President's Message

Currently, our Society is focusing on two issues: planning the program for Renal Week 2004 and our upcoming Board of Advisors (BOA) meeting. The 2004 program will undergo a final review by the ASN Council later this month. A final review prompts me to remind you that Renal Week 2004 will be held in St. Louis from October 27- November 1, 2004. The other major topic is the second meeting of the ASN Board of Advisors and the Council later in April. The Board of Advisors will review the current status of ASN programs and suggest a means of improving them. For details on ASN's Board of Advisors Meeting, please see the right-hand column article of the same name.

Another key topic of my message this month is a reminder that the deadline for submitting your ASN 2004 abstracts is Wednesday, June 9, 2004. Abstracts may only be submitted electronically, and the abstract submission site can be accessed by clicking here. To submit an abstract, your 2004 membership dues must be paid! If you haven't received your April JASN, the most likely reason is that we haven't received your ASN membership dues for 2004. To renew your membership for 2004, please click here, complete the PDF form and fax it to 202-659-0709.

Besides planning the 2004 Renal Week and the Board of Advisors meeting, the ASN is currently involved in several important programs. The ASN continues to work on a “white paper” to submit to CMS about the care of dialysis patients and CMS payments. This document is being prepared by the Dialysis Advisory Committee and the Policy and Public Affairs Committee. We also are working to form a closer relationship with colleagues from Central America, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Our plan is to create a one-month “mini-fellowship” for a young colleague to visit a Nephrology Division in the U.S./Canada followed by attendance at Renal Week. The Program will be supported by a joint grant from the ASN and the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nefrologia y Hipertension (SLANH). Another important activity is the beginning of a Research Endowment Fund to support the ASN research grants. We plan for the ASN membership to be actively involved in all of our programs.

Involvement in these programs starts with members becoming more involved in ASN's Committees. New members of these Committees are needed, and I ask you to nominate a colleague for membership on an ASN standing committee or advisory group. Your nomination must be submitted no later than Friday, May 21, 2004. Please visit the ASN website for information about each ASN committee and advisory group. Please forward your nominations with a current CV of the nominee to Karen L. Campbell, Ph.D., ASN Executive Director (this can be done expeditiously via email to kcampbell@asn-online.org. Nominations can also be faxed to 202-659-0709 or mailed to 1725 I Street, NW, Suite 510; Washington, DC 20006. Remember, the deadline is May 21, 2004.

As always, please feel free to email me your thoughts on how we can better serve the needs of ASN members.

Sincerely yours,

William E. Mitch, MD
President, American Society of Nephrology