ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 440

Northeast

Baltimore #101Save the date! Our Annual Fall

Conference will be held on October14. We are planning a full day ofexciting and timely topics. We alsowill offer the 3-hour Patient CareTechnician Update as a breakout ses-sion.

Thank you to Watson Pharmafor an informative dinner program,which featured Ann Compton andwas held on World Kidney Day(March 13).

We had a great turnout for theWinter Audio Conference at FMCMid-Sussex, Georgetown, DE, and atGood Samaritan and Bon SecoursHospitals in Baltimore.

For more information or to con-tact an officer, visit our Web site atwww.baltimoreanna.com. Suggest-ions and volunteers are welcome.

Big Apple #102The chapter will team up with

ANNA and IPRO to present a freeseminar on Access Adequacy andCannulation Techniques for nursesand technicians though out the NewYork area. Chapter President JewelSmith hopes this collaboration willbring out members. Anyone willingto help should contact Annie Prestonat apreston@aac-llc.com.

Colonial #103On May 6 the chapter held its

annual meeting titled Renal Rouletteat the Mohegan Sun Casino. Over 100participants enjoyed an education-filled day. Keynote speaker GeorgeStern started the day on a positivenote, discussing The Future Ain’tWhat It Used To Be: We’re Not InKansas Anymore. The rest of the daytouched on topics such as: nephro-genic systemic fibrosis and MRIs: anew concern for kidney patients;Fabry disease; current infection con-trol topics; communication to andwith patients; fluid management: dis-pelling the myths; early diagnosisand treatment of chronic kidney dis-ease (CKD) stages 3 and 4: role of theinternist; and buttonhole techniques.

The day would not have beenpossible without the help and sup-port of our vendors. Special thanksgo to Abbott, American Access,Amgen, Astellas, Custom Medical,FMC, Genzyme, NxStage, Sigma-Tau

and Watson. Thanks also to Chrisand Carrie of the Mohegan Sun forworking with us to provide this dayand to the education committee forall of their hard work and dedicationto the chapter.

Our officers for the 2008-2009year are: Past President Irene Longo,President Sallyann Snitkin,President-Elect Kathy Guerrera,Treasurer Inez Harrington, SecretaryDebbie Ware, and Health PolicyRepresentative Laurie Christiano.

Three Rivers #104Our chapter shined at the 2008

National Symposium. We won sec-ond place for the Northeast Chapterof the Year (COTY) Award, and twochapter members also won awards.Nancy Ruth won the ClinicalPractice Award, and Cheryl Daltonwas awarded a Career Mobility

Scholarship. Congratulations!Immediate Past President Maggie

Tatarek, President Brian LaMendola,President-Elect Diane Peifer,Secretary Sue Carter, Health PolicyRepresentative Debbie Brouwer, andseveral other members participated inthe symposium, accepted our COTYAward, and recognized the accom-plishments of Nancy and Cheryl. Itwas a good day for the chapter!

We continue to hold our month-ly business meetings on the firstThursday of the month. We volun-teered in the National KidneyFoundation (NKF) U.S. TransplantGames that were held in Pittsburghfrom July 11-16. This very touchingand inspirational event gave muchmore back to us than we were able togive.

We also get our annual “rush”from facilitating a party day for thekids at the DCI-sponsored KidneyKamp in Ligonier, PA. This year’sKamp is July 27 - August 1. Throughthe efforts of Maggie Tatarek and hermerry band of volunteers, this hasbecome a tradition of which we arevery proud.

Looking ahead, we are planninga certification recognition luncheonfor our CNN and CDNs on August 24.We hope to offer a meal and contacthours to help recognize this specialgroup within our chapter.

Several chapter members also areplanning to volunteer at the NKF ofthe Alleghenies’ annual Kidney Day

Chapter Update

Diane Hlebovy was one of manyspeakers at the Colonial Chapter’sannual meeting in May

The Three Rivers Chapter was well represented at the 2008 National Symposium.Pictured (from left, standing) are Debbie Brouwer, Maggie Tatarek (holding thesecond place Northeast Chapter of the Year Award), Nancy Ruth (with the ClinicalPractice Award), Diane Peifer, Christie Krapp, Nina Mazzei-Parrish; (kneeling)Lucy Stackiewicz, and Susan Carter.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 4 41

at Kennywood Park on September 14.Finally, preliminary work has

begun with the Renal Round Tablecommittee to plan our chapter’slargest annual event. This education-al and fun conference will be held atSeven Springs Mountain Resort inChampion, PA, on September 20-21.

For more information on theseevents, we encourage you to attendour meetings and/or check our Website at www.anna3rivers.org. Theeducation committee is very dedicat-ed, always looking for new ways toserve our members, and welcomesany additional volunteers willing tohelp.

Keystone #110Our hard work was rewarded as

the chapter was the recipient of twohonors at the 2008 NationalSymposium: the Northeast RegionalRecruitment and Retention Awardand the National Recruitment andRetention Award. Congratulations tofeaturing Laureen McClure, immedi-ate past president, for her welldeserved ANNA Board of DirectorsAward.

All who attended the NortheastRegional Reception had a great timeeating Philly snacks such asTastykakes and chocolate LibertyBells while snake dancing around theroom to the sounds of a Mummersstring band. Many thanks toNortheast Chapters CoordinatorPaula Richards for her efforts inmaking the reception such a memo-rable event.

Our new chapter officers alsoattended: President Joleen Pavelka,President-Elect Lisa Balk, SecretaryKaren Russell, Treasurer MarieScutt-Mohamed, Health PolicyRepresentative Nida Quirong-Jonesand Pennsylvania State Health PolicyDirector Eileen Lynch.

