ASN News

New Advisory Committees are Formed

At its most recent meeting, ASN Council voted to form two new advisory committees. The first of these is the Hypertension Advisory Group, which will be chaired by Stu Linas. Hypertension is clearly identified with a number of specialty areas within internal medicine, including cardiology, endocrinology, and clinical pharmacology. Nevertheless, the kidney plays a central role in most forms of hypertension, and the disorder is an integral part of the everyday practice of clinical nephrology. For these reasons, the Council felt that it was important to more directly engage those ASN members with a primary interest in hypertension and its treatment in a variety of ASN activities.

It is anticipated that the Hypertension Advisory Group, already affectionately shortened to the unfortunate acronym “HAG,” will have a number of important roles, including:

Advising Council on matters dealing with hypertension, including advocacy discussions on Capitol Hill, formulation of responses to emerging scientific and clinical information to which the ASN should respond publicly and quickly, and identification of areas of potential research interest.
Developing position papers, editorial reviews, and articles related to hypertension.
Working in collaboration with the PGE Committee and Bob Narins to organize the annual two-day PGE course on hypertension that is offered in conjunction with Renal Week and providing suggestions for topics and speakers for other ASN educational activities, such as the Board Review Course.
Acting in a liaison relationship with other ASN standing committees, such as the Clinical Science Committee.

The second advisory group is the Acute Renal Failure Advisory Group, which will be initially chaired by Sudhir Shah. Again, a substantial number of ASN members have a primary interest in acute 2renal failure, and ASN Council wanted this group within the ASN membership to have a defined vehicle for input into ASN activities. On recommendation of Council, the ASN President will appoint members to two- or three-year rotating terms on this committee.

It is envisioned that the Acute Renal Failure (ARF) Advisory Group will also have a broad range of responsibilities, such as:

Providing advice to Council concerning issues related to acute renal failure, including government relations and public policy issues, patient care, research initiatives, educational programs, and publications.
Assisting in the planning of a variety of PGE activities, including the Board Review Course and those held during Renal Week.
Sustaining relationships with other ASN committees and advisory groups, such as the Basic Science Committee, the Clinical Science Committee, and the Dialysis Advisory Group. There may also be opportunities to link to relevant committees of sister societies, such as the ISN.
Providing a focal group for members engaged in research related to acute renal failure and, when appropriate, developing special courses or meetings, publishing position papers, and advocating for sustained basic and clinical research in this important aspect of nephrology.

ASN Teams with Sister Societies

The ASN and five sister societies form the membership of the Council of American Kidney Societies (CAKS). Other member societies include National Kidney Foundation, Renal Physicians Association, American Society of Transplantation, American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, and the Polycystic Kidney Disease Research Foundation. The presidency of this alliance rotates among the various member societies. This year … as luck would have it … ASN’s President, Roland Blantz, is also serving as the President of CAKS. In this role, Roland has encouraged the member organizations to focus their activities on large issues of significance to all of the organizations. As such, four issues have been identified, and task forces have been assigned to each of the issues.

The first target area, grants provided by member societies, would collate grant information (criteria, award amount, application dates) and allow collated material to be viewable on a single site, perhaps ASN’s web site. The compilation of information would also allow societies to determine whether there are areas of duplication or, conversely, “holes” in the various offerings.
The second target area is chronic kidney disease, with a focus on the exploration of alternate care models and the use of physician extenders.
The third area is the “marketing” of chronic kidney disease and the best ways to educate the public and primary care physicians about the implications of this growing and “silent” disease.
The fourth group will focus on the appropriate role for CAKS interaction with NIH.

As these groups develop their plans and strategies, their progress will be reported … Stay tuned!

Speaking of the NIH…

While the member organizations that form CAKS are encouraged to formulate strategies and mechanisms to more effectively interact with the NIH, ASN has taken a leadership role in engaging decision-makers in NIDDK in a discussion about structural models that would facilitate cost-effective clinical trials. At a joint meeting in Washington, two days were devoted to the potential development of a clinical trials consortium for nephrology that would be similar to the models already developed for other medical specialties.

