Empowering the Renal Professional to Meet Change and Challenges
in Patient Care Today

On Thursday, June 10, 2010, nearly 200 allied renal professionals attended Empowering the Renal Professional to Meet Change and Challenges in Patient Care Today at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, NY. This conference, intended for renal administrators, nurses, social workers, transplant coordinators, dietitians, technicians, and allied health professionals who care for the adult or pediatric renal and transplant patient, was put together by KUFA and a multidisciplinary planning committee of 30 renal healthcare professionals. Erin Lauinger, Pediatric Social Worker from Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and Aaron Battle, Patient Services Coordinator at IPRO ESRD Network of New York, served as Co-Chairs and program moderators.

Leading authorities on the allied renal healthcare team, physicians, researchers, policy experts, and other thought leaders were called upon to present the latest information on best practices in renal care and to provide tools to empower the renal and transplant healthcare professional on the front- line of patient care today.

Speakers included:

Debra Smith, CMS Regional 2 ESRD Coordinator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

L. Ebony Boulware, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD

Carol Lyden, RN, BSN, MS, CNN, Assistant Director, IPRO/ESRD Network of New York, Lake Success, NY

Mark Rolston, BSc, CNBT, CNCT, CWS, Corporate Director of Water Systems & Technical Initiatives, Fresenius Medical Care-North America, Brentwood, TN

David Scott III, MD, CEO/Research Director, Clinical Research Development Associates, Springfield Gardens, NY

Leslie Clogston, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY

Lauren Graf, MS, RD, Pediatric Renal Dietitian, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY

Ojas Mehta, DO, FASN Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine and UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School New Brunswick, NJ

Mary Amanda Dew, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA

Michael E. Shapiro, MD, FACS, Chief, Organ Transplantation and Interim Chair, Department of Surgery, Hackensack University Medical Center Hackensack, NJ; Associate Professor of Surgery, New Jersey Medical School/UMDNJ, New Brunswick, NJ; Chair, OPTN/UNOS Ethics Committee

Kwaku Marfo, PharmD, BCPS, Clinical Pharmacy Manager – Solid Organ Transplantation, The Montefiore-Einstein Transplant Center; Clinical Instructor of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY

Marian Charlton, RN, CCTC, Chief Transplant Coordinator, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY

Maggie Hoffman, Executive Director, Project DOCC – Delivery of Chronic Care, Manhasset, NY

Continuing education credits were offered for nurses, social workers, dietitians, transplant coordinators and technicians.

This activity was supported by an educational donation provided by Amgen, an educational grant from Genzyme, and funding from American Access Care, Novartis, and a new educational partner: Pentec Health.