The Urological Society for American Veterans (USAV) will hold its annual meeting on Sunday, April 30 (10:30 am-2:30 pm, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Regency Ballroom CDE) in conjunction with the AUA Annual Meeting in Chicago.

The USAV is the premier professional society for the advancement of urological care for patients in the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system. Through education, research, and raising awareness of health care policies, USAV pursues its three missions: (1) promote the highest standards of urological care for American veterans, (2) advocate for the well-being of federal urological practitioners to enhance their ability to deliver the highest quality of urological care to American veterans, and (3) affiliate and collaborate with Society of Government Service Urologists in its missions to represent and support active and reserve urologists of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The 4-hour USAV program at the AUA is created to focus on urological issues unique to VA urological practitioners, as well as university urologists and private urologists supporting VA Healthcare in providing care through VA community care referrals. The Scientific Program Chair Dr Abhinav Sidana, Cincinnati VA/University of Cincinnati, has organized an outstanding educational meeting. The program includes state-of-the-art presentations, keynote lectures, and updates by nationally renowned speakers. In addition, there are 6 podium presentations and 12 posters representing original research, much of which are focused on veterans’ urology. A mid-meeting break, with a light buffet lunch, will be provided during poster sessions.

Program highlights include the following:

Pathways to Fund Your Research in the Veterans Health Administration

(Ted Skolarus, MD, MPH, FACS, University of Chicago, Ann Arbor VA) Dr Skolarus will discuss funding mechanisms unique to the VA and how to successfully apply for them. This lecture will be a resource for both experienced and new VA researchers.

Establishing a Male Infertility Program in the VA: Tips and Tricks

(Sarah C. Krzastek, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University, Central Virginia VA Health Care System) The number of younger veterans is increasing, and infertility is an ongoing issue for many of them. This lecture will review infertility issues common to younger men and will focus on fertility issues unique to the veteran population. Additionally, aspects of building a program within the VA will be discussed.

Disposable Ureteroscopes: Are They Worth It?

(Bodo E. Knudsen, MD, Ohio State University) Dr Knudsen is an expert in endourology, and he will discuss the role of disposable ureteroscopes in an endourology program. He will further examine the economics and environmental issues associated with the use of single-use ureteroscopes.

Active Surveillance 2.0: Impact of MRI and Biomarkers on Surveillance Strategy

(Stacy Loeb, MD, MSc, PhD, New York University and Manhattan VA) Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies affecting veterans. Active surveillance is important for treating veterans with prostate cancer, especially those with low-risk disease or with multiple competing comorbid conditions. Dr Loeb is a world-renowned prostate cancer researcher, and she will share her insights on active surveillance. She will specifically examine the impact of moving from prostate-specific antigen and digital rectal exam to MRI and advanced biomarkers on active surveillance programs.

National Surgical Office Update

(Jeremy Shelton, MD, Director of Surgical Informatics VA National Surgery Office, West Los Angeles VA) Dr Shelton will update the group on important initiatives from the VA National Surgery Office, including Oncology Care Pathways, and an update on the new electronic medical record rollout. This is an outstanding opportunity for VA urologists to interact with national VA urological leadership.

For registration and information on USAV membership, please visit the USAV website at https://govurology.org/usav/.

We look forward to welcoming you at the USAV meeting. Finally, we wish to extend our thanks to the AUA and Society of Government Service Urologists for their support of the Urological USAV.