Announcements

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• National Kidney Foundation 2009 Spring Clinical Meetings March 25-29, 2009 Gaylord Opryland Nashville, TN, USA
• Chronic Kidney Disease: National Clinical Guideline for the Early Identification and Management in Adults in Primary and Secondary Care
• NephCure Grant Program for Research on Nephrotic Syndrome and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and Other Causes of Nephrotic Syndrome
• ESRD: State of the Art and Charting the Challenges for the Future

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National Kidney Foundation 2009 Spring Clinical Meetings March 25-29, 2009 Gaylord Opryland Nashville, TN, USA 

The National Kidney Foundation 2009 Spring Clinical Meetings (SCM09) presents a unique opportunity for front line kidney health care providers to learn new developments related to the care of patients covering the entire spectrum of kidney disease. The meeting is specially designed for nephrologists in the private sector and academia as well as fellows and residents with a special interest in kidney disease, general internists, pharmacists, and advanced practitioners.

An important objective of SCM09 is to present the very latest developments in clinical nephrology. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about and discuss new and evolving concepts related to kidney disease through a carefully designed combination of challenging courses, practical workshops, thought-provoking symposia, insightful debates, and formal and informal interactions with an internationally renowned faculty.

Up-to-date meeting information, including specialized programs for nurses and technicians, renal and clinical dietitians, and nephrology social workers, may be found at www.nkfclinicalmeetings.org.

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Chronic Kidney Disease: National Clinical Guideline for the Early Identification and Management in Adults in Primary and Secondary Care 

The National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions (NCC-CC), a collaborative, multiprofessional center undertaking commissions to develop clinical guidance for the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales, has developed a guideline focused on the early detection and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The guideline recommendations cover many aspects of the identification and management of CKD in primary and secondary care, including classification of CKD, risk factors associated with progression, referral criteria, blood pressure control recommendations, and information on specific complications of CKD such as anemia. The guideline has been published by the Royal College of Physicians (London). More information, including ordering details and access to a downloadable electronic version, can be found by visiting www.rcplondon.ac.uk/pubs/brochure.aspx?e=257, emailing publications@rcplondon.ac.uk, or calling + 44 20 7935 1174 ext 358.

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NephCure Grant Program for Research on Nephrotic Syndrome and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and Other Causes of Nephrotic Syndrome 

In 2008 the NephCure Foundation announced the intent to support basic, translational, and clinical science research initiatives to understand the cause, or to identify treatments and/or the cure for FSGS and other diseases that result in nephrotic syndrome. Over 30% of protocols received were awarded, with funding totaling over 2 million dollars.

The NephCure Foundation is pleased to announce the renewal of this grant program. Applications will be accepted for postdoctoral fellowships, career development awards, and to support established investigators undertaking new investigative directions. The application deadline is December 17, 2008 for grants that will commence July 1, 2009. A full description of this program, as well as application instructions, is available at www.nephcure.org/grants.html.

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ESRD: State of the Art and Charting the Challenges for the Future 

The “ESRD: State of the Art and Charting the Challenges for the Future” conference will be held in the Sheraton Boston Hotel and Towers, Boston, MA, from Thursday, April 23 to Sunday, April 26, 2009.

This international, world-class conference, a twentieth anniversary follow up to the 1989 Dallas Morbidity and Mortality Conference, will review and examine progress achieved, the current knowledge of ESRD, and medical and nonmedical determinants of outcomes, with the goal of how to enhance future care. The program, developed by an international steering committee and co-chaired by Drs Theodore Steinman and Thomas Parker, will critically dissect factors that determine patient care, going beyond the usual quality measures. Internationally prominent keynote speakers will explore the role of government in ESRD care and the direction of health care in America. This provocative meeting is endorsed by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), American Society of Nephrology (ASN), European Renal Association–European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA), International Society of Nephrology (ISN), and the Renal Physicians Association (RPA).

More information regarding the program and registration is available at www.cme.hms.harvard.edu/courses/ESRD.