The suggested structure developed at this Washington meeting included a Coordinating Group with representatives from various subspecialties within nephrology plus bio-statistical support that would link to the NIH, oversee (possibly) a national registry, and relate to the individual member societies and institutions/centers that are conducting clinical trials. In this model, any group or institution could join by committing patients to a trial in which there is interest. Of importance is the fact that member groups, centers, and institutions would be reimbursed on the basis of the numbers of patients that are actually enrolled. In addition, any potential PI could approach the Coordinating Group with ideas about future trials, giving hospitals, institutions, and groups with small budgets a voice in the identification of trials. An issue, however, that requires further research is whether industry could approach investigators and institutions directly as products are developed or if a “buffer,” such as ASN or CAKS, would need to be used.

All agreed that the ASN should continue in a leadership role in this project to keep the process moving forward. It was also noted that the Coordinating Group will require a strong leader to be effective. The relationship of the Coordinating Group to NIDDK is currently undecided; however, it could be a part of the NIDDK structure or contracted out. Eric Neilson is writing the formal report, which will be reviewed by meeting participants and the ASN Council. The development of such a consortium is important to many ASN members; we will, therefore, keep you informed and part of the process as these discussions continue and as alternate models are developed and take shape.

ASN 35th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition

Be sure that the date for the upcoming Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition, October 30 to November 4, in Philadelphia is on your calendar! Paul Klotman and an extremely talented Program Committee have collaborated with Bob Narins and the PGE Committee to develop another outstanding program. “Free communications” have returned to the program, and the two committees worked closely to ensure that there is a clearer distinction between “new” content and the practice-related portions of the program, thus eliminating overlapping presentations within the program. The scientific portion of the program, the “new” content, is focused on cutting-edge and late-breaking scientific developments and new manuscripts.

Details on the program will be available soon, so watch for an announcement about the Online Registration Brochure as well as your copy of registration materials via snail mail.

PGE Activities

There are two other educationally related opportunities that are just around the corner. The ASN Official Board Review Course is again scheduled to take place in San Francisco from August 24 to August 30.This high-quality course is targeted at those who are preparing themselves to take the Board Certification Exam in Nephrology, those who are preparing for re-certification, and those who are looking for an all-inclusive update on clinical nephrology. Materials have been mailed, and deadlines for registration are approaching. The deadline for early registration is August 7^th.

You are also encouraged to visit the ASN web site for information on faculty, to view the daily schedule of presentations and workshops, and to download a registration form. Questions about the BRC and its content, format, and structure should be directed to the ASN Director of Post-Graduate Education, Bob Narins. Bob can be reached at the ASN offices by dialing 202-367-1190.

Bob has also been busy working with Dick Glassock and his editors on the first edition of NephSAP, the Nephrology Self-Assessment Program. The first issue of NephSAP will be mailed at no additional charge to all ASN members with their July issue of JASN. Issues will be produced on a bimonthly schedule, with the first 25 pages of each thematic issue critically summarizing the key publications that have appeared on the selected topic during the previous two to three years. Twenty-five carefully crafted short-answer questions will follow, and those readers who correctly answer 75% of these queries will receive CME credits from the ASN. The Society will return corrected answer sheets to the respondents along with essay-type replies that will identify why one choice was correct and why the other choices were not. Material from UpToDate (the very popular medical software package) relevant to the theme for any given month will be posted on the ASN web site and can be used to help answer the CME questions.

As the editor of NephSAP, Dick Glassock has been working with Bill Couser (editor of JASN) to coordinate each NephSAP with reviews and articles that are appearing in JASN. This “journal crosstalk” will supplement the clinical material reviewed in NephSAP with more in-depth discussions of physiology, pathophysiology, and biochemistry that are available in JASN, and the basic science in the latter will be translated into “patient-applicable” material in the former.

Remember that those who choose to study the materials and respond to the set of 25 questions will be eligible to receive CME credit. Watch for your July issues of JASN and NephSAP!!!!

