UC Davis Vascular Surgery Again Offers Disease Screening to Community

On May 14, 2004, Team Vascular—the combined staffs of the Division of Vascular Surgery and the UC Davis Medical Center Vascular Laboratory—supported the American Vascular Association’s annual Vascular Screening Program. This program is part of a nationwide effort to provide early detection program of potentially serious vascular problems. The program provided comprehensive (and free) vascular disease screenings to 134 people. Testing to detect vascular diseases, including aortic aneurysm, carotid artery disease, and peripheral arterial disease, as well as individualized physician counseling, was included. The University of California, Davis Health System was one of over 150 U.S. vascular centers participating in this event, and as in the prior two years, led the nation in the numbers of people screened.

Deborah Finley, R.N., R.V.T. once again served as the organizer of this event, which is Team Vascular’s biggest community service project of the year. “The tremendous success of the UC Davis vascular screening day was the result of many people’s contributions, including vascular technologists, clinical staff, volunteers, and others, but it is Debbie Finley’s hard work, leadership, and personal dedication to patients that brought it all together,” said Dr. David Dawson, the UC Davis vascular surgeon who has helped direct the program each year. “In addition to supporting the American Vascular Association screening day, Mrs. Finley regularly supports many other outreach, service, and education activities throughout the Sacramento area, including health fairs, vascular disease screening programs, and UC Davis Health System’s annual Future Faire. She really goes the extra mile.”

Founded in 2002, the American Vascular Association (AVA) is a foundation of the Society for Vascular Surgery. The American Vascular Association has created a Task Force on Public Education to educate the public at large on major, non-cardiac vascular healthcare problems, risk factors, and prevention and treatment options.  Group photo, with some of Team Vascular, after a busy Saturday that screened 134 people for vascular disease. 

The AVA mission is to reduce death and disability due to vascular disease, and one of its primary objectives is to increase public awareness of vascular disease and the importance of early detection through non-invasive screenings. This type of broad screening for vascular disease detection was undertaken for the first time two years ago with great success.

More information about the organization and its activities can be found at its website: www.vascularweb.org or by calling toll-free 877-AVA-2010.