Vascular Access Society of the Americas (VASA) Practicum 2025

Friday, May 16, 2025, 7:00 AM - Saturday, May 17, 2025, 2:00 PM, Eric P. Newman Education Center at Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis, MO

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.00 hours), ACOG Credit Hours (0.00 hours), ACPE Contact Hours (0.00 hours), ANCC Contact Hours (0.00 hours), COPE Credit Hours (0.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.00 hours)

The U.S. Renal Data Systems 2024 Annual Report highlights the significant burden of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States, with over 815,896 Americans receiving renal replacement therapy and $86.4 billion spent by fee-for-service (FFS) on healthcare for chronic kidney disease patients in 2022. Over 90% of ESRD patients depend on dialysis, with renal transplants remaining a scarce and variably successful option. Peritoneal dialysis, though effective, also carries a significant risk of failure. Thus, most renal failure patients are expected to depend on hemodialysis at some point. Both national (KDOQI) and international (VAS) guidelines emphasize the importance of nephrology care and counseling for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients to prepare for and manage their ESRD lifespan. Vital to this care is vascular access planning and education, with arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) being considered the best access for adequate dialysis delivery, ideally used by over 80% of patients.Despite efforts such as the 'Fistula First' initiative by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which increased AVF prevalence from 27% to 62% in the US, disparities and suboptimal conditions persist. The current USRDS 2024 reports 61.9% AVF use in prevalent dialysis patients, with notable ethnic disparities: Black patients have a higher use of arteriovenous grafts (AVG) and white patients a higher percentage of catheter dependency. Less than 30% of ESRD patients received optimal start renal replacement therapy in 2022, indicating a gap between ideal and current states of care. To address these issues, there is a pressing need for comprehensive education for healthcare professionals involved at every stage of CKD and ESRD management. The Vascular Access Society (VASA), a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to advancing vascular access care through research, education, advocacy, and teamwork. One of their key initiatives is the biennial Practicum, a hands-on course that imparts essential skills and knowledge for the daily management of vascular access in ESRD patients, including practical demonstrations and training in state-of-the-art techniques.The VASA Practicum is planned and implemented interprofessionally by nephrologists, vascular surgeons, and dialysis nurses on the planning committee. This activity is designed for specialists and professionals in nephrology, vascular surgery, and dialysis nursing but may be of interest to interventional radiologists and healthcare administrators. This two-day hands-on course will provide education through lectures, practical demonstrations, case presentations, and question & answer sessions. The activity will highlight best practices across the field of vascular access management for ESRD patients. The goal of this activity is to enhance knowledge, skills, performance, and patient care in the context of vascular access for dialysis.

In support of improving patient care, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Cancellation Policy

The cancellation cut-off dates and fees are specific to each course. Refer to the cancellation policy on the individual course page. Please send cancellation requests to [email protected].

WashU Medicine CME reserves the right to cancel or postpone this program if necessary; in the event of cancellation, course fees will be fully refunded. We are not responsible for other costs incurred, such as non-refundable airline tickets or hotel penalties.

Accessibility Statement

Continuing Medical Education at Washington University School of Medicine fully complies with the legal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act rules and regulations thereof. If any participant of this meeting is in need of accommodations, please do not hesitate to submit written requests, at least one month prior to seminar date.