 |
||||
| 2007 JASN IMPACT FACTOR 7.111 | HOME AUTHOR INFO EDITORIAL BOARD SUBSCRIBE FEEDBACK ALERTS HELP | |||
| CURRENT ISSUE | ARCHIVES | JASN Express | ONLINE SUBMISSION | |
|
||||
| 2007 JASN IMPACT FACTOR 7.111 | HOME AUTHOR INFO EDITORIAL BOARD SUBSCRIBE FEEDBACK ALERTS HELP | |||
| CURRENT ISSUE | ARCHIVES | JASN Express | ONLINE SUBMISSION | |
The ASN’s first Regional Meetings, held in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, were well attended, and participants consistently rated the presentations as "outstanding"! Congratulations to the organizers and to our entire excellent, hard-working faculty!
Public Policy Updates
ASN Joins Effort to Make Public Health Funding a National Priority
The ASN has joined with other major health organizations to fight threatened budget shortfalls in critical health programs and to make funding for our nation’s health programs a top priority for federal policy makers. The campaign, which was launched in January 2004, seeks to increase the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 budget allocation for health programs (known as Function 550). Programs in Function 550 are directed by federal agencies dedicated to preventing disease, advancing medical knowledge, delivering key healthcare services, ensuring food safety, and training a diverse health and public health workforce.
The goal of the campaign is to develop a single, unified message that organizations could carry to Capitol Hill. Working with the Coalition for Health Funding, it was determined that a 12% increase in Function 550 is necessary in FY 2005 to adequately fund critical health programs and improve the health, safety, and security of the nation.
In the era of tight federal budgets, ASN recognizes the need to convince policymakers to increase the allocation for Function 550 in the Federal Budget. Otherwise, FY 2005 budget allocations will leave congressional appropriators with limited options for funding critical biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health that leads to scientific discovery and improves the health of the nation, particularly for those individuals with chronic diseases such as kidney disease. ASN is also concerned about funding for programs that seek to eliminate health disparities that disproportionately affect certain racial, ethnic, and rural populations that have a higher rate of kidney disease.
The health of all Americans is at risk from an unprecedented range of threats, including chronic diseases and a shortage of healthcare providers and trained public health workers. Our nation’s public health system will not be able to respond adequately to these threats and to kidney disease without additional resources for the continuum of medical research, prevention, treatment, and training programs.
NIH Funding
Adequate funding for the National Institutes of Health, specifically for the National Institutes for Diseases & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), is a key policy priority for the Society. NIH funding in FY 2005 is critical in light of the 3.1% increase in NIH funding for FY 2004.
In January, ASN joined with the health community to strongly urge the Senate to adopt the conference report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2673), which finalized funding levels for 13 federal departments for FY 2004. The House passed the report in December 2003. Despite the disappointing final result for NIH in the conference agreement, the ASN believed it was important that the health community support passage of the measure to provide the additional funds to NIH because the alternative to passage of the omnibus could be a yearlong Continuing Resolution at FY 2003 levels.
For NIH, the conference report includes $27.983 billion, an increase of $1 billion (3.7%) over FY 2003. However, the conference report includes a 0.59 % across-the-board cut, which reduces the NIH budget to $27.818 billion, an increase of $835 million (3.1%). This amount will be reduced further by the transfer of $150 million from the NIH for the Global HIV/AIDS fund and a 2.2% departmental evaluation transfer ‘tap’.
ASN Joins the Ad-Hoc Group for Medical Research Executive Committee
The ASN’s Director of Policy & Public Affairs, Paul Smedberg, is now a member of the Executive Committee of the Ad-Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding. ASN joins 20 other leading medical and scientific organizations on the executive committee, including the Association of American Medical Colleges, Research!America, Association of American Universities, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, American Heart Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and American Academy of Pediatrics.
The executive committee members develop NIH funding proposals, participate in annual meetings with the NIH directors, organize policy briefings for key congressional and committee staff, and develop, coordinate, and implement the Group’s advocacy strategy. ASN’s participation on the committee will also provide the opportunity to highlight kidney disease research. The Ad-Hoc Group has one mission: to enhance the federal investment in biomedical, behavioral, and population-based research by increasing the funding for the National Institutes of health. The Ad-Hoc Group is a coalition of more than 300 patient and voluntary health groups, medical and scientific societies, academic and research organizations, and industry.
ASN Moves to Self-Publication of JASN and NephSAP
The ASN Council voted in November 2003 to not extend its current contract with Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins (LWW) when it expires at the end of this calendar year. Instead, the Society will assume full responsibility for the publication of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and NephSAP. The advantages of self-publication include greater flexibility and control over all aspects of production of JASN, NephSAP, and other printed materials that the Society chooses to publish and print in the future.
The first self-published issue of JASN and NephSAP will appear in January 2005. ASN’s new publications staff is working closely with the ASN Publications Committee, chaired by Norman Siegel, as well as with Bill Couser and the JASN editorial staff and with Dick Glassock and the NephSAP editorial staff, to ensure a smooth transition. The commercial publisher, LWW, continues to provide full support to ASN publications through this transition process, and has pledged its full cooperation with ASN staff as we work through the thousands of details that are associated with this complex transition. Thanks to LWW for an outstanding publishing relationship for all these years!
ASN Welcomes New Publications Staff!
ASN’s entrée to self-publication began in January 2004 with the hiring and welcoming of two key staff. Joanna Matthews joined the ASN as the Director of Publications. In this role, Joanna assumes primary responsibility for managing all those details and tasks associated with bringing a publication (or two) away from a commercial publishing relationship to self-publication. Her initial tasks were focused on formulating recommendations to Council for key vendor relationships, such as a commercial printer.
Joanna brings 27 years of publishing experience to the ASN. She has extensive experience in publication management, most recently with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, where she launched The Journal of Vision, an online-only journal serving a specialized section of the association’s membership. Joanna also launched and designed the website for the online submission, peer review, and tracking of manuscripts in her previous position. Finally, she has extensive experience in authoring Requests for Proposals and negotiating contracts with print vendors, advertising companies, and other vendors.
Bob Henkel has joined the ASN as Operations Manager, Publications and comes to the ASN with lots of publishing experience for non-profit associations. With experience in both online and print publishing, Bob also brings his quick wit and imagination to the ASN publications area. In his most recent previous position, Bob developed and reviewed systems and procedures in preparation for transition from commercial to self-publishing of the house journal, and ASN is grateful for his veteran experience in managing a similar transition.
Pleases join the ASN in welcoming Joanna and Bob to our staff!!
Awards Nominations Deadlines – Right Around the Corner!
There is precious little time for ASN members to still submit their nominations for ASN’s prestigious awards. The deadline was extended to March 8th to allow everyone ample opportunity to enter names into nomination. You have only days to get those names in! As most of you know, the ASN recognizes awardees during Renal Week. For additional details on ASN awards, the criteria for award eligibility, and the names of past award winners, visit the ASN web site at www.asn-online.org and click on the AWARDS tab on the left.
Call for Nominations: Council 2004 Elections
By now, you should have all received the Call for Nominations for the Councilor to be elected later this year. Nominations should be forwarded to the ASN offices by sending an e-mail message to Neysa Matthews at mailto:nmatthews{at}asn-online.org, or you may send names of nominees to Norman Siegel, the Chairman of this year’s Nominating Committee. The deadline is approaching, so submit your nominations now.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
HOME
CURRENT ISSUE
ARCHIVES
JASN Express
ONLINE SUBMISSION
AUTHOR INFO
EDITORIAL BOARD SUBSCRIBE FEEDBACK ALERTS HELP |
