IMPROVING WISELY: COLLABORATION HELPS IDENTIFY, CUT HEALTHCARE WASTE
By Vanessa Salvia In the elegant Presidential Ballroom of the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Martin “Marty” Makary, MD, addressed American College of Phlebology’s 32nd Annual Congress attendees eager to hear his message about how the program Improving Wisely is helping to reduce waste in healthcare. More than 1,200 registrants,

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC LINES UP FINANCING FOR ITS $4B BTG ACQUISITION
Now that everyone has said yes, Boston Scientific has gone to the banks to sign a number of new lending agreements, including a large credit facility it could use to finance its $4.2 billion acquisition offer for British medical device maker BTG plc. The information, which came from recently posted
VEIN CLINICS OF AMERICA NAMES ALTON SHADER TO PRESIDENT AND CEO POST
Alton Shader, formerly president of Hill-Rom’s global Front Line Care business, has been named president and CEO of Vein Clinics of America (VCA), a Frazier Healthcare Partners portfolio company, replacing Hans Thunem. A VCA release indicated that Thunem, who was CEO for four years, made the decision earlier in 2018
BOOK REVIEWS: ‘A GUIDE TO TREATING FACE VEINS’
‘A Wonderful Resource’ By Joseph D. Raffetto, MD “A Guide to Treating Face Veins” is a wonderful resource and compilation of work by Dr. Ronald Bush and Mrs. Peggy Bush. Facial veins are uncommonly treated in most clinical practices but is a common problem among patients who seek medical
ACP CHANGES ITS NAME TO AMERICAN VEIN & LYMPHATIC SOCIETY; AVLS OFFICIAL STATEMENT
By Vanessa Salvia The American College of Phlebology (ACP) has changed its name to the American Vein & Lymphatic Society (AVLS). The organization is still working on its new logo. The American College of Phlebology Foundation will be known as the Foundation for Venous and Lymphatic Disease, or FVLD. During
36 HEALTH SYSTEMS FORM THE HEALTHCARE INNOVATORS PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY
As innovation becomes an increasingly important function at many health systems, an exclusive professional organization has formed to provide a supportive community for the chief innovation officers who lead the charge of innovation at not-for-profit organizations. Healthcare Innovators Professional Society (HIPS), composed of innovation leaders from 36 of the nation’s most
FCT EMBRACE MARKS FUJIFILM’S ENTRANCE INTO U.S. CT MARKETPLACE
Fujifilm Medical Systems unveiled its FCT Embrace at the 2018 ASTRO annual meeting in October, marking Fujifilm’s entry into the U.S. CT market. The new system, combined with other market-leading oncology solutions, is designed to provide enhanced and efficient CT simulation with radiotherapy treatment planning capabilities. Approved by the FDA,
PHILIPS UNVEILS NEW RADIOTHERAPY IMAGING SYSTEMS
Philips released new systems for radiotherapy at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO) annual meeting in October. The Big Bore RT is a dedicated CT oncology simulator with built-in technologies such as iterative model reconstruction (IMR) for improved imaging of small details and for quick completion of reference protocols. The

EARL E. BAKKEN: MEDTRONICS CO-FOUNDER DIES AT 94
Earl E. Bakken, co-founder of Medtronic plc, passed away peacefully on Oct. 21 at his home on Kiholo Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii. He was 94 years old. “Today we are saddened by the passing of Earl Bakken, but we also honor and will forever cherish the life
SEEMA VERMA SPEECH: CMS TO BEGIN AUDITS ON MEDICAID INSURERS
Seema Verma, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator, issued a warning to Medicaid plan sponsors on Thursday, warning the agency would begin unscheduled targeted financial audits. The warning came at the 2018 Medicaid Managed Care Summit during a speech Verma delivered in which she vowed to bring more transparency to