With over 25 years of experience in providing classroom education to physicians and technologists, we are proud to offer you the finest in quality Category 1 CME vascular ultrasound online education all while in the convenience of your home or office.
The educational activities set forth by PVICME are aimed at meeting the continuing education needs of physicians and other health care professionals who are expanding their skills in various specialties of medicine. These activities are based on the identified needs and interests from multiple sources including, but not limited to past course evaluations, physician surveys, literature reviews, committee recommendations, professional organization recommendations, ultrasound laboratory accreditation, personnel credentialing requirements and published data. It is PVICME’s aim to promote appropriate changes in provider’s practices through the improved knowledge and skills of physicians and other health care providers. Pacific Vascular controls all content and ensures that there is scientific rigor, no instructor bias, and no commercial promotion.
Welcome to the PVICME online website. This unique learning experience utilizes text and video from actual patient evaluations and guides you through a variety of comprehensive case studies. Some of these cases include Cerebrovascular, Transcranial, Upper and Lower Extremity Arterial and Venous, Renal, Mesenteric, Hepato-Portal, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, as well as other evaluations. Each course is designed to take approximately one hour to complete. A CME certificate for one credit will be provided upon the successful completion of each course. The cost of each course is $30.00. Each course has been approved for one Category 1 credit meeting the American Medical Association's Physician's Recognition Award. PVICME is a recognized provider of category 1 credits by ACCME.
Orientation for Technologists
If you are a technologist seeking SVU CME credits, please select the link to the Vascular-Web website. We have combined our Catalog of cases with those of Vascular-Web to provide one of the most complete and unique learning experiences available for technologists and sonographers. PVICME is proud to partner with Vascular-Web which serves as a vital online resource for the vascular ultrasound community. Receive the same courses which are approved by the Society for Vascular Ultrasound for CME credits.
To provide high quality educational activities and programs for physicians and other health care professionals, dedicated to improving patient care.
The educational activities created by PVICME are aimed at meeting the continuing education needs of physicians and other health care professionals who are expanding their skills in noninvasive vascular diagnosis.
Faculty Disclosure
The faculty disclosure policy of PVICME requires that faculty participating in a CME activity disclose to the audience any relationship with an equipment manufacturer, pharmaceutical, or commercial company that might pose a potential, apparent, or real conflict of interest with regard to their contribution to the activity.
This disclosure also applies to any discussion of unlabeled or investigational use of any commercial product or device not yet approved in the United States.
Richard Ashby, RVT
Richard has been with Pacific Vascular for fourteen years in the capacity of vascular technologist, trainer, team leader, Med Ed instructor, and most recently the On-line CME Coordinator. He specializes in the video editing of online cases. He has been teaching the Lower Extremity Arterial Course for the 'Strong at Heart' and the 'Physicians Interpretation Course' for the past 7 years. He has served on the Board of Directors of Pacific Vascular, Inc.
Edwin C. Brockenbrough , MD, Medical Director, Pacific Vascular / PVICME
Dr. Brockenbrough has served as Medical Director for Pacific Vascular and PVICME for over 10 years. He is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and took his training in surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, National Heart Institute, and the University of Washington. He is Board Certified in both General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Brockenbrough was the founder and Director of the Vascular Laboratory at Harborview Medial Center, Seattle, while also serving as Associate Surgeon-in-Chief. He is Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington and a contributor to professional journals. As a practicing surgeon in the Seattle area he has had a special interest in vascular diagnostics as well as vascular surgery. He has served as the president of the King County Medical Society, of the Washington State Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, and of the North Pacific Surgical Association. Dr. Brockenbrough has also served as Chief of Staff at Northwest Hospital in Seattle and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees.
Keith A Fujioka, BS, RVT, FSVU
Keith’s career in Vascular Technology began in 1980 at a time when state of the art meant you had a continuous wave Doppler, a few blood pressure cuffs and a plethysmograph. With the advent and widespread utilization of duplex scanning the field has undergone considerable change, so much so, that the field itself underwent a name change to Vascular Ultrasound.
Over that span of time Keith has served in a number of positions from Registered Vascular Technologist, Research and Education Coordinator, Director of Education, Technical Director and now, President and CEO of Pacific Vascular Incorporated.
He has been active in his support of the field through participation in the Society of Vascular Ultrasound, both on a local and national level. In addition to serving as Chair of a number of committees and as a member of many others over the years, he served as SVU President in 1998-99. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Society of Vascular Ultrasound in 1997 and received the Society’s most distinguished service award, the Leadership Award in 1999.
