19 May 2000 – Application by VAS to the Secretary General of UEMS Dr. Leibbrandt requesting recognition of Angiology/Vascular Medicine as a Section.

7 July 2000 – Reply from Secretary General of the UEMS expressing interest in the proposal. Not as a section but a Division within Internal Medicine. Proposal to be put to Internal Medicine Section + Management Council on 29-30th Sept. 2000.  VAS approved the proposal for Angiology/Vascular Medicine to become a Division in the Internal Medicine Section.

28 August 2000 – Letter from the Secretary General UEMS to VAS + Internal Medicine Section:

– Investigation of representativity of VAS for European Angiology specialists : approved.
– Indications for the Division of Internal Medicine (creation of Board, etc.). VAS provided the information requested: accepted.

14 September 2000 – The President of the Internal Medicine Section Dr. Tjen (secretary Dr. Brenning) sent a letter to all the members of the section and invites VAS to send observers to the Internal Medicine session and asks that Vascular Medicine should become a sub-section of Internal Medicine.

August 2001 – Letter from Secretary General Leibbrandt to the Secretary of the Cardiology Section for information, and fixing the date of the Management Council in October 2001 in Bale for discussion.

12-13 October 2001 – The proposal for Vascular Medicine as a sub-section of the Internal Medicine Section was approved unanimously by the Internal Medicine Section.
Management Council asked to approve.

17 October 2001 – Letter from VAS signed (official signatures) by representatives of European Scientific Societies in support of a Vascular Medicine sub-Section (Division).

24 October 2000 – Letter to the Vascular Surgery Division on Vascular Medicine as a sub-section

29 January 2002 – Letter to the Vascular Surgery Division fixing the date of the Management Council 29th March 2002 for the discussion.

29 January 2002 – Letter concerning the Plenary Meeting of the UEMS Management Council on 19-20 – No decision reached. VAS invited to Brussels in May 2002.

March 2002 – Letter From Vascular Surgery Division to the Secretary General voicing a protest by the vascular surgeons about their “property” of the term “vascular”. Invitation to Vas to be represented in the Vascular Surgery Division and in the Board.
VAS did not consider the Vascular Surgery Section its proper reference.

March 2002 – Letter from the Secretary General: explanation by the Secretary General on the subject of Vascular Medicine, the term and rules for Subsections.

May 2002 – Letter from Secretary General.
No discussion on Vascular Medicine in Brussels (Prof. Catalano, who was invited, was present) due to the absence of the Vascular Surgeons.
In the meantime, a “Permanent Working Group” was proposed by Secretary General.

November 2002 – Letter to the Secretary General by VAS and Presidents/Representatives of National Scientific Societies.
At a meeting in Milan they defended the Vascular Medicine Division within the Internal Medicine Section (no Working group).

November 2002 – The Secretary General Leibbrand guaranteed proper handover to the new Secretary General Dr. Maillet.

2003 Brussels – Meeting between Dr. Maillet, Secretary General of UEMS and Prof. Catalano of VAS.

17 December 2003 – Letter from General Secretary Dr. Maillet confirming relevance and that, although the proposal for a division of Angiology/Vascular Medicine had been unanimously approved by the Internal Medicine Section, it had not yet been ratified.
The new president of the Internal medicine Section was asked to confirm his interest on obtaining the Vascular medicine Division.
Proposal concerning Vascular Medicine to be put to the Management Council on 14th January 2004

28 March 2004 – Letter from the President of the Internal Medicine Section Dr. Blicke to the General Secretary confirming the section’s strong support for Vascular Medicine as an Associate Section of Internal Medicine.

26 May 2004 -Letter from Prof. Blicke on the meeting in Brussels.  In spite of the discussion (Prof. Colin Semple was present) reported on Vascular Medicine as a Division of the Internal Medicine Section, no vote was taken due to the opposition of the Cardiology and Vascular Surgery Sections.

17 September 2004 – Antalya (Minutes) – Vascular Medicine
IM representative , present at the Management Council meeting in Bruxelles “had no recollection of this decision”.
Suggestion to propose to the next Management Council

31 September 2005 – Paris Internal Medicine Meeting.
Present Dr Maillet UEMS Secretary General
The Internal Medicine Section Secretary Colin Semple and Prof.Catalano for VAS synthesizethe path Vascular Medicine/Angiology has followed over the past years, without obtaining an approval from the Management Council as a Division.
Dr Maillet proposes the creation of a MJC of Vascular Medicine with Vascular Surgeons and Cardiologists and representatives of Vascular Medicine within the Internal Medicine Section. To evaluate the willingness to participate by the other sections.

18 March 2006 – UEMS Board & Council Meeting
The creation of a MJC of Vascular Medicine was rejected (no reply was noted on behalf of the Vascular Surgery and Cardiology Sections)

12 May 2006 – Strasbourg Annual Meeting of UEMS Section of Internal Medicine
3 Proposals (by VAS representative Catalano):
– Involvement of UEMS President.
– Request for 2nd VAS representative for UEMS Internal Medicine Section.
– European Diploma (Preliminary evaluation on the basis of the ample training which has already been organised exists (European Master in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, European Post-Graduate Course in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, European Fellowship In Angiolgy/Vascular Medicine.

From June 2006 – Call for proposal for 2nd VAS representative Internal Medicine Section (Deputy position). VAS members voted 3 options. Prof. Catalano’s suggestion was approved by the others which was Prof. Poredos.

Lisbon June 2006 – New President Dr. Z. Fras (SLO) UEMS 2006: E.mail and phone contacts between Prof. Catalano and Dr. Fras to obtain the approval of an Angiology/Vascular Medicine Division by the next Council Meeting after the enormous efforts done during the years : positive position. Prof Poredos (SLO) had new contacts with Dr. Z. Fras (SLO).
Meeting in Lisbon during the IUA Meeting with Dr. Fras who guaranteed his support at the UEMS Council Meeting in October for the approval of the Angiology/Vascular Medicine Division.

May 2007 – Telephone conversation with Dr. Fras (UEMS President) and Prof. Catalano new confirmation of the intention to present in October (UEMS Council, Bratislava) the proposal of an Angiology/Vascular Medicine Division with an optimistic foresight.

May 2007 – Internal Medicine Meeting President Dr. Buber.
Due to lightning air traffic controller strike Prof. Catalano could not be present and there was no time to send the Deputy in her absence.
Letter sent by Catalano to the president of Internal Medicine with 2 points : UEMS Division recognization and European Diploma(see doc – attachment A below):

1) Renewed VAS request for an Angiology/Vascular Medicine Division unanimously voted by the Section (for the 3rd time!) and for sending a new letter to the Council before the October meeting.
2)VAS Proposal for a European Diploma in Angiology /Vascular Medicine (Draft proposed for the Meeting in April 2008, Brussels)

13 October 2007 – Approval on part of the UEMS Council of the Division of Angiology/Vascular Medicine.

16 October 2007 – Letter from Prof. Catalano after the Council approval to: UEMS Past and Present General Secretaries, Past and Present Presidents of the Internal Med Section, to the Boards of the Scientific Societies who have collaborated over the years to obtain this Angiology/Vascular Medicine Division (see in Results).

7 June 2008 – Brussels, 1st Meeting UEMS Angiology/Vascular Medicine Division. Officially 12 National Societies joined the Division and nominated their representatives.
Elected unanimously:     President Prof. Catalano   – Secretary Prof. P. Poredos.

 

From 2008 onwards please see Minutes