3rd Annual Kidney Health Fair

The 3^rd Annual Kidney Health Fair will be held on June 26, 2002, in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Last year’s health fair garnered a total of 93 Senators and Representatives who served as cosponsors of the event in order to demonstrate their support for kidney disease education, prevention, and research and was attended by almost 250 members and staff. For more information about the 2001 Congressional Kidney Health Fair, go to http://www.asn-online.org/government/roundup/kidney_fair01_update.cfm

New Organ Transplantation Bill

On April 9, 2002, Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jay Inslee (D-WA) introduced the Floyd D. Spence Organ Coordination Improvement Act, H.R. 4086, which would authorize grants to carry out programs that improve recovery rates for organs in hospitals. The authors of the legislation wanted to pay tribute to the late Rep. Floyd Spence (R-SC), who passed away last year. He had been a recipient of a kidney transplant in 2000.

The legislation will significantly narrow the need-supply gap by assisting hospitals in carrying out programs to coordinate the activities of eligible hospitals that relate to seeking organ donations. These programs involve in-house coordinators whose duties include working with nurses, physicians, and residents to identify donors, closely managing and coordinating the consent process, and assisting organ procurement specialists in donor management. The bill would not modify current state guidelines relating to organ distribution, nor would it impede existing voluntary organ procurement efforts.

A recent press release from Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services, cited that 22,827 organs were transplanted in the year 2000 while over 76,000 individuals needed transplants. The release also stated that the need for organs for donation is growing at almost twice the rate as the supply.

The ASN Government Relations staff will continue to monitor the status of the bill and will update the membership periodically.

CBC Hearing on Racial and Ethnic Disparities

On Friday, April 12, 2002, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) held a hearing on the Status and Progress of the Department of Health Human Services Initiative on Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Disparities. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus as well as members of the Administration testified in response to the recently released Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report. Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA) stated, “the IOM report raised serious concerns about how African Americans are treated for kidney disease. It found that black Americans are less likely than white Americans to receive kidney dialysis or kidney transplants.”

The ASN Government Relations staff will continue to work with the CBC and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on kidney disease in the minority communities. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact the ASN Government Relations office at 202-367-1175. Thank you.

ASN Tries to Make Your Life a Little Easier!

In preparation for the move to the new ASN headquarters, ASN staff are putting the finishing touches on the primary database that serves as the foundation for all association management activities. This new modular and expandable database will allow ASN to offer its members some exciting new capabilities … features that should make your life as an ASN member somewhat less complicated.

First, the “e” components of this new software will allow individual members to electronically and confidentially access their member records and check those records for accuracy. If any of your demographic information has changed due to a change in position or a geographic move, you will now be able to view your record and input changes directly into the ASN database. We also hope to initiate electronic invoicing, complete with electronic confirmation and acknowledgment of your membership renewal, at the end of this year … no need to ask if we received your payment or to ask for a receipt; it will all be automatic.

This new software will also allow us to collect expanded and more useful information about our members and their interests so that newsworthy items and electronic newsletters can be targeted to constituencies within the ASN membership. The management system will simplify the work of committees, task forces, and advisory groups, and it will provide electronic calendaring and sharing of documents to reduce the time-intensive administrative hassles that are normally associated with working groups whose members are geographically dispersed.

To help you interface with this new system, you will soon be receiving an ASN membership ID card, which will include your Membership ID Number (needed to access the membership directory above). This ID number will also allow you to register in real time for the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia … another improvement over past systems. Finally, ASN has been listening; we now accept American Express!!

ASN Headquarters to Move in Only Two More Weeks

ASN moves to its new office and small-meeting space in approximately two weeks. In conjunction with your membership ID card, you will soon receive all the necessary up-to-date information about how to contact us, including new addresses, phone and fax numbers, etc. ASN staff are carefully planning this move to ensure that service to our membership is not interrupted, and the next couple of weeks will be focused on the installation of a new phone system, network servers, desktop computing equipment, and high-speed copiers. Post-punch list, we will also be taking delivery of new furniture and stocking supplies. Of course, we have some things to move, so we will be boxing up and moving all files and historical records to our new storage areas and library.

More on this important change to the management of the ASN later. In the meantime, if you are in the Washington DC area, we welcome you to stop by to visit us in our new home!