Keith’s special interest in cerebrovascular testing, both extracranial and intracranial, has resulted in numerous publications, both in medical journals and text and opportunities to share his knowledge in a variety of educational venues. He especially enjoys the opportunity PVICME provides to work with students on a more personal level and address subject matter in greater depth.
Janette A Isaacson, Ed.D., RVT, RDCS, SFVU
Janette Isaacson holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership (Ed.D) from Seattle University, a Masters in Education from the University of Phoenix with a specialization in Diverse Learners and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling from Seattle University. Dr. Isaacson has extensive teaching experience and has worked in the ultrasound field for over twenty years. She currently is involved in the production of online abdominal cases for Pacific Vascular and offers technical training in abdominal vascular as well as interpretation. She also continues to serve as Program Director for the Vascular and Echo Degree Completion Studies Programs (on-line) for the Oregon Institute of Technology. In addition, Dr. Isaacson has a consulting private practice in ultrasound education and counseling. Dr. Isaacson remains active in the Society for Vascular Ultrasound and was appointed as a Fellow in 2003.
William A. Johnson, RVT, FSVU
Bill became involved in vascular ultrasound on a full time basis in 1976. He has been very active in the Society of Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) as a Charter Member and now as a Life Member. He has served on the Board of SVU in multiple positions, including President, Secretary and Treasurer. He received the highest award the Society bestows, the Leadership award, in 1994, and was subsequently appointed Fellow of SVU.
He has authored or co-authored several papers, including two published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery. He has presented papers or lectures at many SVU annual conferences and moderated several panels and conference sessions.
Terence M. Quigley, MD
Franklin West, BSN, RN, RVT, RVS, FSVU, CCP
Serving as Pacific Vascular’s Director of Professional Services since 1990, Frank has extensive experience in vascular technology and was first employed at Providence Medical Center in 1974. He also has extensive experience in regulatory and legislative issues in health care and provided a federal congressional briefing on the use of ultrasound in 1988. He received the 1992 Inspector General’s Integrity Award for his work with the U.S.DHHS Office of Inspector General. Mr. West is a past-president of the Society of Vascular Technology, and a past second vice-president of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. Additionally, PVI has, and continues to support Frank in a decade long history of working with multiple Medicare carriers and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services on a variety of issues dealing with payment policy.
Pacific Vascular was incorporated in August of 1986 following the purchase of five greater Seattle area vascular laboratories and related education program from the Institute of Applied Physiology and Medicine (IAPM). IAPM, founded in 1971, as a nonprofit organization with clinical services, research and educational interest, established its first vascular laboratory at Providence/Seattle Medical Center in 1974. In response to increasing demand, additional vascular laboratories were subsequently opened on the Swedish Medical Center campus (Nordstrom Tower), and in Northwest Hospital, Stevens Hospital, and Valley Medical Center.
With the incorporation of Pacific Vascular in 1986 came additional vascular laboratories at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, and in the West Seattle Medalia Healthcare Building in 1987 (since relocated to Jefferson Square). Since then, laboratories have been established at Auburn Regional Medical Center, St. Clare Hospital in Tacoma, Enumclaw Professional Center in Enumclaw, Jefferson General Hospital in Port Townsend, Evergreen Place in Kirkland, Swedish Medical Center/Ballard, and as far as Yakima Valley.
In 1992, Pacific Vascular initiated the process of becoming an employee owned company by establishing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) trust. This process was completed in 1999, with Pacific Vascular becoming 100% employee owned. As employee owners, the Pacific Vascular staff takes great pride in the quality of the services it provides and the contribution their work has in the ongoing effort to decrease death and disability related to vascular disease.
Pacific Vascular Laboratories have achieved re-accreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) for these examinations:
Pacific Vascular is one of only twenty seven institutions nationwide accredited in all five areas by ICAVL
Pacific Vascular initially received accreditation in 1993.
The ICAVL, a non-profit organization established with the support of eleven medical societies, provides a mechanism for accrediting facilities which perform comprehensive testing for vascular disease with noninvasive testing modalities. Eleven sponsoring societies represent radiology, ultrasonography, vascular surgery, neurology, cardiology, neurosurgery, and internal medicine.
Accreditation signifies that the facility has been reviewed by an independent agency. Participation in the accreditation is voluntary and demonstrates the laboratory's concern for high quality patient care and attention to quality assurance.
