ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5 11

Northeast

Baltimore #101ANNA has developed a new way

for us to communicate. We have ourchapter Web site, www.baltimoreanna.com, which enables us to domass mailing. The national office alsohas put together a way for everyone toreceive an e-mail. You may havereceived your first such e-mail with anotification about the Fall AnnualConference in October. It will be thethird Tuesday of the month instead ofthe second Tuesday (which we havetraditionally done). We made thechange because of conflicts with othermeetings and to give everyone thechance to comfortably make each one.Tuesday, October 19, is the date of theconference, which will be held at theBest Western - Travel Plaza off I95.We have three simultaneous sessionsplanned this year: one for CNA-DTsas an update exclusively and a cannu-lation camp based on Fistula First.

The Fall Audio Conference enti-tled Common GastrointestinalComplaints from Patients with CKDwill be offered at 6:30 pm onNovember 2. If your unit would liketo host the event, please contact anyof the officers (see our Web site) andwe will be delighted to arrange this.

Lastly, the chapter executiveboard would love to hear from you.Elections are coming soon so pleaseconsider adding this title to yourrésumé. The team will gladly discusshow.

Colonial #103The Colonial and Mass Bay

Chapters co-hosted our annual meet-ing at the Mohegan Sun Casino inMay. The event was a great successwith 163 participants from 6 states.Please save May 19, 2011, for our2011 Annual Meeting to be held atthe Mohegan Sun Cabaret.

The chapter awarded its first$1,000 scholarship to a member whowas furthering her education innephrology. Congratulation to MaeJoy Falk! We will be sponsoring 2more scholarships next year. Checkout our Web site for details atwww.colonialchapter103.com.

Three Rivers #104We began our spring with a

Recognition Breakfast held atSheraton Station Square in the heartof Pittsburgh. Our chapter is proud torecognize the certified PCTs as a vitalpart of our dialysis team.Congratulations to all who haveworked diligently and have taken thisimportant step to become certified.The speaker, Dr. Walid Kassir, wassponsored by Genzyme.

Another meeting was held inMay at Children’s Hospital ofPittsburgh of UPMC. An inservicetitled PD Training for CHP FloorNurse focused on monitoring dialysispatients on the home choice cyclermachine at night. A combination ofpizza and good learning was had byall who attended.

We meet the first Thursday ofevery month. Our wish is that ifyou’re reading this article in the

update then you need to join us. Wecould use you! Our goal for this yearis to capture and put to use a handfulof new members. We need your inputand your talents. Your should havebeen with us during the last week inJuly when we spent a few days in thebeautiful green mountains of Ligonierat “Kidney Kamp.” Bob Kraynik ofDCI Dialysis is the lead person forthis event.

Every year children affected insome way by renal disease are offereda week at camp to spend time awayfrom their normal lives and have funalong with children with similarhealth problems. The kids swim,climb stone walls, soar high above thetrees, and just dance. It gives mepleasure just watching them. Wordscan’t express the fun Susan Carter,Nina Parrish, and Diane Dering hadat this year’s camp. Special thanks toPatti McCarney who gave the woodenpicture frames to each camper. StacyFisher made treat bags that were a hitwith the kids.

Plans are already being organizedto lengthen our time at camp byanother day. How could we not whenyou hear from the kids say “thankyou and please come back next year!”Why not join us? There is alwaysroom for one more.

The Renal Round Table is sched-uled for September 19. Join us for aweekend at Seven Springs.

Keystone #110Chapter officers hope all mem-

bers had a wonderful summer! Nowthat we are back in “back to school”mode, we would like to announce thetopics for our Fall Symposium to beheld November 5 at the Crown Plazaon Street Road in Bensalem. Co-chairsNida Quirong-Jones and CathyGallagher are pleased with the newformat allowing PCTs and RNs theirown breakout sessions mid sympo-sium. Topics for all include: CKD LifePlan, Compassionate Care, Infectionsin Dialysis Setting, and VascularAccess Interventions. RN topics arePD in the Home and PainManagement in CKD. PCTs will learnWho Is a Candidate for Home Dialysisand Assessments for PCT. We hope tosee you there!

Thanks to Michelle Gregg andthe American Access Care Center foroffering Advanced VascularInterventions by Dr. Louis Domenicoon June 17 at their South

Chapter Update

The Colonial and Mass Bay Chapters co-hosted their annual meeting at the MoheganSun Casino. The meeting featured excellent speakers and vendor displays, includingthis one from the National Kidney Foundation of Connecticut.

12 ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5

Philadelphia location. Attendees notonly enjoyed yummy hors d’oeuvresbut received 2.1 CNE credits as well.

On July 22 Health PolicyRepresentative Nida Quirong-Jones,President-Elect Laureen McClure, andJoan Nardeo Leake attended breakfastwith Senator. Bob Casey at the RussellSenate Building in Washington DC.They requested his support for $261million for FY11 budget for nursingworkforce initiatives. The next day aKDAE Week Proclamation from thePennsylvania House ofRepresentatives was presented to thechapter by Representative GeneDiGirolamo. In attendance werePresident Lisa Balk, President-ElectLaureen McClure, Health Policy

Representative Nida Quirong-Jones,Northeast Chapters Coordinator PaulaRichards, and Kim Rispo.

The chapter sponsored a $500donation to Courtney Smith for hermission to Wototo Village in Africa tocare for children orphaned as a resultof AIDS or war. A generous donationwas given to the Back to SchoolSupplies program at the AlbertEinstein Medical Center inPhiladelphia. This enables parentswith ESRD to purchase school sup-plies for their children.

The chapter will participate in aNational Kidney Foundation (NKF)Kidney Early Evaluation Program(KEEP) at the Enon TabernacleChurch on October 2 and join in the

annual NKF Kidney Walk at thePhiladelphia Zoo on October 4.

This summer Past President LisaBalk and former Secretary KarenRussell resumed their respective posi-tions. Remember to check your e-mails or log onto the ANNA Web siteand link to the Keystone Chapter forcurrent information or to contact achapter member. See you at the FallSymposium!

Northeast Tri-State #120The chapter, under the new

direction of President RobinNeumann and President-Elect MaryLou Wood, is busy readying for thefall educational program at TheGeorgian Resort in Lake George, NY.The all-day program will be held onSunday, October 24. Our spring pro-gram was held on a Sunday to see ifturnout would be better, and it was ahuge hit. We have many interesting,educational speakers lined up and itshould prove to be a worthwhilemeeting for everyone.

Long Island #122Our spring conference on May 6

was a great success with over 150attendees. The speakers were interest-ing and knowledgeable. We areextremely grateful to the corporationsthat have supported our educationalendeavors at each conference.

Scholarship awards were present-ed at the May conference to ShinyEaso, Chuma Egbuziem, LorraineHarte, and Karen Werner. We arepleased to offer these scholarships tonurses who are presently members ofour chapter and actively employed inthe dialysis arena. The scholarshipsare being offered again this year. Theapplication cycle begins February 1,2011, and ends April 30, 2011. Moreinformation concerning the scholar-ship application procedure is on ourWeb site at annali122.org (once at thesite select Education on the menu barto find the information needed for theapplication process). All recipientsremarked that it is indeed a help,especially with the financial increasein continuing one’s education.

