Robert M Zwolak was elected 2010–2011 president of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) during the Vascular Annual Meeting on 11 June 2010.
He is currently professor of surgery at the Dartmouth Medical School; chief of surgery at the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, USA; director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory, and an attending vascular surgeon at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, USA.
“Dr Zwolak is an expert in health care policy issues and was instrumental in the passage of the SAAAVE Act directing CMS to cover screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms in high-risk Medicare beneficiaries,” said Anton Sidawy, SVS immediate past-president. “He has dedicated his time and effort to positioning SVS as the leading vascular health society in the country. SVS is honoured to have him in the role of president-elect.”
Zwolak served on the SVS Board of Directors since 2003, and held the position of governor of the American College of Surgeons for two terms. He is a past-president of the New England Society for Vascular Surgery. He was elected to two terms on the American Medical Association/Specialty Society Relative Value Update Committee.
Zwolak has special interest in healthcare policy issues as they relate to vascular surgery and has served for many years as the chair of the SVS Government Relations Committee. He held several national appointments including the United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Ambulatory Payment Category Panel.
Zwolak finished his vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle and earned a PhD in molecular biology and pathology from Albany Medical College in Albany.
