Featured Member of the Month (Aug. 2022): Roxanne Hallgren

Born and raised in Vancouver, Roxanne Hallgren has worked full-time in the field of Phlebology since 1989. She received her BScN from the University of British Columbia.

How and why did you start practising in the field of vein/lymphatic care?

Early in the 1980’s one of my colleagues said to me, “ Why don’t you start a vein clinic?” I was a critical care nurse looking for a new direction in my career. This comment spiked my interest, and I began to learn everything I could about venous anatomy, physiology and various treatment modalities. In 1989, I founded the Vancouver Vein Clinic Ltd, the first vein clinic in British Columbia, Canada.

I attended my first North American Society of Phlebology conference in the late 1980’s, which became The American College of Phlebology and now the AVLS. At the time, nurses could not be members of this organization. So I was greeted with mixed reviews for attending. Dr. Anton Butie, founder and first president of the North American Society of Phlebology, welcomed me and invited me to San Diego to shadow him within his phlebology practice. His attitude was the more healthcare professionals who understand venous disease, the better.

From there, I continued to have many wonderful teachers. I visited Dr. Walter de Groot in Seattle, and remember watching him do a blind injection of the saphenopopliteal junction and telling me I should not attempt this type of injection until I had two years of experience injecting veins! In-office ultrasound-guided injections were not used back then. At the time, I did not have the knowledge of this anatomical site and once I did, I never attempted an injection of the SP junction. In his teaching, he often made the analogy of comparing trees to the human vascular system. I remember him as a kind and gentle man.

Dr. George Fegan visited Vancouver and stayed at our home in 1985. He came to my office to teach and watch me assess and inject patients. There was a lot of discussion around compression at meetings during these years. Many French physicians believed compression was not necessary, and many British physicians advocated six weeks of compression. As I tried to sort this out for my own practice, I went back many times to his publication, Fegan’s Compression Sclerotherapy for Varicose Veins. In the 1950’s he did histological studies. Biopsies were performed on veins at intervals from 30 seconds to five years after injections. Compression sclerotherapy still remains a topic of interest at meetings today.

In November 1990, I had the honour to be a tour guide for Sir Norman Browse and his wife when they visited Vancouver. In my early years I increased my venous knowledge by reading his 675-page textbook, Diseases of Veins Pathology, Diagnosis and Treatment.

I continued my education and training with Dr. Michel Zummo, visiting him several times in Montreal, and Dr. Doug Hill in Calgary. I have fond memories of Dr. Hill teaching me how to scan the superficial and deep veins with his wife Rita as my patient. 

In 1992, I was the first nurse to present in San Francisco at The Fifth Annual Congress of The North American Society of Phlebology. My presentation was titled “The Current and Future Role of the Nurse in Phlebology.” As a result of this presentation Dr. Mitchel P. Goldman and I co-authored a paper published in 1993 in the journal of Dermatology Nursing.

Along the way I’ve had amazing mentors. These include Dr. Pauline Raymonde-Martinbeau, Dr. Helane Fronek, Dr. Michel Schadeck, Dr. Nick Morrison and his wife, Terri Morrison. Over the years, I’ve continued my education by attending international Phlebology meetings and achieved the designation of Elected Fellow of the Canadian Society of Phlebology while in active practice.

How long have you been a member of the AVLS?

I joined the ACP/AVLS in 1999. It allowed me to be an active member, continue my education, and keep in contact with many colleagues for their advice.

What resources does AVLS provide?

The AVLS members digest is a great resource, and I’ve enjoyed free access to the Phlebology Journal.

Any advice for your peers new to the field?

If, for some reason, you have to refer patients elsewhere for their venous ultrasounds, make sure the technologist performs the superficial vein portion of the scan with the patient standing.

Search out teachers and mentors. My success in phlebology was due to those who taught me.

Now that you are retired, how do you spend your time?

I retired in May 2022. I still enjoy reading the AVLS digest weekly, staying connected with my family and friends, biking, hiking, walking on the seawall - which is right outside my front door - travelling more, and volunteering at a horse stable.