Featured Member of the Month (October 2024): Dr. Aaron Love

Dr. Aaron Love is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of clinical experience in emergency medicine. He trained at Lehigh Valley Hospital, one of the pioneering institutions in ultrasound use in the Emergency Department (ED), where he received his first certification in Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in 2005. This skill has been pivotal throughout his career, enabling him to make critical diagnoses, such as the early identification of cardiac tamponade in a stabbing victim and immediate life-saving thoracotomy in a rural ED—an exceptionally rare occurrence.

With an entrepreneurial spirit, Dr. Love served as physician group Treasurer and Medical Director at Yavapai Regional Medical Center from 2008 to 2011. Then, he founded Healthcare Ingenuity Partners Inc., a consulting firm that enhanced complaint charge capture in provider fees for service. He served on the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Coding and Nomenclature Advisory Committee from 2012 to 2013.

With a humanitarian heart, Dr. Love took an assignment as an ICU physician for Juan Luis Hospital in St. Croix, USVI, the year after Hurricane Maria. He was a COVID First Responder in New York City and led COVID crisis response teams for the Indian Health Service on several Arizona reservations the same year. In 2021, he was the medical clinic director for one of the Afghan refugee camps.

Dr. Love’s academic contributions include being the lead author of a pilot study on alcohol misuse published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, which earned him the Resident Research Award. He holds a patent application for Systems and Methods for Determining Compliant Capturing Events (US 61/933233).

Beyond medicine, Dr. Love is a commissioned painter with several public works to his credit. He specializes in large-scale portrait murals displayed across Texas and Arizona, which can be viewed at http://aaron.love.

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

In early 2021, after nearly a year in a Covid ICU, I faced the daunting prospect of returning to the ER full-time. Then, a pivotal and historic moment occurred: an Emergency Physician (me) was thanked by a Nephrologist (for placing numerous dialysis catheters) who also suggested I “look into veins.” This piqued my interest and by the end of 2021, I was training under several outstanding teachers in the NYC area.

How long have you been a member of the AVLS and why did you join?

With two years in venous and lymphatic medicine, I was enthusiastic about patient outcomes and the field’s potential. Then, one clinic day last year, instead of gowning and gloving, I donned booties and muffin shorts and got on the procedure table to have my GSV ablation performed by a colleague. Soon after, I became a true believer in the efficacy of our treatments. However, my thoughts and questions as a patient shed light on the vastness of what I had yet to learn—the classic case of “the more you know, the more you realize you don’t.” I joined AVLS under a year ago with an initial objective to bridge this knowledge gap as I pursued ABVLM certification.‎

In what way has the AVLS helped you as a vein/lymphatic care provider?

Educational courses focusing on real-world clinical care have been immediately applicable to patient care. And the board reviews have clarified the material I need to master.

Any advice for your peers new to the field?

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received was to become proficient in performing reflux exams. This accelerated after I invested in one of the latest handheld devices, which enabled spot checks for reflux by color Doppler within minutes of seeing a patient and beginning to learn each patient’s anatomy at the first visit.

What resources does the AVLS provide that would benefit them?

The AVLS executes its mission to influence payers and advocate for the importance of vein and lymphatic medicine as a core specialty, not” just an accessory.” Their position statements defend the rapid advancements in care, such as Varithena, challenge the status quo of unnecessary prerequisites, and proactively redefine new standards as our specialty evolves (e.g., Anterior Saphenous Vein). When payers undermine patient care misuse of our nomenclature, AVLS provides a potent response.