Our Fall Conference is slated forNovember 9 at the Chateau Briandand features topics that are relevantfor today’s nurse: the ever-talked-about bundling and how to maintainpositive outcomes in these new sur-roundings; Medicare reimbursement;water treatment in dialysis; cancerand the renal transplant patient; whena patient is involuntarily dischargedfrom a dialysis unit; Conditions forCoverage Part 2; and something we allneed a little of, laughing for the healthof it. The speakers are dynamic and

Keystone chapter members received a KDAE Week Proclamation fromPennsylvania State Representative Gene DiGirolamo. Pictured (from left) areChapter President-Elect Laureen McClure, President Lisa Balk, Kim Rispo,Northeast Chapters Coordinator-Elect Paula Richards, RepresentativeDiGirolamo, and Health Policy Representative Nida Quirong-Jones.

Keystone chapter members enjoyed a breakfast meeting with Senator Robert Casey(PA-D). Pictured (from left) are Joan Leake, Senator Casey, Chapter Health PolicyRepresentative Nida Quirong-Jones, and President-Elect Laureen McClure.

ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5 13

informative. We hope to see you inNovember where we can all networkand rekindle friendships. If you haveany questions, please do not hesitateto call or e-mail Nancy Daye (516-680-0120, nandy4@optonline.net) or AnneMcKenna (631-981-4375, amcken01@yahoo.com). Visit our Web site atannali122.org to download the regis-tration form for the fall conference.

Garden State #125The chapter hosted a conference

on May 20 at the beautiful Breakerson the Ocean in Spring Lake Heights,NJ. The conference theme, News YouCan Use, included assorted topics onadequacy and hospice and watertreatment for hemodialysis. All ourpresenters were knowledgeable andinteresting. The presentations werevery informative, especially the hos-pice sessions. There was a very goodturnout, and prizes were awarded toindividuals who came the farthest.The chapter also introduced all thenew officers with a little biographyabout each.

Chapter President SandyMiholics audited the ANNA Board ofDirectors meeting in New York Cityon July 16. She brought some grass-roots opinions to the group, who wel-comed them.

A full-day seminar was heldAugust 19 at the Trump Marina inAtlantic City, NJ. Those of you whohave attended our yearly Atlantic Cityconference know that this is a won-derful conference and a great way toenjoy time with friends and also tonetwork.

Future plans include a Cruise onthe Cornucopia Princess onSeptember 19. Look for more informa-tion about this event on ANNAConnected. Please check ANNAConnected for our future plans andprograms.

Jersey North #126Our chapter executive committee

and educational committee are busyplanning educational activities for ourmembers. We will again be hostingthe ANNA Fall Audio Conference atfour sites and are planning otherinteresting programs. You can checkthem out at our Web site: www.anna-jerseynorth126.com.

Jersey North celebrated KDAEWeek by collaborating with theGarden State and Jersey SouthChapters to obtain a Joint LegislativeProclamation recognizing KDAEWeek in the state of New Jersey. Theproclamation was sponsored bySenator Paul Sarlo, and AssemblymenGary Schaer, and Fred Scalera of the36th District.

Our chapter once again spon-sored three campers at Frost ValleyYMCA camp in Claryville, NY.Chapter Secretary Marilyn Eilertvisited the camp and met some of thecampers who are part of the EvaGottscho Dialysis Program. She wasalso able to tour the dialysis facilitiesand meet the staff.

Chapter meetings continue to beheld once a month. All chapter mem-bers are invited to attend and help usplan activities. For more informationvisit our Web site at annajer-seynorth126.com or e-mail MarilynEilert at marilyneilert@aol.com.

Great Lakes #128The chapter is pleased to be able

to partner with IPRO to bring its pro-gram It’s Within Your Power toIncrease Fistula Rates to Rochester,NY, on October 5. We also will behosting the Fall Audio Conference atRochester General Hospital’s outpa-tient unit. Watch for flyers! For infor-mation regarding either program, con-tact President Debbie Ladue at 585-922-0360.

Associate member Patty Bergesonis recognized for her hard work inhelping raise funds for the NKF’sannual Kidney Walk. Last year, asteam leader for her unit, Patty led herteam to win the first ever “KidneyKup!” Patty is back at it again thisyear, endeavoring to include evenmore patients and staff. Thanks toPatty for her volunteerism and repre-senting what ANNA is all about.

Susquehanna Valley #130The chapter would like to intro-

duce our new officers: PresidentArlene Smith (ams4s@comcast.net),President-Elect Lori Mahaffey(lmahaffey@ncpdc.com), Secretaryand Health Policy Representative JanFardella (janfardella@hotmail.com),and Treasurer Sally Purosky(spurosky@gmail.com). We would likeany member to contact us to havemore meetings and get more activityin our chapter.

The Fall Audio Conference willbe held at two sites: at the new dialy-sis clinic for NCPDC in Lewisburg,PA, and in York, PA. Watch your e-mail and clinic’s educational offeringsfor more information.

Northern New England #131Chapter Secretary Mary Dyson

moved back to New Jersey in August.She will be near family and is veryexcited about her new job. Of course,she will continue to be active withANNA, only in a new chapter. Shecan still be reached atmmedyson@yahoo.com. She thanks

everyone in the chapter for greattimes and wonderful friends.

Jennifer Brussiere will be ournew secretary. Let’s wish her well!

We are planning our Fall RenalUpdate for November 7 inPortsmouth, NH, and are very excitedabout the program. Topics willinclude peritoneal dialysis, transplan-tation, ESAs, acute kidney injuries,AV access evaluation, palliative care,and the new HeRO access.

Jersey South #133We hope everyone enjoyed the

hottest summer in years. It is nowautumn, and we are ready to get backto work. Look for information onupcoming programs. We are workingon a “Day of Learning.” Our annualprogram with American Access Careof Cherry Hill, NJ, is tentativelyscheduled for October. Thanks toChristina Chui, Dr. Barzel, and theCherry Hill team for their continuedsupport.

We continue to contact membersvia e-mail. If your e-mail addresschanges, contact Joanne Carella atjcarella@libertydialysis.com. If youhave any suggestions for future pro-grams, please contact your officers.We look forward to seeing everyone atour upcoming programs.

Southeast

Cardinal #201Our chapter has been busy

preparing for the upcoming year inproviding our members with educa-tional opportunities and the ability tohave an active role. Through surveysour members have voiced the topicsthat they would like to see and howthey feel they can assist the chapter.This has been very helpful to our offi-cers. Membership is a very importantpart of any organization, and we hopeto see the chapters members grow innumbers.

Lawanda Poole, PCT advisor, hasbeen instrumental in the distributionof flyers that tell our story and theopportunities of ANNA membership.This will also be important to ourPCTs and meeting their educationalneeds.

Nephrology Nurses Week will becelebrated by awarding a nurse and aPCT awards for their contribution tonephrology nursing. The winners willbe nominated by chapter members.The topic for our educational eventwill be Diabetes. The meeting willagain be offered in several satellitelocations: Winston Salem, ChapelHill, Wilmington, and Fayetteville.This has proven time and again to be

14 ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5

very successful as it allows moremembers and nonmembers to attend.

