ACPF Chairman’s Message
Spring is here and we are all experiencing that annual time for renewal. It is the time of warming weather, the smell of flowers and for those baseball fans among us the annual renewal of rivalries. For our Foundation, it is also a time of reflection and renewal.
Our Foundation is entering its fifth year with so many proud accomplishments that it shocks many of us in the leadership to have come so far in such a short time. But in keeping with my Spring is here theme, Renewal for the Foundation means planning the next five years of growth and maturity. It also means re-dedication of the energies and enthusiasm that brought us to this momentous place. For those who have supported the Foundation in this first five years, thank you! And for those who are ready to step up and be a part of the next five years pay attention.
The Foundation Board was established and tasked with the mission of funding educational initiatives generated by the College’s Board of Directors who regularly poll membership for insights into furthering the advancement of the specialty of Phlebology. This Board is made up of volunteers from industry and our membership.
One Foundation committee I want to make you aware of is the Membership Approach group currently co-chaired by Armen Roupenian, MD and Joseph Zygmunt, RVT. The Member Approach Committee is tasked with increasing the overall awareness of the Foundation and increasing the number of member donors to the Foundation.
To date, the Foundation has a total of 158 donors from our membership. While significant, this number is anticipated to be much greater in the next five years. With such support, the Foundation Board members are better armed in approaching phlebology industry companies representing laser, compression, DUS and sclerosants to solicit their participation in investing in the future of the specialty.
In the past five years, these combined efforts have built the solid financial base our Foundation enjoys today. But it is critical to continue all Foundation activities to maintain the current momentum. During these first five years, the number one achievement of the ACP educational vision was the Board Certification in Phlebology. Through clinical experience and a written test, this standard for our specialty is a great example of how financial support from the Foundation benefits individual ACP members. Additionally, new educational and research grants are being funded every month. For the first Quarter of this year alone, the Foundation has funded initiatives totaling $300,000.
Even though the ACP Foundation is doing well each of us can personally make a difference in the future of the specialty by supporting the Foundation with a donation. During this time of renewal, I encourage you to join the Foundation’s ongoing effort to include and reach out to every ACP member to become a donor. I invite you to contact the ACP home office, speak with one of the co-chairs of the Foundation Approach Committee, reach out to a Foundation Board member and become a donor today.
Renew your own commitment to Phlebology for the future of your practice.