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Membership : Member Resources

Venous Disease Coalition Meeting Minutes

September 18, 2007 - Washington D.C.

Present: Suresh Vedantham, Mark Creager, Lori Preston, Jodi Segal, Mike Vasquez, Rob McLafferty, Eric Grabowski, Tom Ortel, Eser Toulney, Jeff Weitz, Cindi Christenson, Marge Lovell, Michael Jaff, Mike Richards, Jim Wiley, Dave Gillespie, Tom Wakefield,

Jim Froelich, Fred Rickles, Marie-Michele Leger, Tony Sidawy, Steve Pastores, Piers Forsyth, Richard Hill, Sarah Critchley, Rebecca Link, Traci Heath Mondoro, Steve Haracznak, Emily Kirkpatrick, George Berdejo, Althea Grant, Judy Fried, Diane Ashton,

Michele Beckman, Michelle Lesser, Jeanne Lusher, Diane Aschman, Tunay Kuru, Andrei Kindzelski,  Roshni Kulkarni, Christa Saracco, Sheryl Benjamin

Dr. Suresh Vedantham called the meeting to order at 2:15pm, welcoming all to the inaugural meeting of the Venous Disease Coalition (VDC) and thanking them for taking time to attend this meeting.  He stated that the media briefing held earlier was well received, and thanked all for participating.  He stated that Dr. Samuel Z. Goldhaber, VDC Chair, had developed the flu and was unable to attend.  Dr. Vedantham updated the group on the current status of the Coalition, which consists of 19 member organizations led by a Steering Committee.  The tasks envisioned for the five VDC working committees which have been formed were briefly outlined. The Science Committee will prioritize scientific message content, review the key messages after packaging, and ensure their accuracy.  The Education Committee will incorporate the messages into printed materials, web-based modules, and other programs targeted to specific audiences. The Communications Committee will send the messages out through press releases and other media.  The Membership Committee will work with member organizations and seek to further broaden the Coalition.  The Fundraising Committee will raise funds for the Coalition in partnership with the Fundraising Committee of the Vascular Disease Foundation.

Dr. Vedantham then invited the Committee Chairs to update the group on their activities:

Fundraising Committee – Dr. Robert McLafferty, Chair

Dr. McLafferty began by thanking the sponsors that have already made commitments to the VDC, including BSN-Jobst, ConvaTec, Diomed and Sanofi-aventis.  He asked the Coalition members for ideas regarding fundraising and encouraged everyone to help by making calls to their own industry contacts. He also noted that additional volunteers for this committee would be welcome. It was emphasized that the VDC will seek to create additional value beyond what is provided by the programs of member organizations, rather than replacing them – this will enhance the overall ability to accomplish our shared mission and minimize competitive concerns.  Dr. McLafferty noted that a database of potential sponsors was in development, and was being coordinated with that of the Vascular Disease Foundation. The VDC member representatives were asked to consider fundraising ideas and to share suggestions with Dr. McLafferty or Sheryl Benjamin.  

Communications Committee – Dr. Jeffrey Weitz, Chair

Dr. Weitz updated the group on the recent launch of a new VDC Website, and indicated that the Committee is currently evaluating different strategies for getting VDC information out in a cost-efficient manner.  

Science Committee – Dr. Bill Geerts, Chair

Dr. Weitz gave the report for Dr. Geerts, who was unable to attend.  The Committee worked hard to develop the message content used in the media packets prepared for the inaugural meeting.  The Committee also approved the scientific content on the Website and will be updating this periodically to stay current with the published literature.

Membership Committee – Dr. Thomas Ortel, Chair

Dr. Ortel observed that the Coalition currently has 19 member organizations.  This Committee will look to increasing membership with other diverse organizations during the coming year.  Member suggestions included organizations focused on rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, and cancer centers, among other stakeholders. 

Education Committee – Dr. Suman Rathbun, Chair

In lieu of Dr. Rathbun, who was unable to attend, Dr. Vedantham indicated that the committee assisted with the VDC Website launch by providing updated disease information on varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency. 

The meeting continued with introductions from the member representative attendees.  Each was asked to describe his/her organization’s interest in venous disease and any ongoing education/awareness programs. Dr. Vedantham then opened the floor for open discussion about the VDC’s future direction and plans. Several suggestions were offered:

  1. Consider inviting International organizations to participate.   
  2. Work closely with patient advocacy groups in developing public message content.
  3. Make a small 30 second video for use by media representatives.
  4. Focus on doing what individual organizations can’t do by themselves.
  5. Identify a well-known patient spokesperson/public figure or other celebrity.
  6. Consider approaching the airlines and travel industry in general.
  7. Produce patient materials in easy-to-read language. Tap into other patient safety-oriented materials which help patients learn what questions to ask when going to the hospital. Don’t reinvent the wheel - use existing materials when possible.
  8. Consider creating a “Speakers Bureau” available to different patient groups. Provide the list in a format that matches the speaker to the appropriate group. Write out key talking points for the speaker’s bureau to keep messages consistent.
  9. Create a template slide presentation for organizations and for speakers.
  10. Have a traveling booth for the VDC to participate at local meetings.
  11. Have a program like Canada’s number 800-NO-CLOTS for physicians.
  12. Work with WEB MD, wikidoc/patients, and other online resources.

Dr. Vedantham stated that the Steering Committee is currently developing a strategic plan for pursuing the VDC’s goals.  Once the major objectives are defined, individual tactics for achieving them can be considered by the VDC Committees.  The member representatives were urged to submit any additional ideas to the Steering Committee via Sheryl Benjamin, and to volunteer to actively participate in a Committee. Dr. Vedantham indicated that the VDC leadership will be contacting the group very soon to discuss the strategic plan and updated Rules of Governance.   

Dr. Vedantham concluded the meeting at 4pm.