Now is the time to start thinkingof the upcoming elections. Are youready to be an officer? Being a chapterofficer is a rewarding experience. Thepeople you meet at the national lead-ership workshop and the training thatis provided prepares you well foryour new role. The chapter has hadthe ability to send all our officers tothe workshop and the chapter hasbeen able to absorb the cost. I can sayfrom my own experience that I havegrown both professionally and per-sonally since becoming a chapter offi-cer. I was skeptical at first, but mymentor, Emily Arnold, made it all soeasy during the transition.

During KDAE Week and theweeks following the chapter pursueda strong campaign to help our state,local, and federal officials understandjust what we do and the effects thatlegislation has on our patients. Wehope that legislators develop a trueunderstanding of nephrology nursingand the needs of our patients.

Greater Charlotte #202The chapter is very excited about

the events we have planned. Wewould like to thank Novartis forsponsoring an educational dinnermeeting on September 16 duringNephrology Nurses Week. Thank youto all of our nurses and PCTs for allyou do for our patients each day.During Nephrology Nurses Week wewill give away an ANNA membershipas well as several other gifts.

Plans are being made for ourannual holiday fundraiser. Stay tunedfor more details.

Two chapter officers will attendthe Fall Meeting.

Health Policy RepresentativeEricka-Lee DeMaria has been veryactive with updating our members oncurrent health policies. She also invit-ed numerous local and state politicalleaders to visit local dialysis units,transplant centers, and inpatientnephrology units during KDAE Week.

Treasurer Cyndy Rape is workingin conjunction with our local Directorof Continuum of Care for RenalServices at Carolinas Medical Centeron a research grant proposal on “theeffect on a nurse-led self-managementprogram for adults with ESRD onhemodialysis related to quality of careand hospital readmissions.” Goodluck to Cyndy on this exciting project.

Palmetto #203 After a long, hot summer in

South Carolina there is nothing likeVegas in the fall! This is a great placefor the ANNA Fall Meeting, and the

chapter has several members who areplanning to attend. We know theywill share all the great ideas andknowledge they learn with the rest ofthe chapter.

All are encouraged to check outthe ANNA National Symposium thatwill be held in Boston in March 2011and seriously think about planning toattend. Locally, the chapter will hostthe ANNA Fall Audio Conference inNovember. Watch for details viaemail. We are continuing to develop aWeb site to help disseminate informa-tion.

In July an educational offering onMalnutrition in CKD was presented inCharleston, and there was a greatturnout for this informative talk.

Please contact your chapter offi-cers with questions and concerns.

Alamo City #205Our chapter was busy during the

summer in preparation for KDAEWeek. Health Policy RepresentativeEsme Guerra sent many letters to leg-islative staff, State Representatives,and Congressmen from our area. Atthe time of this writing, she was hop-ing to host individuals from thesegroups or their aides. We alsoattempted to get a proclamation forthat week from a San Antonio official.

Alamo City has also beeninvolved with the eight other TexasANNA chapters in preparing for ourcollaborative meeting in Galveston,TX. The meeting will be held at theSan Luis Resort in January 2011.

The chapter hosted an education-al on August 12 entitledLymphedema: Pathophysiology andTreatment, which was presented byKate Obermillar. The event was heldat Thurmonz Seafood (formerlyWaterstreet Oyster Bar).

We will be having another educa-tional offering in September in recog-nition of Nephrology Nurses Weekand also will host an event inOctober.

South Florida Flamingo #206 Jane Sapp Wallace and Myriam

Alfonso worked diligently to invitepoliticians for KDAE Week, August 9-13, and also for Nephrology NursesWeek, September 12-18.

A planning meeting was held andthe following activities were sched-uled. Dr. Katzman shared his experi-ence with the HeRO graft on August31. Contact hours were provided. Adialysis certification review will beoffered at Memorial Hospital,Hollywood, on October 16. CheckANNA Connected for details.

The chapter is offering an educa-tional scholarship for a PCT who is

enrolled in a nursing program. Thenominee should be a PCT currentlyworking in nephrology and acceptedin a nursing program, have a mini-mum of 1 year in nephrology, anddemonstrate an active commitment tofurthering nursing. Applications areavailable at ANNA Connected. Sendnominations to Mait Molander-Barraza at molbarr@bellsouth.net orcall 305-378-2383.

Dallas #208On July 10 Chapter President

Cynthia Wright led the chapter boardof directors in a planning retreat forthe 2010-11 ANNA year. Activitiesinclude:• For KDAE Week (August 9-14),

Chapter Health PolicyRepresentative Cynthia Kriegerrequested city and state proclama-tions to help educate governmententities about kidney disease andits treatment, and several chaptermembers joined Cynthia in invit-ing legislators and CMS represen-tatives to visit dialysis facilities.

• Starting in September, we willhold several dinner meetings witheducational speakers in both theDallas and Ft. Worth areas.

• We worked with the TexasDepartment of State HealthServices to host a 1-day programon the new Texas ESRD regula-tions. This workshop is availablefor several other Texas chapters tohost as well. Watch the TexasNetwork 14 Web site as well as theDallas Chapter Web site for moreinformation on this opportunity.

Camille May and Glenda Payneattended the planning retreat for theAll Texas ANNA Collaborative onJuly 17-18. The 13th annual meetingwill be January 14-15, 2011, at theSan Luis Hotel in Galveston, TX.

Dallas chapter members DeuzimarKulawik and Angie Wieler attendedthe National Symposium in SanAntonio.

ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5 15

Much work has been done sinceHurricane Ike devastated this island,and we are looking forward to return-ing to one of our favorite cities. Thereis a new “hot” spot by the heatedpool, so make plans to get away forsome great education and fun timesin January by the sea!

We are updating our Web pageand linking it to ANNA Connected.We’ll be using the Web page and e-mail as our primary way to commu-nicate with our members, so be sureand get “connected” and check youre-mail.

Chapter board meetings are heldthe first Tuesday of each month at6:00 pm at the Dallas NephrologyAssociates offices on Viceroy. ContactCynthia Wright through the ANNAWeb site for chapter presidents if youwould like to attend. All members arewelcome.

North Central Florida #209 Our chapter joined efforts with

the First Coast Chapter to accomplisha spectacular oceanfront seminar inJacksonville, FL, on July 31-August 1.We sincerely thank all the well pre-pared speakers for the knowledge andenthusiasm they brought to us.Presenters included: Dr. Larranagasponsored by Abbott; DeuzimarKulawik, FMQAI; Dr. Zvi Talor spon-sored by Cubist Pharmaceutical;Peggy Crowley, Hemosphere Inc.; Dr.Carlos Lopez, Fresenius MedicalCare; Norma Gomez, sponsored byFirst Coast Chapter; Bobbie Cofield,Fresenius Medical Care; TracyBrown; Patricia Briones, Amgen; Dr.Atassi, Vascular Access Center; andLesley McPhatter, Genzyme.

In addition we are very gratefulfor our exhibitors: Genzyme, Abbott,

Vascular Access Center, Braun,FMQAI, 5Dollar Blankets, CubistPharmaceutical, and HemosphereInc. Warm thanks and great admira-tion go to Frank and Mamie, our guestpatients, who reminded us what it isall about.

This marvelous weekend wouldnot have been possible without ourattendees who interacted with thespeakers, exhibitors, and their peers.The excitement brought two newmembers who signed up right at theconference. Welcome to Mary Danielsand Christine Dumond. Two otherRNs promised to join as soon as theygot home. This was a dream cometrue for our chapter as we accom-plished one of our main goals pre-sented in our chapter action plansearly this year. Go North CentralFlorida Chapter - The Kidney Beat!

