ASN NEWS

Get Involved!
By now, all of you have received an ASN Committee Call for Nominations. This represents an opportunity for
you to either indicate your own interest in serving on an ASN standing committee or advisory group or
nominate another ASN member for committee participation. Much of the work of ASN is accomplished
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through the energetic activity and input of committees, so this is a way for YOU to become involved in future
planning and decisions that will influence the effectiveness and quality of membership services offered to all
ASN members.
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The ASN web site offers information about each of the ASN committees and advisory groups, including
current members, the committee’s charge, membership criteria, and terms of appointments. Committee
membership becomes effective with each year’s Annual Meeting. In addition, there is a Council and a staff
liaison listed for each committee. These are people who can be contacted for additional information or
clarification on committee activities and responsibilities.

Committees for which ASN is seeking new members include:

Awards Committee. This committee reviews nominations for the Peters and Scribner awards and presents the three
top-ordered candidates for each award to the ASN Council.
Finance Committee. The charge to the Finance Committee is to advise the Council on investment policy and performance.
The committee meets at regular intervals and reviews the following: (1) overall investment policy; (2) the level of reserve funds
with reference to annual Society expenses; (3) the performance and investment strategies of individual fund managers; (4) the
distribution of funds between investment managers.
Basic Science Committee. This committee is responsible for: (1) developing basic science educational programs, such as
ASN’s Advances in Basic Science Conference; (2) recommending to Council initiatives that will enhance the activities of basic
scientists in the Society; (3) interacting with the Postgraduate Education Committee in educational activities in basic science; and
(4) responding to special requests by the ASN Council in areas related to basic science in nephrology.
Clinical Science Committee. This Committee is responsible for: (1) providing input to the Program Committee and the
Postgraduate Education Committee on the content of various programs and curricula related to clinical epidemiology, clinical
trials, and outcomes research; (2) advising Council on the creation of ASN-sponsored clinical research awards; (3) promoting and
publicizing the accomplishments of existing clinical trial groups, registries, and large-scale observational studies; and (4)
advising Council on research methods and strategies useful to answering significant clinical questions related to renal research.
Transplant Advisory Committee. The Transplant Advisory Committee is responsible for: (1) consulting with the ASN in
its thinking about transplantation at multiple levels, including advocacy, government relations, and interactions with other
societies/foundations—particularly transplant societies/foundations; (2) formalizing the process in relation to joint educational
and programmatic activities; (3) establishing liaison committees such as the transplant training committee and others; and (4)
establishing jointly sponsored research and fellowship grants.
Clinical Practice Committee. This joint ASN-RPA committee is responsible for: (1) recommending new areas to pursue in
the clinical practice area; (2) monitoring and developing policy as needed on nephrology work force issues; (3) monitoring
technological advancements and their impact on delivery of care; (4) defining and promoting the role of nephrologists as principal
providers of care for pre-ESRD and ESRD patients.
Physician Accountability Committee. This is another joint ASN-RPA committee. It is responsible for: (1) developing
policy on clinical practice guidelines; (2) developing a proposal for programs in the area of physician accountability that the RPA
Board should consider implementing; (3) developing implementation strategies for physician performance measures; (4)
reviewing and revising as necessary RPA’s current policies on credentialing and scope of practice issues, evaluating the need for
revisions with the advent of nephrologist performance of ultrasound, interventional access procedures, etc.
Again, please think carefully about your interest in serving on any of the above groups and respond to the Call.

Important Dates
The deadline for electronic submission of abstracts is rapidly approaching. The Call for Abstracts was mailed in
February, and the due date for electronic submissions is May 8th.
 Make your plans NOW to attend the ASN Official Board Review Course, which has been moved back to the
popular San Francisco area this year. The BRC is scheduled for August 24th–30th to allow course participants
the option of adding a few days to just relax and enjoy all that San Francisco has to offer immediately after the
course and over the Labor Day weekend.

Finally, Richard Glassock and his talented associate editors have put the finishing touches on the first issue of
NephSAP, which will be distributed along with your copy of JASN in July of this year. This bimonthly
publication is being provided at no additional charge to ASN members. In addition, those who choose to use
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these review and study materials, submitting answers to the 25 questions associated with each issue’s topic, will
be eligible for CMEs.
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Congressional Resolution Proposed for Kidney Disease

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) is planning to introduce a concurrent resolution calling for
increased awareness in kidney disease education, treatment, research, and prevention. As you may recall,
Congressman Cummings has been a strong supporter of increased federal funds for kidney disease research and
has been the lead Democratic co-sponsor of the Congressional Kidney Health Fair for the last two years.

