The Clinical Center for Vascular Disease was established in November 1992. It is a model of patient care developed by G. Patrick Clagett, M.D., as an answer to effectively treat vascular disease. Vascular disease affects more than sixty-five million Americans annually. It is a progressive disease and, as such, requires a multidisciplinary approach.

The mission of the Clinical Center for Vascular Disease is to provide optimal treatment of vascular disease by intervention and management of the disease’s progress. This mission is met by encompassing three important considerations. First, providing a central location for patients to contact and have initial evaluations. Second, coordinating treatment through a multidisciplinary approach involving experts from surgery, radiology, orthopaedics, neurology, internal medicine (including diabetes and hematology), and physical medicine. Finally, providing for longitudinal follow-up and management of the patient’s vascular disease and co-morbid conditions.

Furthermore, to better serve the needs of vascular disease patients, both in and out of the hospital, a state-of-the-art noninvasive laboratory was established by the vascular services at the Clinical Center for Vascular Disease. The laboratory was among the first 658 vascular laboratories in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico to be granted accreditation by the lntersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) in 1993. Accreditation status signifies that the facility has been reviewed by an independent agency, which recognizes the laboratory’s commitment of high quality patient testing for cerebrovascular, peripheral, arterial, venous, and renal/visceral examinations. To date, the laboratory has maintained its high standards of care and received re-accreditation in 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2006.