Suncoast #213Greetings from the Sunshine

State to all nephrology nurses cele-brating Nephrology Nurses Week. It’san exciting time to join together toshare our knowledge and look back athow far our field of expertise hascome and embrace the many chal-lenges ahead. Our chapter sends a bigthank you to all of you for making apositive impact in the lives of ourpatients and their families.

On November 8-9 our chapterwill be displaying national and localinformation about ANNA at the annu-al Network 7 meeting in Tampa, FL,so stop by and visit. We also will behosting the certification exams onNovember 11. Both events are beingheld at the Renaissance Hotel locatedat International Plaza. Registrationand program materials can beobtained from Network 7 office (813-383-1530). Stephanie Hull (813-872-0933) or Donna McDuffie (813-265-9733) may be contacted for moreinformation regarding our chapter orupcoming events.

Dogwood #224We would like to make a correc-

tion note and thank Access First forsponsoring our March educationalmeeting.

During the summer, our officersand members have been participatingin community events. We encourageother members to join the initiative tospread the news about kidney diseaseand prevention. We thank Gail Wickand Kelly Dyars for speaking at theAAKP events in Atlanta and Florida.

Good news! Our chapter is plan-ning an ANNA Georgia ChaptersCollaborative Educational Conferencewith the Peach and Masters CityChapters to be held in late spring

Dallas chapter members enjoy networking at the National Symposium in SanAntonio. Pictured (from left) are Janny Freeman, Marion Church, Cynthia Wright,and Cynthia Krieger.

Dogwood chapter officers and members watch as Governor Sonny Perdue signsthe State Proclamation for KDAE Week.

16 ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5

2011. We are all excited and eager toconquer each task to make this a won-derful success. In addition, we areexcited to be the host city for the2011 ANNA Fall Meeting in Atlanta,GA.

KDAE Week was a huge success.Our chapter received a StateProclamation recognizing KDAE

Week. Our officers and members metwith Georgia Governor Sonny Perdueat the state capital to receive theproclamation. We ask our members tocontinue to write to their legislatorsvia ANNA or the chapter Web site.Thank you to Carolyn Dorsey, chap-ter health policy representative.

On August 26 the chapter hostedan End of Summer Educational Eventat Mary Mac’s Tea Room. Dr. SheldonShore presented Treatment of IronDeficiency Anemia in Adult Patientswith CKD, and Lillian Pryor present-ed the ANNA CE on Wheels program,Enhancing Your Life and Careerthrough Professional Development.Thanks to AMAG for sponsoring thisevent.

Our Spring Bling EducationalConference was such a great successin May with over 60 participants, andwe look forward to the next confer-ence. So here it is. Our chapter, incollaboration with the SoutheasternKidney Council, will host a full-day

conference in September celebratingNephrology Nurses Week (September12-18). The conference will be heldSeptember 11 at Emory UniversityHospital-Midtown. Our openingspeaker will be ANNA NationalPresident-Elect Dr. Rowena Elliott.Special thanks to our sponsorsAMAG, Atlanta Access Care,Snapfinger Vascular Access Center,and Abbott.

Thank you to our chapter officersand members for all your hard workin volunteering to improve andincrease the awareness of nephrologynursing and to aid in making sure ourpatients receive quality health care.We our honoring nephrology nursesuntil the end of September. Pleasesend us a picture and brief bio of anurse who should be recognized. InJuly we honored Ennie Chimezda andin August Dolat Embriham.

On September 18 we will host aCertification Review Course. OnSeptember 30 we will have anExpand to your Area Program inDecatur, GA, sponsored by AtlantaAccess Care. Thank you to our speak-ers Dr. Kevin Sullivan and EnnieChimezda.

We have started our first officialnewsletter, which was sent out viaANNA Connected to all chapter mem-bers. We are planning to send anewsletter out every other monthwith information on upcoming eventsand allow a segment for our membersto send in their ideas and inform usof the wonderful things they aredoing in the workplace and commu-nity. Visit us on ANNA Connected orour chapter Web site at annadog-woodchapter224.com for all upcom-ing events and more. We are excitedabout the direction our chapter isheading. Dogwood rocks!

Music City #228Music City ANNA collaborated

with Network 8, QSource, and theTennessee Kidney Foundation to

Dogwood chapter members Joan Wokpara and LillianPryor helped at the ANNA exhibit booth andfundraiser at a local transplant conference.

Dogwood Chapter member CarolynDorsey organized a health fair at achurch in Scottsdale, GA.

The Music City Chapter collaborated with Network 8, QSource, and the TennesseeKidney Foundation to present a Cannulation Camp in July. Pictured (from left) areBrenda Dyson from Network 8; Lynda Ball, speaker and Greater Puget Soundmember; Monet Carnahan from QSource and Music City member; and JudithWales, Music City President.

ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5 17

present Cannulation Camp on July14-15 in Nashville. The more than200 attendees received 2.75 contacthours for the event as well as awealth of information from speaker,Lynda Ball. Attendees also receivedinformation on ANNA and the bene-fits of membership during the event.

Hazel Taylor #239Summer was hot, but the Hazel

Taylor Chapter is even hotter! Ourupcoming schedule for chapter meet-ings will provide members greatopportunities for learning the newesttechniques for accesses. Be on thelookout for a collaborative meeting.We are exploring going to other placesin the state to reach more members. Ifyou have suggestions, please reachout to a chapter officer.

Acadiana #252“What makes a river so restful to

people is that it doesn’t have anydoubt – it is sure to get where it isgoing, and it doesn’t want to go any-where else.” ~ Hal Boyle

This is Acadiana! We are sailinginto one of our best years yet. Usingthe strategic plan as our navigationalguide we have a structured courseand know in advance which sails toraise to put our ship in motion tocatch the best winds. The chapter isbuilding its membership with activerecruitment from all members by a lit-tle incentive of a $100 gift card thatwill be presented in December to theperson who recruits the most mem-bers. Just in time for a little extraSanta shopping!

July was a very busy month.Members divided tasks to fulfill theplans for the chapter year. PresidentKathey Day served as quest speakerto the senior class at GramblingUniversity in Ruston, LA. She spoketo future nurses about renal failureand the importance of specialty nurs-ing and certification.

Chapter members volunteered toassist the NKF with KEEP screeningsin two separate parts of the state.Kathey Day, Christopher Dixon, andGwen Ashley took the east inMonroe. Angila Osborne, MaryZapczynski, and Ty Belteton coveredthe west in the Shreveport area.

On July 22 Stacy Durr presentedon SLE – Lupus. Acadiana thought aHawaiian luau was just what wasneeded to cool down the afternoonheat. Guests signed in to receive beau-tiful Hawaiian leis and chances forgreat door prizes. Casual attire, fingerfoods, and frozen drinks completewith little umbrellas cooled our thirstand satisfied our hunger during themeeting.

July 25 was the date for theBowl-a- Rama fundraiser. TreasurerMary Zapczynski arranged a day offamily fun while raising money tosupport the daily activities of thechapter. Laughter and many memo-ries were made that day. Kathey Day,Mary Michael, and Gwen Ashleyalong with family and friends and acouple of Acadiana vendors bowledaway the afternoon. The chapter washonored to have Southeast ChaptersCoordinator Charla Litton join herhome town chapter for the familyevent.

