved communities.

One of the mission’s most dedicated members is Dr. Paola Ortiz, a vascular specialist from Montevideo, Uruguay, who trained in the US and is the clinic director in La Ceiba. A member of the American Venous Forum, Dr. Ortiz has been an integral part of the mission for 12 years. She describes the week as, An intense, humbling, and incredibly rewarding experience. It’s about more than medicine—it’s about restoring dignity, providing hope, and changing lives in ways that extend far beyond the procedures we perform.”

The scale of the Veins Team’s work is remarkable. In just one week, more than 2,000 patients receive treatment, gaining relief from painful venous disease and chronic wounds that have often plagued them for years. Since its inception, the program has cared for more than 25,000 patients, making it the largest vein care service-learning trip in Honduras and Mexico. Alongside patient care, the foundation has trained more than 300 physicians and more than 1,000 additional medical professionals and volunteers, ensuring that expertise in vascular treatment, wound care, and ultrasound techniques is shared and sustained.

This program has been a gift to so many—patients, physicians, and volunteers alike. Many participants return year-after-year, not only for the medical experience, but for the sense of purpose and deep human connection that comes with it. During the mission, there are many hours of instruction, allowing medical professionals to earn CME credits while honing their skills in a real-world setting. But for most, this is more than just a training opportunity—it’s a calling.

As the HHPF Vein Team continues its work, the impact extends far beyond a single week, a single procedure, or a single patient. With cutting-edge treatments, expert education, and a global network of dedicated volunteers, the program is changing lives—one vein at a time.

If you would like to learn more and find out how you can also transform lives, visit our website: hhpfoundation.org/veins.