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January 5, 2010 President's Message Dear Colleagues: Happy New Year—2010 promises to be an eventful year for all those committed to fighting kidney disease, and ASN continues to lead this fight on a variety of fronts. Of tremendous importance to kidney professionals in the upcoming year are the proposed changes to caring for patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). In September 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the ESRD Bundling Proposed Rule, marking one of the most significant adjustments to Medicare payment in the program's history. On behalf of ASN members, ASN Director of Public Policy Paul Smedberg in October 2009 presented comments on the Proposed Rule at a CMS town hall meeting; these comments were very well received, and I encourage you to read them. ASN also convened the ESRD Task Force. Task force members analyzed the 547-page CMS document and prepared a thoughtful response that focused on patient care, the patient-physician relationship, and physician autonomy. Read this letter on the ASN web site. ASN continues its strong advocacy on behalf of kidney physicians and patient care, and will keep members informed of the actions the society takes to influence policy decisions and support improved kidney care. In December 2009 Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA and ranking minority member of the US Senate Finance Committee) wrote to 33 nonprofit medical groups—among them the ASN, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Physicians—to request information on industry funding as part of his ongoing review of US medical education. ASN leaders were pleased to submit the information requested and share with the Senate Finance Committee the society's longstanding commitment to educational and scientific integrity in its programs and its interactions with other organizations. ASN adheres to commercial support standards recommended by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) that ensure independence and objectivity of ASN programs. In addition, ASN regularly examines and updates its own policies on managing potential conflicts. Most recently, ASN in 2008 convened the Committee on Corporate Relations. This group's final report, unanimously approved by ASN Council members, resulted in a number of advances including the new section on the ASN website the ASN Conflict of Interest Initiative: Transparency in Relationships with Commercial Interests, and publications in JASN outlining ASN policies and plans for implementing the recommendations (J Amer Soc Nephrol 20:1853-59 and 1860-62). ASN values inquiries such as those conducted by Senator Grassley, and supports all efforts that promote effective conflict management policies such as those available here. This year marks the last full year of the term of William M. Bennett, MD, FASN, founding Editor-in-Chief of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). We are all tremendously grateful to Dr. Bennett and his team for the dedication, creativity, commitment and rigor they have directed to launching this journal and creating such notable success, reflected most recently by the increase in impact factor (from 2.236 to 4.361). The Call for Applications for the CJASN editor position is found below and on the ASN website. Finally, with the new year, ASN launches a new logo. Please read below about the development process and philosophy behind the new logo, designed to reflect the active commitment of ASN members to leading the fight against kidney disease, and the evolving role of ASN in the global kidney community. I look forward to working with ASN members and others in the kidney community in the coming year. Sharon Anderson, MD, FASN President, American Society of Nephrology 
Renal WeekEnds 2010 Expert faculty summarize, critique, and integrate key lectures, symposia, and abstract presentations from ASN Renal Week 2009. ASN Renal WeekEnds 2010 are coming to a city near you:
Program information is available on the ASN website. 
ASN Unveils New Logo ASN members dedicate countless hours and myriad talents to improving the lives of millions of patients worldwide who live with kidney disease. Since the society's inception in 1966, ASN leaders and staff have supported this dedication by advancing professional education, advocating for nephrologists and the patients they serve, and promoting ever higher standards of care for patients. In 2008, ASN leaders hired a leading health care communications firm, GYMR, to survey members, staff, external partners, and other stakeholders to better understand how the society is perceived by kidney professionals. Responses to a 52-question survey and numerous interviews were very consistent: ASN was considered the premier professional society supporting intellectually rigorous kidney education and research, was regarded as a successful and highly credible organization, and was known for holding the world's most essential scientific meeting focused on kidney disease (ASN Renal Week). Many respondents, however, were unaware of how active a role ASN plays in addressing current concerns in kidney disease and policy. Society leaders recognized that if ASN is to continue to build on its work advancing health care and science, the society must more accurately reflect the strength and energy that members and leaders bring to improving all aspects of kidney health. To highlight ASN's role in promoting improvements in clinical care, research, education, and health care policy, ASN leaders began to evaluate how the society presents its goals, agendas, and achievements. ASN contracted with a leading design firm, Informatics, to develop a new logo and visual identity. Leaders agreed that the logo and identity should embody ASN's active role in the kidney community. The society tagline, "Leading the fight against kidney disease," introduced in 2009, recognizes the effort, passion, and results that ASN members bring to addressing health care challenges. Leaders and staff continue to highlight the dynamic role ASN and its members play in educating professionals, shaping policy, extending key partnerships, and advocating for the best in kidney care. As part of this ongoing effort, ASN introduced a new logo on January 1, 2010, that reflects the creativity, strength, and dedication that has always marked the achievements of ASN and its members. This logo will serve as a tangible symbol of ASN's commitment to leading the fight against kidney disease as well as to improving lives through patient care, research, and education. 