On August 26 Angila Osborneand Kathey Day presented the CE onWheels program Peritoneal DialysisOverview. This educational eventoffered 3.0 CNE credits and was greet-ed by a full house of attendees fromthe tri-state area. On August 29 thechapter executive committee enjoyedan afternoon planning session poolside. Angila graciously hosted a meet-ing pool side at her home completewith a barbecue and refreshments.Though serious planning was thefocus of the meeting, a little fun wasadded to the afternoon.

East Texas #255The chapter has been busy this

summer. The ANNA Texas chaptersare gearing up for the 2011 meeting inGalveston. If you have a project youare interested in sharing, we areactively seeking poster submissions.Poster applications can be found atour collaborative Web site. Check outthe Web site for updates atwww.annatexasmeeting.org.

Several members attended theESRD Network meeting in Dallas to

find out about the new Texas regula-tions. In August Deborah Tubbs pre-sented Diabetes Impact on Kidneysfor the Nacogdoches Medical Centerdiabetes support group.

In October we will host an all-day educational program in Tyler. Wehope to have a lot of nurses and PCTsfrom the surrounding area attend. InNovember we will host the FallAudio Conference in Nacogdoches atMemorial Hospital’s cafeteria class-room. For further information, contactCora Trotty at cora.trotty@yahoo.com.

If you are interested in hosting aprogram or in becoming a chapterofficer, please contact DanyelleHannum at ruby.hannum@fmc-na.com or Martha Redd atMartha.redd@abbott.com.

Northeast Oklahoma #256We hope everyone had a great

summer, and you are ready to cele-brate Nephrology Nurses Week inSeptember. On August 24 Amgen pro-vided a meeting at Bodean’s Seafoodon Optimizing Quality Outcomes inthe Bundle presented by Dr. LukasHaragsim.

The Fall Audio Conference willbe held on November 2. CommonGastrointestinal Complaints fromPatients with CKD will be presentedby Clara Neyhart. We will hold thisconference at St. John Health Plazameeting rooms.

We want to remind all our members to submit applications forawards and grants offered by ANNA.Information about these can beaccessed online atwww.annanurse.org. Please remindyour colleagues about joining ANNA

The North Carolina Chapters recently hosted the Third North Carolina AnnualCollaborative Chapter Meeting, “Unique Challenges in Nephrology Nursing.”Planning committee members included (from left): Rhonda Duggan, GreaterCharlotte; Ricki DeMaria, Greater Charlotte; Cyndy Rape, Greater Charlotte; LucyTodd, Blue Ridge; Kim Schroeder, Greater Charlotte; Brenda Martin, Cardinal; andHolly McFarland, Tar River. Not pictured are Michelle Price, Cardinal, and DianeDerkowski, Greater Charlotte.

18 ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5

and help us to have another greatyear. Contact Katie Colpitts at kcol-pitts@sjmc.org for more information.

Central Virginia #258As of the date of this article, the

chapter officers have been meeting toplan educational sessions for the fall– giving everyone time this summerto enjoy the short break and stay outof the heat. As soon as the speakersand dates are confirmed, you willreceive e-mail notifications for regis-tration. Stay tuned to your e-mailwhere ANNA Connected will provideupdated information. We look for-ward to seeing each of you at the firstmeeting this fall! As always, if youhave a topic you would like present-ed (or want to present at a meeting),please contact any of the chapter offi-cers. Your ideas for presentations andother fun activities are always wel-come!

Don’t forget to celebrateNephrology Nurses Week September12-18. Please contact Anne Webber,assistant chapter secretary, at aweb-ber@hiiweb.com if you have any ques-tions, an interest in working with offi-cers, presentation topic ideas, or justhave a question about the chapter.

Tar River #268The chapter participated in the

Third Annual North CarolinaCollaborative Chapter Meeting held inConcord, NC, on June 10-11. Over 100people attended, and the programreceived excellent evaluation ratings.Holly McFarland, Tar River presi-dent, served on the planning commit-tee.

Along with TriangleInterventional Services, Raleigh, NC,we will co-sponsor an educationalprogram in Greenville, NC, entitledAssessment and Treatment of theChallenged Vascular Access and pre-sented by Dr. Stephen Loehr. Theprogram will be hosted by Dr.Richard Merrill at the Kidney Centerin Greenville, NC. Contact hours havebeen applied for.

Scenic City #269The Annual Vascular Access

Seminar will be held at Erlanger’sProbasco Auditorium on September16. Our chapter will host the ANNAFall Audio Conference on November9 at DCI, Lyerly. If you are an activeANNA member interested in hostinga satellite audio conference site,please contact a chapter officer. Sendan e-mail to virginia.smith@dciinc.orgfor additional information or a copyof activity announcements/brochures.

Sunshine Central #272Health Policy Representative

Judith Cunningham and EuniceRoberts wrote letters to FloridaSenators Bill Nelson and John Micainviting them to visit one of our localdialysis centers during KDAE Week.Judith and Eunice also contacted theCity (Buddy Dyer) and County (RichCrotty) Mayor’s offices of Orlandoand Governor Crist’s office requestingproclamations for our chapter recog-nizing and declaring August 9-13 asKDAE Week and the second week ofSeptember as Nephrology NursesWeek.

For Nephrology Nurses Week,our planning and education commit-tee each invited a new and/or poten-tial member to dinner at the OliveGarden on September 12. Our goalwas to mentor, recruit, and have funwhile touting the benefits of ANNA.President Renee Hill sent out invita-tions to local schools of nursing invit-ing them to learn more about nephrol-ogy nursing as a career. Karen Garvinplaced an ad in the Orlando Sentinelfor Nephrology Nurses Week. JudithCunningham put an article about ourchapter and ANNA in her employer’snewsletter.

One of our long-term goals is toestablish a scholarship fund to assistlocal CCHTs to sit for the exam bypaying or assisting them to pay theirapplication fee. Vivene Falconer ishandling this task.

Our chapter has applied for theapproved program L-Carnitine:Physiology and Clinical Applications

in Dialysis and hopes to offer thisprogram to our members in the verynear future.

Our chapter is in the planningstages of hosting the CertificationReview Course for future CDN, CNN,CNN-NP, and CCHT applicants. Ourplan is to host this event this fall andalso in the spring in collaborationwith Florida Hospital.

First Coast #276The Weekend Getaway in

Jacksonville Beach on July 31-August1 was well attended. The exhibitsfrom the vendors were great, andeveryone had a great time. The eventwas a collaborative effort with theNorth Central Florida Chapter.

Nephrology Nurses Week is inSeptember, and we are encouragingthe local units to recognize their nurs-ing staff in Northeast Florida.

Chapter President Jeanne Torbertis trying to arrange an inservice onHeRO grafts. We will soon be plan-ning for our annual holiday meeting.

North Central

Windy City #305Chapter members once again par-

ticipated in the annual NBC-5Healthy Living Challenge held atChicago’s Navy Pier on June 5-6.Sponsored by the NationalBroadcasting Company’s localChannel 5 affiliate, the Challenge pro-vided citizens of the Chicago metro-politan region with activities, educa-

Windy City chapter members participated in the NBC-5 Healthy Living Challengeat Chicago’s Navy Pier on June 6. Pictured (from left, sitting) are Tricia Littig andMaureen Chapman; (standing) Fran Bender, Gary Reschak, Gulcin Pucuoglu,Charlotte Szromba, and Mary Haras. Not pictured are Dadi Ding and AnitaPakrasi.

ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5 19

tion, information, and screenings topromote a healthy lifestyle. Chaptermembers co-hosted a booth with theNKF of Illinois and Amgen that pro-vided kidney disease awareness, edu-cation, and screening. Several hun-dred citizens participated in the 2-dayevent.

Our chapter’s 4th annualNephrology Nursing: Back to theBasics certification review course washeld on July 16 on the LoyolaUniversity Medical Center campus.While we only had half as manyattendees as last year, this simplydoubled the chances of everyonepresent winning a raffle prize. Lectureand study were mixed throughout theday with networking and socializingopportunities over snack breaks andlunch. The afternoon ended with achapter fundraising raffle that gener-ated funds for future chapter eventsand provided prizes ranging fromtextbooks, bath and body baskets, giftcards, to wine. Something for themind, body, and spirit of our chaptermembers!

If you have not already done so,you are reminded to please completethe chapter survey that was e-mailedto all chapter members on July 21.This survey will help us continue tomeet the needs of our members aswell as make improvements as need-ed.

Save the date! November 2 is thedate of the ANNA Fall AudioConference, and our chapter will beparticipating. The topic will beCommon Gastrointestinal Complaintsfrom Patients with CKD presented byClara Neyhart, a nephrology nurseclinician from the University of NorthCarolina. Watch our chapter Web siteat http://home.comcast.net/~anna-windycitychapter305/annawindycity-chapter.html for the exact time, loca-tions, maps, and costs. The chapterWeb site is updated monthly and isthe place to stay informed regardingchapter events.

Prior to the Fall AudioConference, we are hoping to haveanother dinner/educational meeting.We are trying to arrange for a speakerand location sometime between mid-September and mid-October. Again,watch our chapter Web site for furtherdetails as they become available.Besides the Web site, most all of ourtime-sensitive communication is nowdone through ANNA Connected. Soplease remember to keep your e-mailaddress up to date through the ANNAWeb site at www.annanurse.org.

Stay involved and keep this anaward winning chapter. Think aboutbecoming an officer for the next year.Contact any officer through our Web

site or talk to us at a chapter activity.You are never alone in the ANNA orthis chapter. We are all in this togeth-er!

Heart of America #313The chapter held a Health Policy

Advocacy seminar on July 29. Thetopic was very appropriate, coincid-ing with the release of the most recentCMS bundling requirements. Topicsalso included ways for nurses tobecome informed and active in theirworkplace when dealing with theupcoming changes set forth. Thechapter welcomed Molly Cahill,ANNA National Treasurer, as our hostand speaker.

JoAnn Ross and Carol Pope havevisited most of the dialysis units inthe chapter area over the last monthpromoting ANNA and nursing educa-tion for Nephrology Nurses Week.Applications and copies of theNephrology Nursing Journal werehanded out with a calendar of eventsfor the coming year.

Our chapter is hosting a CNNreview course to prepare nurses fortesting as well as reviewing currentguidelines in patient care. Please savethe date, September 30, if you areinterested in this great review oppor-tunity. Location to be determinedsoon.

Karen Schardin, past ANNANational President, is coming toKansas City on October 23 for a dis-cussion on home hemodialysis.Thanks to NxStage for sponsoring thisevent. We hope you all can attend.

We are planning an audio confer-ence on November 2. Additionalinformation will be available throughe-mail as the time nears. Decemberwill be a busy month once again withan audio conference on Drugs in theDialysis Unit, which will benefit bothnurses and dialysis technicians.Hopefully, we can all gain some newunderstanding on the different med-ications used in the units.

We also will hold our AnnualChristmas party and election of offi-cers in the month of December, sostart thinking about which electedposition you would like to have! Theofficers who are elected in Decemberwill start their training in Januarywith a meeting of old and new offi-cers. All officers should plan toattend the ANNA NationalSymposium in Boston where theywill receive additional training ontheir newly elected roles and also awealth of information regardingnephrology in general.

We hope to see many of you atupcoming events! Please contactChristy Corbett at

christine.corbett@live.com if you haveany additional information or com-ments about our chapter.

Southeast Minnesota #316Summer has been a busy time for

our chapter. We had a great day ofgolf with ANNA sponsoring twoteams of golfers. One team comprisedtwo transplant patients, one of whomis blind so his son came along toassist him, a dialysis patient, and thehusband of one of our dialysis nurses.They were 8 under for the day! Theother team consisted of four dialysisnurses and the husband of anotherdialysis nurse. They were 1 over forthe day.

We also partially sponsored fourANNA members to attend the dinnerthat evening. The chapter sponsored abasket that was auctioned at the din-ner. The basket, which was hand-made by Nancy Bahr (dialysis), con-tained a cutting board made of thesame material as the Mayo ClinicGonda building and an assortment ofwine and cheese. It brought $130. Weare already making plans for a basketto be auctioned at next year’s dinner.

The NKF held its annual KidneyWalk on July 25. Several ANNA mem-bers walked as well as raised moneyfor local programs such as awarenessand screenings.

Southeast Minnesota will offerour chapter’s First Annual FallHemodialysis Patient Care TechnicianConference in Rochester, MN, onOctober 28 at the Marriott Hotel in Rochester, MN. For more information, contact Brenda Walchat walch.brenda@mayo.edu.

Chapter officers are busy plan-ning the annual Spring Conference tobe held in Rochester, MN.

Centennial #320Chapter officers met on July 5.

Present were President ArdelOberlander, Treasurer Laura Dahl,Secretary Kathleen Fox, and HealthPolicy Representative KarenSchneider. Karen reported on theplan for Kidney Disease Awarenessand Education Week. A letter wassent to the North DakotaCongressional Delegation invitingthem to visit a dialysis center to wit-ness daily operations and to discussthe impact of bundling in the centersand to the patients. Each representa-tive received ANNA’s End StageRenal Disease Briefing Book for Stateand Federal Policymakers: A Guide toKidney Disease Awareness andEducation Week. A delegation wasthere to greet and discuss the impactof proposed changes.

The Chapter Action Plan for

20 ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5

2010-2011 also was discussed andfinalized. One of our major goals is toincrease chapter membership. Thisyear each current member who signsup a new member will receive half offtheir membership renewal.

Plans also were made forNephrology Nurses Week. This yearto celebrate members will be invitedfor a night of dinner and celebration.Final details will be announced, andmembers will receive an invitation.

The Fall Audio Conference onCommon Gastrointestinal Complaintsfrom Patients with CKD will be heldon November 2 at Medcenter OneKidney Dialysis Center. Contact ArdelOberlander for further information.

Bluegrass #322Our chapter officers have enjoyed

celebrating Nephrology Nurses Weekwith some of you, and we wish allour nephrology nurses a wonderfulyear!

Please join us for the Fall AudioConference to be held November 2 atthe VA hospital in Lexington. Also,watch for information about anephrology certification review andexam to be held locally.

Please contact Jan Jurgensen at859-388-9693 for any information.

Black Swamp #323Chapter members attended a din-

ner meeting at LaScolla Italian Grillon August 4. The program,Management of Iron DeficiencyAnemia in CKD, was presented byAMAG. Members enjoyed great foodand collaboration.