Clinical Trials Cooperative Meeting held in Washington, DC

On March 7 and 8, 2002, ASN, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), conducted a productive two-day meeting in Washington DC to discuss the
structure and scope of various models to enhance the operation of clinical trials for kidney disease. These
concepts ranged from implementation of a full-scale kidney cooperative group to a more focused system
modeled on existing NIH networks of universities devoted to the study of specific research initiatives. About
fifty nephrologists from around the nation participated in the meeting. This meeting was the culmination of a
year-long effort by ASN Government Relations, which included House and Senate approval of report language
in the FY ’02 Appropriations bill that encouraged NIDDK to take the necessary steps to plan and implement a
new system for kidney disease clinical trials.

ASN Expresses Concern over New Proposal for Vitamin D Therapy

In a letter to the medical director of AdminaStar, ASN expressed concern with the carrier’s proposed
restrictions on Vitamin D therapy for patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Dr. Roland Blantz, ASN
President, wrote, “we are deeply concerned and unable to support a policy which suggests that nephrologists
must administer either an oral Vitamin D medication which has been virtually abandoned by the renal
community due to its lack of effectiveness or an older and/or less effective form of intravenous medication.” As
a result of the volume of concern expressed about the proposed restrictions, the policy appears to have been put
“on hold” indefinitely. To read the entire letter, go to the ASN web site at
http://www.asn-online.org/government/vitamind.cfm.

Life Options Web Site Adds Chronic Kidney Disease Information

The Life Options Rehabilitation Program has added a new section on chronic kidney disease (CKD) information
to its web site, www.lifeoptions.org. Now in its 10th year, Life Options is expanding its focus to encompass
CKD, or predialysis. The new ‘Kidney Disease Info’ link offers information about risk factors for kidney disease,
symptoms, lab test values, patient quotes, answers to frequently asked questions, and action steps.

Administration: Budget for FY ’03

The President’s budget for FY’03 included a proposed funding level of $27.2 billion for the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), a 15.7% increase over FY 02. While this amount is consistent with the current 5-year effort
to double the NIH budget, it is important to note that there are significant earmarks, or set-asides, included
within this macro number that do not portend large increases for all of these respective institutes at NIH.
 Under the President’s budget, for example, NIDDK would receive $1.7 billion, or a 9.4% increase. ASN will
continue to fight this year to secure an appropriate increase for NIDDK that reflects the intent to double the
budget by 2003.

ASN Staff Spotted Wearing Hard-Hats!

ASN staff are watching with great anticipation the progress being made on construction of the new ASN
headquarters in Washington DC. It is anticipated that the staff will be moving to their new facilities in late
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June. The headquarters will be located in the Farragut Center in the heart of DC, about six blocks from the
White House.

Computers and network servers, along with a new telephone system, will be installed on or about June 17th,
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with furniture scheduled to arrive later that week. In the meantime, staff are busily converting data systems
over to new software to ensure that this move is seamless from a member perspective and that it doesn’t
interrupt services and communication with members. Watch for our “We’re Moving!!” announcement, coming
soon and listing our new address and phone numbers.

New Association Management Software

One of the exciting decisions that ASN Council and staff made recently was the selection of new (and VERY
sophisticated) association management software, which will replace our current membership database. This
new software, which includes an e-commerce set of modules, will allow ASN and its members to communicate
and transact business more efficiently and effectively using the internet. Other modules are designed to support
(1) committee interactions and communications, (2) maintenance of our speaker databases, and (3) monitoring
and tracking of CME activities and awarding of CME credits. In addition, this new software will allow
individual members, through a secret login name and password, to access to their own membership history and
update their membership file on-line. It will also become possible for ASN to electronically invoice members
for annual dues and purchases of syllabus materials and tapes (complete with a little “shopping cart”!!). As
payments are processed electronically, individuals will receive e-mail notification that their transaction is
complete, including a confirmation number and receipt.

Work has already begun to appropriately configure this software to ASN’s specific needs, and we look forward
to beginning to communicate with and serve our members with this new set of tools.

Videotape on CRI
ASN’s new “video stars” are close to the official release of the ASN videotape on early renal disease, produced
by Pat Summerall Productions. As you may recall, six ASN members—Roland Blantz, Bill McClellan, John
Sedor, Bill Keane, Josef Coresh, and Tom Hostetter—participated in a one-day videotaping session to discuss
various aspects of CRI. The final script and associated graphics and visuals have been approved, and we are
anxiously awaiting the final product, which will be used to raise public awareness of the dangers of early kidney
disease and the need for early detection. The video will also be viewable via the internet . . . more details to
come.