Renew Your ASN Membership Online ASN thanks its members for supporting the Society in 2009 and for helping to lead the fight against kidney disease. ASN membership is based on the calendar year (January 1 to December 31). Please follow these instructions to renew ASN membership:
The "grace period" for membership renewal ends Monday, February 1, 2010. Failure to renew membership by this deadline will result in disruption of member services, including journal delivery, online access, and membership discounts. Members can visit www.asn-online.org/help for assistance. CJASN Editor-in-Chief Position The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) seeks candidates for the position of editor-in-chief of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). CJASN is a monthly, peer reviewed journal dedicated to advancing the practice of kidney disease treatment worldwide by reporting novel and rigorous clinical research. Candidates should be ASN members who possess wide knowledge of and broad experience in clinical nephrology, as well as distinguished records of scholarly contributions. Candidates should also possess strong leadership qualities, intellectual vision, organizational abilities, and experience relevant to editing a leading medical journal. The term will start January 1, 2011, and continue for a six-year non-renewable term. The editor's primary responsibility is to continue to enhance the journal's quality, reputation and scholarship, and extend CJASN's contribution to ASN continuing its mission of leading the fight against kidney disease. The editor should be prepared to build on current achievements, strengthen the journal's competitive position, and develop editorial initiatives that generate content representative of the full spectrum of high-quality work conducted worldwide in clinical nephrology. The Editor should also assure that the journal's activities are carried out in a fiscally responsible manner. The editor oversees the CJASN submission and review process and is responsible for the content, quality, and timeliness of each issue of CJASN. The editor must maintain CJASN editorial policies and procedures and establish new policies and procedures as appropriate to reflect relevant changes in science, clinical practice and medical publishing. The editor recommends to the ASN Council a team of associate editors to help administer the peer review process, promote excellence in content, and advance editorial initiatives. The CJASN editor reports to the ASN Council through the ASN Publications Committee. Detailed information on duties and the process for applying for the editor-in-chief position is available at http://www.asn-online.org/news/2009/1209-cjasn-editor.aspx Letters of interest must be received by Monday, February 1, 2010, at 4:00 p.m. EST. Candidates selected for in person interviews will be interviewed in early April of 2010. ASN Awards Deadline The deadline for all ASN awards nominations is Friday, January 29, 2010. Nomination letters should be emailed to ASN Operations Coordinator Laura McCann at lmccann@asn-online.org. Please click on each award below to obtain additional information about the award.
Please visit the ASN Awards section of the ASN website for additional information about these awards. Apply for ASN Funding ASN Career Development Grants Career development grants provide young faculty funding to transition to an independent research career and promote successful application for independent national federal funding. The application deadline is Friday, January 29, at 4:00 p.m. EST. M. James Scherbenske Grants The M. James Scherbenske Grant provides bridge funding for investigators who lost R01 funding and are reapplying for an R01 grant. The application deadline is Friday, March 5, 2010, at 4:00 EST. ASN Student Scholar Grants The ASN Student Scholar Grant enables medical students with an interest in basic or clinical research to spend 10-52 weeks engaged in continuous full-time research. The application deadline is Friday, March 5, 2010, at 4:00 EST. Now Available Online IDNC Syllabus from Renal Week 2009 The ASN Renal Week 2009 In-Depth Nephrology Course (IDNC) syllabus books from are now available for purchase online. Available syllabus books:
Renal Biopsy CNC Case Solutions Cases, questions, and answers from the Renal Week 2009 "Renal Biopsy: Clinical Correlations" clinical nephrology conference (CNC) session are available on the ASN website. Access this educational material and see if your diagnoses were correct. |
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