The chapter has many education-al opportunities planned for the yearwith the first being held inSeptember. Cindy Brown will presentHardy Humor Helps Health andHappiness in Health Care Workers onSeptember 30. Location is yet to bedetermined.

Chapter members always lookforward to the Kidney Foundation ofNorthwest Ohio’s Fall Symposium,which will be held on October 21 atParkway Place in Maumee, OH.

For more information on addi-tional educational opportunities to beoffered in the future, contact AnnEllis at ae219@bex.net.

Platte River #324We have been working with the

Nebraska Kidney Association to planthe annual 2010 Joint CouncilWorkshop entitled Renopoly. Theprogram will be held at EmbassySuites at 1040 P Street in Lincoln, NEon September 15-16. You should havealready received your “Save the Date”card so plan to attend. Bring along all

your work friends and if possible postthe information in your facilities. Anyquestions? Contact Peggy Delaet atpdelaet@unmc.edu.

Keep your eyes open for addi-tional meetings this fall and winter.We are planning to host a couple sitesfor the Fall Audio Conference inNovember. If your facility is interest-ed, contact Denise Murcek atdmurcek@unmc.edu.

We continue to encourage every-one to sign up for ANNA Connected.We are using that e-mail system tosend our meeting announcements andpost educational opportunities. It is agreat way to stay informed. Questionsor e-mail address updates can bedirected to Terry Munsinger at tmunsinger@nebraskamed.com.

Badger #326Welcome to our chapter mem-

bers, and a special welcome to all thenewly certified hemodialysis techni-cians. I would like to introduce ourchapter officers for the coming year.Chapter President Sandy Wilkinsonhas been an ANNA member for morethan 5 years and has served in otherofficer positions in the past. She isemployed at the UW Kidney CenterMadison, and her specialty is CKD.Chapter President-Elect BonnieRogers has been an ANNA memberfor over 15 years and has served invarious officer positions in our chap-ter in the past. She is employed atBeloit Memorial Hospital, and herspecialty is peritoneal dialysis.Chapter Treasurer Lila Jorgensen hasbeen an ANNA member for over 15years and has served in all officerpositions throughout the years. She isemployed at UW Hospital Madison,and her specialty is home hemodialy-sis. Chapter Secretary Barbara Casciohas been an ANNA member for over10 years and is serving in her firstofficer position. She is employed atBeloit Memorial Hospital, and outpa-tient hemodialysis is her specialtyarea.

The officers met as a group onJune 29 to establish goals for the com-ing year. Our chapter will host twoaudio conferences, one this fall inNovember and the second inFebruary of next year. The sites forthese conferences will be in Madisonand Beloit. We hope to add additionalsites for further membership partici-pation.

As in years past the chapterChristmas party will be held the firstweek in December at The CoachmanInn in Stoughton, WI. This party willbe open to all chapter members, andwe encourage each member to bring apotential new member as a guest. The

chapter officers will continue to meetas a group throughout the year.

Greater Minnesota #329 Chapter members have been busy

attending events and promoting kid-ney disease screening for publicawareness. Our business and educa-tion meeting was held on August 5 atRJ’s in St. Cloud, MN. Several mem-bers participated in the KEEP screen-ing on August 16 at the Shooting StarCasino and also on August 25 atJackpot Junction in Morton, MN.

Other fun events include gather-ing together for the 3rd annual St.Cloud Kidney Walk on September 18at the Municipal Athletic Complex inSt. Cloud, MN.

We are also busy planning our17th Annual Renal Symposium onOctober 28 at St. Johns University inCollegeville, MN. We have lots ofinteresting speakers and topicsplanned for the event, including:“Medicare Bundling,” “HorizontalHospitality,” and “Team Building.”

We are proud to announce wealso will be offering testing for CNN-NP, CNN, CDN and CCHT certifica-tion on October 29 at the CentraCareHealth Plaza from 12:30 to 5:00 pm.For more information on registrationfor testing, contact the St. CloudHospital Education Department at320-251-2700 ext. 54685.

Kentuckiana #336Our chapter hosted an education-

al dinner on September 14. Dr.Attalah gave a presentation highlight-ing the benefits of home hemodialy-sis. NxStage provided educationalmaterials at the event. Each nephrolo-gy nurse who attended was treated todinner as well as gift bags. A prizedrawing also was held in recognitionof Nephrology Nurses Week.

Chapter members will partici-pate in the NKF Kidney Walk onOctober 3. We will provide education-al materials and blood pressurescreening at the event. We also willdonate a gift basket for their fundrais-ing raffle.

Western

Desert Vista #501Nephrology 101: An Overview

was taught on August 14 at theCamelback dialysis center inScottsdale, AZ. This 1-day event pro-vided current information aboutchronic kidney disease presented byLisa Donald, peritoneal dialysis pre-sented by Debra Goulding, hemodial-ysis presented by Corinna King, andtransplantation presented by Jenny

ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5 21

Bell. Breakfast and lunch wereserved. Genzyme sponsored the lunchwith Dr. Debra Goulding presentingOverview of KDIGO Clinical PracticeGuidelines for CKD-MBD. 6.5 contacthours were offered for attendance. A1-year ANNA membership or renewalwas awarded for the door prize.

Invitations to ArizonaRepresentatives, Senator John Kyle,and Senator John McCain were sentthe second week of July for KDAEWeek. Invitations to other localArizona representatives were sent thefollowing week.

Nephrology Nurses Week wascelebrated at Scottsdale Healthcarewith a week of mini-lectures on top-ics including chronic kidney disease,heart disease, diabetes, nutrition, andexercise. These short presentationswere offered at the Renal Care Unitduring lunch. Daily prize drawingswere held for those in attendance.Edible treats were catered daily forthe nephrology nurses.

The chapter will host the CNN,CDN, and technician certificationexam on October 30. The Fall AudioConference, Common GastrointestinalComplaints from Patients with CKD,is planned for November.

Greater Puget Sound #503Committees have been hard at

work planning educational offerings.Dialysis Workshop 2010 was held onSeptember 12 in Wright Auditoriumat Seattle Children’s Hospital. Theprogram objectives were: (1) discussfluid and electrolyte balance duringhemodialysis and (2) describe tech-niques for cannulation of fistulas,grafts, and buttonholes. The speakerswere Diana Hlebovy and Lynda Ball.

Renal Update 2011 is scheduledfor February 3-4. Topics, speakers,and location are still to be deter-mined. Members wishing to attend,please save these dates as our educa-tional offerings are not only a fun wayto obtain CNE credit but an opportu-nity to network with our wonderfulgroup of colleagues in the PugetSound nephrology community.

As always, any members wishingto contribute and participate in anyway can contact Secretary Nan Kunzeat nankunze@aol.com or PresidentNancy Smith at ycnan@u.washing-ton.edu. We are also planning to hostthe Fall Audio Conference onNovember 9 at several sites. If you areinterested in hosting a site, pleasecontact Lynda Ball atlball@nw16.esrd.net.

Northern California #504Save the date for the Fall Event

on September 15. Our chapter willhost an evening event featuring appe-

tizers, networking, and socializingplus an informative presentation byDr. Brigitte Schiller, Chief MedicalOfficer, Satellite Healthcare, onThinking Outside the Box: WhatReally Works for the Patient RequiringDialysis Therapy. This event willoffer 1.0 contact hour and will beheld in Redwood City (345Convention Way, CA) from 6 to 9 pm.

