Who Is SVU?

The Society for Vascular Ultrasound is the professional society of the Vascular Laboratory.   Our members are dedicated to the advancement of noninvasive technology (ultrasound) used in the diagnosis of vascular disease. The Society has a diverse membership of over 5,700 vascular technologists, surgeons, cardiologists, lab directors, academics, students and other professionals involved in the practice of vascular ultrasound.  Roughly 75% of members are vascular technologists/sonographers, and approximately 20% are physicians. The remainder are students, recent graduates and other vascular lab professionals.

SVU provides its members with regional continuing medical education (CME) programs at both introductory and advanced levels through a series of webinars, in-person conferences and educational products. SVU offers over 18 CME credits for free per year as well as AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM.

From its headquarters in the Washington, DC suburbs, SVU maintains a strong and highly successful advocacy program. SVU works on issues affecting its members at the federal and state levels on a host of issues ranging from reimbursement, to state licensure, to musculoskeletal injury and more.

SVU also publishes quarterly the leading peer-reviewed publication on vascular technology, the Journal for Vascular Ultrasound (JVU).

In close coordination with the SVU Foundation, SVU conducts and funds cutting-edge research in vascular ultrasound.

History of SVU

Established in 1977 in Columbus, OH, SVU became and remains the only professional organization dedicated to the advancement of non-invasive vascular technology used in the diagnosis of vascular disease. The Society’s success for nearly 40 years is a product of the active engagement of our diverse membership of vascular lab professionals.

Key Dates in SVU History

  1. 1977 - Formation in Columbus, OH, as SNIVT (Society for Non-Invasive Vascular Technology).
  2. 1986 - National office moved from Columbus, OH, to Washington, DC.
  3. 1988 - Name changed from SNIVT to SVT (Society for Vascular Technology).
  4. 1994 - National Office moved to Lanham, MD, in Dec. 1994 as an independently operated 501(c)(3) non-profit professional medical society.
  5. 2002 - Name changed from SVT to SVU (Society for Vascular Ultrasound).
  6. January 1, 2019 - SVU transitions into two organizations - SVU Inc, a 501(c)(6) professional society; and the SVU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable research and education foundation.

Founding Members of SVU

  • Mr. Barton A Bean, RVT, FSVU
  • Ms. Donna R Blackburn, RN, MS, RVT, FSVU
  • Ms. Valerie J Crain, RN, BSN, RVT, FSVU
  • Ms. Mitzi Ekers, MS
  • Mr. Andrew C Hayes, BS, RVT
  • Ms. Nancy R Macdonald, RN, BSN, RVT
  • Mr. Mike McCloy
  • Ms. Cynthia Ramirez-Matyi, RVT
    Deceased
  • Mr. Victor J Wedel, RDMS, RT

Past Presidents
To see a list of past SVU Presidents, click here.