History of the ACPF
Phlebology practitioners recognize the importance of improving patient awareness of venous disease and its treatment and to ensure medical professionals have a clear understanding of venous disease as well.
Connecting patient awareness with professional awareness is no simple task. For many medical professionals, venous disease is considered a minor issue. They do not recognize the significance venous disease can have on quality of life and that complications of venous disease may cause major morbidity an can even be life-threatening . Worse still, for patients, venous disease is rarely understood as a treatable condition that is able to be managed and not just endured. In the last decade, major technological breakthroughs in diagnosis, minimally invasive treatment, and post treatment regimens have had a major impact on patient care. Progress in the understanding and management of venous disease continues at a rapid pace.
In 1985, the specialty if phlebology took its first steps toward changing the professional image of the specialty within North American medicine. From these efforts, rose the American College of Phlebology (ACP), now the world’s largest organization inclusively dedicated to the specialty. The College is committed to the advancement of phlebology by providing educational, research, and professional expertise to medical professionals in order to elevate the standards of patient care.
Between 1985 and 2005, the College’s leadership prepared itself, its membership, and the phlebology community for a point in time when the specialty was ready to pursue a variety of growth initiatives which would have a profound impact on professional, patient, and public awareness of venous disease. In planning such efforts, the College recognized that to realize such dreams would require a dedicated partner capable of bringing funding to these efforts without compromising the ethical standards of the ACP or the medical profession.
In 2006, the time had come to pursue such interests and the American College of Phlebology Foundation (ACPF) was created. The Foundation exists to support, through investment, the pursuit of initiatives and projects that will advance the level of patient care in venous disease.