President's Message

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this message finds you and your families in good health. It is an honor to write to you as your President for the 2024-2025 term. I want to express my gratitude to the past presidents whose leadership has guided our Society in supporting vascular care across our great country. I would like to personally extend our collective gratitude to Dr. Heather Gill, who was an incredible president for our Society and provides a large footprint in which I hope to follow.

As I step into this role, I have reflected on my vision for our Society’s future—one that focuses on adding meaningful value to your practices, our patients, and the broader vascular community. Throughout this year, our Executive will focus on becoming a mission-driven enterprise that remains accountable to our members. We have challenged our committee leads to identify deliverables that they will drive forward during our year together, to add continued value to our members. I also believe that true system wide improvement can only be achieved through partnerships and momentum, and therefore will work closely with our President-Elect, Dr. Greg Harding, to ensure our vision and initiatives are cohesive and synergistic.

This year, we are excited to launch a "Distinguished Lecture Series," where world leaders in vascular care will share their knowledge through interactive sessions. This initiative is guided by the belief that the more we engage in dialogue, the more we can learn and grow as a community.

We will also honor the remarkable contributions of our members with the introduction of the inaugural CSVS Hall of Fame, a tribute to Canadian excellence in vascular surgery. This will serve as a reminder of the critical role our members have played in advancing the field.

Collaboration will be a key focus of our efforts. By inviting leaders from other Canadian societies to our Annual General Meeting, we aim to highlight the interdisciplinary work that drives much of what we do. The old adage “If we talk more, we learn more” will guide us in the success of this new approach. Cross-collaboration between societies will allow us to break down silos and leverage our collective expertise for vascular patients across this beautiful country. It will also provide opportunities to showcase the powerhouse that is Canadian vascular surgery.

Lastly, understanding that the future of our society lies in the hands of the next generation, we will extend non-voting positions to a few select residents. Their involvement will help re-invigorate our digital presence and podcast series, ensuring we continue to foster collaboration and innovation.

Thank you for placing your trust in me this year. Together, we will continue advancing our society. As part of my commitment to accountability, I invite you to reflect at the end of my term and ask, “Did my President add value?” My goal is to ensure that, through the framework I’ve outlined, we achieve a lasting and meaningful impact for our members and our field.

Stay more Anakin,

Varun Kapila, CSVS President