Chapter Nephrology NurseAwards will be presented during thisevent. The chapter would like toremind members that business meet-ing are held on the third Wednesdayof every month. All members are wel-come to attend. Locations of dinnermeetings are posted via ANNAConnected at least 1 week prior to themeetings.

The chapter gave back to thecommunity this year with a $1,000donation to the NKF Kids Camp and a$500 donation to Flo’s Cookie Jar, anorganization that assists student nurs-es during times of financial hardship.

Watch for more information onNovember’s Audio Conference oncommon gastrointestinal complaints.

On August 18, during KDAEWeek, Congresswoman Barbara Lee’shealth staffer, Daniel Quintanilla, vis-ited RAI Peralta’s Home Hemodialysisand Peritoneal Dialysis Unit inOakland, CA.

Nephros South #506The chapter enjoyed a quiet sum-

mer, but our members are looking for-ward to educational events startingagain in September. The officers helda business meeting in August to planfor our all-day educational event ontransplant in September and futuremeetings each month for the remain-der of the year.

We thank our retiree, BarbaraMerkle, for her continued supportand active participation as chaptertreasurer. We also thank our membersfor your participation and will contin-ue to bring you quality meetings thisyear.

Intermountain #516The chapter is planning the

Annual Intermountain Education Dayfor September 25 in Murray, UT. Thisyear the program will feature break-out sessions for RNs and technicians.Topics will include access manage-ment, bundling, nutrition, and a guestspeaker from the Renal SupportNetwork. We look forward to anothersuccessful program and invite allANNA members to come to Utah forthis educational program.

Cascades #518Our chapter officers held a very

productive planning meeting on June

3. We will be hosting the Fall andWinter Audio Conferences. Watch forflyers in your units and updates onyour e-mail and our Web site for allactivities.

We plan to do a survey of ourmembers. We also will be honoringthem during Nephrology Nurses Weekwith packets in the mail. TheCascades and Siskiyou Chapters willhost a collaborative Annual Meetingvia video conference, and we alsowill hold our Annual Conference nextyear. Dinner meetings are planned;the first will be held the end ofSeptember.

We are always interested in yourneeds for educational purposes andalso your willingness to serve as anofficer or help with meetings. Pleasecontact any of your chapter officerswith these ideas.

Inland Empire #526The chapter observed KDAE

Week by participating in the FourthKDAE Conference at Loma LindaUniversity Medical Center (LLUMC)on July 28. The ANNA booth was vis-ited by 133 attendees, who receivedbrochures on ANNA membership,becoming a nephrology nurse, andCKD facts and information. ANNApens and M&M candies labeledANNA were also given away. KarenWilliams, an ANNA member from theSan Antonio Dialysis Clinic, sharedthe importance of prevention andeducation for kidney patients.

Ten ANNA members outside theLLUMC system attended the event.Grace Poon from Chino Hills is anexample of the success of the ANNAConnected site. She responded to theinvitation sent via ANNA Connected.

Representatives from the officesof Congressmen Joe Baca and MaryBono-Mack, Senator Barbara Boxer,and U.S. Senate Candidate CarlyFiorina were educated about theimpact of CKD on patients and theirfamilies as well as the newly passedhealth care reform “bundling” system.Congressman Joe Baca’s representa-tive extended an invitation to ANNAmembers to attend an event onOctober 23 that will educate the com-munity on nutrition and disease pre-vention. ANNA volunteers are need-ed. E-mail Yvette Dobson atyrcan70@yahoo.com. Details to fol-low.

September 12-18 is NephrologyNurses Week. Save the dateannouncements were sent via ANNAConnected for an event on September15. The chapter will recognizenephrology nurses and their dedica-tion to patients and families andhonor them with a dinner conference.Details to be announced.

22 ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5

Big Sky #527Our efforts to promote KDAE

Week were rewarded. We were fortu-nate to have Montana Governor BrianSchweitzer support our efforts.Chapter President Linda Lewis wrotea letter to Governor Schweitzer, andhe acknowledged our request to pro-claim KDAE Week in Montana. Hereplied, “I am pleased to recognizeMontana State Kidney DiseaseAwareness and Education Week.Advanced nephrology nursing prac-tice and heightened awareness of kid-ney disease is important for keepingMontanans healthy. I appreciate yourefforts to educate the public about theimportance of kidney disease treat-ment and detection. I will encourageMontanans to acknowledge August 9-13, 2010 as Montana State KidneyDisease Awareness and EducationWeek.”

We invited Senators MaxBacchus and Jon Tester,Representative Denny Rheburg, andmany local and state representativesto visit a dialysis unit in our stateduring KDAE Week or anytime. Pressreleases were sent to all majorMontana newspapers proclaimingKDAE Week. The press release alsohighlighted Montana cities that cur-rently care in-center for Montanans,as well as visitors passing through ourgreat state, with ESRD.

There were no requests for certi-fication examinations or reviewcourses. Please contact us if youwould like to sit for the exam nextMay and also if you would like tohave or host a review course in yourcity. Keep in mind there is a lot ofinformation to gather for a completeapplication to sit for the exam so donot procrastinate. The application isdue approximately 90 days prior to

The Fourth Kidney Disease Education and Awareness Conference was held at Loma Linda University Medical Center(LLUMC) on July 28. Pictured are the conference's organizing committee, Inland Empire chapter officers, LLUMC administra-tors, speakers, legislative representatives, and kidney disease patients and their families.

Inland Empire chapter officers and members participated in and hosted a boothat the Kidney Disease Education and Awareness Conference at Loma LindaUniversity Medical Center.

Dialysis Apheresis Resource Team members participated in the Kidney DiseaseEducation and Awareness Conference at Loma Linda University Medical Center.Thanks to Inland Empire chapter member Nitaya Soeprono (center), who hasspearheaded the planning for this conference for 4 years.

ANNA Update—September/October 2010-Vol. 40/No. 5 23

the exam date. Please feel free to con-tact us at lrlewisrn@aol.com or jefyoung@live.com.

Silver State South #533Our chapter and Abbott

Laboratories co-sponsored a dinnerconference on Vitamin D and theRenal Patient on July 13. The topicwas presented by Dr. BhupinderSingh from Southwest KidneyInstitute in Phoenix, AZ. Severalnephrologists from different groupsand clinics attended the conference as

well as nephrology nurses and dieti-tians. After the conference, we againheld our usual fundraiser, which wasa raffle for a “bath basket” donated byour chapter health representative,Josette Street. Thanks again, Josette!The raffle was followed by a quickbusiness meeting during which wediscussed some possible activities forNephroloy Nurses Week. Anannouncement was also made aboutthe certification exams available dur-ing the Fall Meeting in October,which will be held here in Las Vegas.

Silver State South chapter members enjoyed a dinner conference on July 13.Pictured (from left) are Yolanda Manabat, Cyrille Higa, Josette Street, and ArmiSeville.

Chapter President-Elect Suzanne Dubois (standing) is pictured with attendees ata dinner conference co-sponsored by the Silver State South Chapter and Abbott.

Dr. Bhupinder Singh discussed vita-min D and the renal patient at a SilverState South chapter dinner confer-ence.