Audible Bleeding

Jacob Soucy (@JacobWSoucy) hosts an inside look at a timely and thought-provoking editorial published in The Vascular Specialist, the official news magazine of the Society for Vascular Surgery.
 
In this episode, we explore the evolving conversation around surgical call and compensation through the lens of the editorial "A Call for Call Pay." The discussion challenges the traditional framing of call as simply part of the job and instead examines it as a measurable burden of availability that carries legal, financial, and personal implications. This conversation highlights why the valuation of call may represent one of the defining structural issues in modern vascular surgery practice.
 
Jacob speaks with Dr. Malachi G. Sheahan III about the motivation behind the piece, how hospital systems value call, what the true cost of call coverage is, and what the future may hold if the current model remains unchanged.
 
Show Guest
Dr. Malachi G. Sheahan III is Professor and Chair of Surgery at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery. He previously served as Program Director for both the fellowship and integrated residency in vascular surgery at LSU. Nationally, Dr. Sheahan serves as Secretary of the Society for Vascular Surgery and as Chief Medical Editor of The Vascular Specialist. With more than two decades in academic surgery, he is a recognized leader in vascular education, workforce policy, and advocacy within the specialty.
 
Resources and Social Media
X (Twitter): @lsuvascular
 
Read the editorial: "A Call for Call Pay" – The Vascular Specialist
 
Special thanks to Dr. Malachi G. Sheahan III for sharing his time and insight and for his ongoing contributions to vascular surgery.
 
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*Gore is a financial sponsor of this podcast, which has been independently developed by the presenters and does not constitute medical advice from Gore. Always consult the Instructions for Use (IFU) prior to using any medical device.

Audible Bleeding editor Wen Kawaji (@WenKawaji) and 5th-year general surgery resident Sasank Kalipatnapu (@ksasank) from UMass Chan Medical School host SVS QPMC leadership Dr. Shutze, Dr. Hicks and Carrie McGraw to take a deep dive into the Vascular Surgery–specific Merit Based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway or MVP.
 
Show Guests 
 
Dr. William Shutze: Associate Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center in Dallas Texas. He is a managing partner at Texas Vascular Associates. He is the co-chair for the SVS Vascular Center Verification and Quality Improvement program, vice chair for the SVS QPMC committee 

Dr. Caitlin Hicks: Associate professor at Johns Hopkins University school of medicine, vice chair of research in the department of surgery. Chair for the SVS QPMC committee

Carrie McGraw: SVS manager of Quality Improvement and Practice

 
Important resources
2026 Vascular MVP PDF: https://qpp-cm-prod-content.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/3100/Vascular-Surgery-MVP-Candidate.pdf

SVS Quality improvement contact email:

[email protected]
Vascular Specialist article:

https://vascularspecialistonline.com/introducing-the-vascular-surgery-mips-value-pathway-a-new-era-for-meaningful-specialty-driven-quality-reporting/



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Learn more about us at https://www.audiblebleeding.com/about-1/ and provide us with your feedback with our listener survey.
 
*Gore is a financial sponsor of this podcast, which has been independently developed by the presenters and does not constitute medical advice from Gore. Always consult the Instructions for Use (IFU) prior to using any medical device.

Audible Bleeding editor Wen Kawaji (@WenKawaji) is joined by Dr. Danielle Garcia, Dr. James Martinson, JVS editor Dr. Duncan (@ADuncanVasc), JVS-CIT editor Dr. Smeds (@MattSmeds) to discuss some of our favorite articles in the JVS family of journals. This episode hosts Dr. Ullery, Dr. Bath, Dr. Lee, and Dr. Satam. 
 
Articles:
 
Laser in situ fenestrated endograft (LIFE) repair of complex aortic arch pathology: Early outcomes from the multicenter LIFE registry 

A novel approach to thoracic endovascular aortic repair using "zone 1.5" deployment of the Gore thoracic branched endoprosthesis device




  
Show Guests 
 
Dr. Ullery has served as the medical director of vascular and endovascular surgery at the Providence heart and vascular institute since 2017 and is the co-founder of the Laser In-Situ Fenestration of Aortic Endografts (LIFE) Registry

Dr. Bath is a practicing Vascular Surgeon at the University Hospital of the University of Missouri

Dr. Lee is the chief of vascular surgery at Stanford Medicine

Dr. Satam is a current vascular surgery resident in her PGY3 year at Stanford

 
Follow us @audiblebleeding
Learn more about us at https://www.audiblebleeding.com/about-1/ and provide us with your feedback with our listener survey.
 
*Gore is a financial sponsor of this podcast, which has been independently developed by the presenters and does not constitute medical advice from Gore. Always consult the Instructions for Use (IFU) prior to using any medical device.

Audible Bleeding editor Wen Kawaji (@WenKawaji) is joined by integrated vascular surgery resident Falen Demsas, JVS editor Dr. Duncan (@ADuncanVasc), JVS-VI editor-in-chief Dr. Dua (@AnahitaDua) to discuss some of our favorite articles in the JVS family of journals. This episode hosts Dr. Huber, Dr. Fassler, Nishanth Konduru (@n_konduru), and Dr. Rao.
 
Articles:
 
Outcomes of open bypass and superior mesenteric artery endarterectomy for patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia resulting from long-segment superior mesenteric artery occlusive disease

Retrograde tibiopedal access as an alternative procedural technique for genicular artery embolization



  
Show Guests 
Dr. Huber

Former Division Chief (served as Chief for 13 years) of Vascular Surgery at the University of Florida and the Edward R. Woodward Professor of Surgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He was also the chair of the writing committee for the SVS Guidelines on Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia.

Dr. Fassler

PGY-4 General Surgery resident at the University of Florida. 

Nishanth Konduru

Fourth year undergraduate at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Dr. Rao

Interventional cardiologist with Vascular Solutions of North Carolina.  

Founder of Rao Clinic https://www.raoclinic.org/




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Learn more about us at https://www.audiblebleeding.com/about-1/ and provide us with your feedback with our listener survey.
 
*Gore is a financial sponsor of this podcast, which has been independently developed by the presenters and does not constitute medical advice from Gore. Always consult the Instructions for Use (IFU) prior to using any medical device.

In this episode, we explore the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Quality Improvement (QI) Consulting Program, a free member benefit that supports vascular surgeons in designing, executing, and refining QI projects across all stages—from problem identification to dissemination.
We're joined by Dr. Samantha Minc, a vascular surgeon and faculty member at Duke University, and Dr. Ashley Vavra, an Associate Professor of Surgery at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and chair of the SVS Quality Improvement Committee. Both bring extensive experience in vascular care and quality-focused clinical practice.
Together, they break down how the QI Consulting Program helps clinicians:
Develop SMART goals and clear project aims

Identify stakeholders and select appropriate methodologies

Organize timelines and communication plans

Track process measures and assess intervention impact

Troubleshoot challenges and prepare presentation or publication materials

They also outline what the program does not provide—such as data analysis, formal instruction, or long-term mentorship—to help members understand its intended scope. The application process is straightforward: SVS members may apply during the first two weeks of each month, with up to five projects accepted per cycle.
This episode stresses the value of QI in vascular surgery and offers a practical, accessible overview of how the QI Consulting Program can support meaningful improvement efforts in vascular practices.
Learn more:
https://vascular.org/vascular-specialists/practice-and-quality/quality/quality-improvement-consulting-program
 
*Gore is a financial sponsor of this podcast, which has been independently developed by the presenters and does not constitute medical advice from Gore. Always consult the Instructions for Use (IFU) prior to using any medical device.