The Spring Fling Day of Learningwas held June 5 at the ACE Center inLafayette Hills. Diverse topics such asmaintenance of an AV fistula, watertreatment, depression, and a first-hand account of A Patient’s Journeyby Lori Hartwell were presented.Many thanks to program chair GinnyOkupinski for coordinating this 7.5CE credit event.

Before summer vacations began,a dinner meeting was held at GallosSeafood in Philadelphia on June 26.Thanks to Abbott and Faith Stantonfor their presentation on EffectivePatient Communication.

Northeast Tri-State #120The chapter is off to a good start

with a great showing at the 2008National Symposium. Approximately12 chapter members attended. SheilaBrockway presented during the pre-conference workshop on PromotingNurses’ Involvement in the PoliticalProcess, and Marianne Sorrell pre-sented at the Volunteer LeadersOrientation Workshop (VLOW).

The chapter held an all-day edu-cational program entitled NephrologyJeopardy in Plattsburgh on June 24.Another program on TransplantEducation was held June 28 atAlbany Medical Center.

Long Island #122Small dinner conferences pro-

vide a special connection betweenthe nurses who attend and the pre-senters. On June 26 at Paddy’s Loft inHicksville, Judy Hull, genetic coun-selor with Genzyme Therapeutics,fulfilled that promise while speakingabout Fabry Disease.

We also were fortunate thismonth to have our own Sue AprilForlenza discuss the protocol andappropriate method to manage ananemia program within a dialysisunit. This was presented in conjunc-tion with Amgen during a superbLunch and Learn.

Our vision is to continue to offerour members interesting and educa-tional forums. Please contact NancyDaye (516-680-0120, nandy4@opyline.net) or Anne McKenna {631-981-4375, amcken01@yahoo.com) tooffer suggestions. We are receptive toideas and material that you are inter-ested in hearing about.

The NKF Walkathon will be heldin October at the South StreetSeaport in Manhattan. Watch for theflyer and e-mail. We look forward toseeing many of you there. Last year itwas an exceptional day.

We are grateful to our memberswho care and advocate for kidneydisease patients. You are the peoplewho make life on dialysis more toler-able for a great many patients. Weneed to celebrate that gift, especiallyduring Nephrology Nurses Week.Winthrop Hospital Dialysis inMineola invited a politician to viewtheir unit with pride and preparedmany activities for their nurses lastyear as a thank you for their dedica-tion. We hope that this year manymore units will show the same com-mitment to their nurses duringNephrology Nurses Week inSeptember.

Garden State #125Welcome to our 2008-2009 offi-

cers: President Anita Ayers,President-Elect B. Sandy Miholics,Treasurer Joann Coderre, SecretaryRick Snyder, Health PolicyRepresentative Caroline Steward,and Corporate Manager DebbieHadam.

Sandy Miholics put together ourvery educational and well attendedall-day Annual Spring Program atThe Breakers on the Ocean in SpringLake, NJ, on May 15. Another all-dayprogram is planned for August 21 atTrump Marina in Atlantic City, NJ.Visit our chapter Web site atwww.annagardenstate.org for furtherinformation on this and other educa-tional activities.

Keystone chapter officers hold the awards they received at the 2008 NationalSymposium. Pictured (from left) are President-Elect Lisa Balk, President JoleenPavelka, Past President Laureen McClure, Treasurer Marie Scutt-Mohamed, andSecretary Karen Russell.

Members of the Northeast Tri-StateChapter enjoy a relaxing moment atthe 2008 National Symposium.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 442

We are planning a very busyeducational year with at least fourcorporate-sponsored dinner meetingsand three all-day conferences. Wealso are looking for a volunteer toassist Debbie Hadam with corporaterelations. Anyone interested can con-tact us via the contact link on ourWeb site.

Jersey North #126We are proud to announce that

we won the 2007 Northeast Chapterof the Year Award! Now that it issummer, the chapter officers are ful-filling their new roles: PresidentMarilyn Eilert, Secretary Edith Lee,Treasurer Lauren Webster-Garcia,Health Policy RepresentativeSuzanne Juliano, and NortheastChapters Coordinator-Elect AliceCampanelli. Congratulations to AliceCampanelli for being awarded aCareer Mobility Scholarship!

The chapter is offering scholar-ships to two recipients who are pur-suing a BSN or MSN. The deadlinefor applying is this August.

Shire Pharmaceuticals hosted aneducational dinner meeting at theStony Hill Inn in Hasbrouck Heightson June 3. The presentation onHyperphosphatemia offered atten-dees 1.5 contact hours. What a greatturnout!

The chapter is working on aCNN/CDN review scheduled forSeptember 21 (time and place to beannounced). We also will host theCNN, CDN, and CCHT exams onOctober 12 at Holy Name Hospital inTeaneck, NJ. Visit our Web site atwww.annajerseynorth126.com formore information. Chapter meetingsare held at Que Pasta in SaddleBrook at 5:00 pm, and we invite andencourage all members to attend. Formore chapter information, you alsocan contact Marilyn Eilert at marilyneilert@aol.com.

NYPEN #127Chapter President Patty

Sorensen and Secretary RobinScheepsma attended the 2008National Symposium. This was agreat learning experience and a won-derful time!

On June 1 our chapter held ateaching day at the Holiday Inn inElmira. Speakers and topics includ-ed: Andrea Easom from WatsonPharma, Inc., iron management;Elizabeth Kirk from Genzyme, hyper-phosphatemia and creative approach-es to improve patient adherence; andnephrologist Dr. Louis Riley, hyper-tension.

On June 7 we held our secondannual Kidney Walk at Eldridge Parkin Elmira. This year was even better!Many patients, staff, friends, andfamily participated in the walk tobenefit the NKF.

Watch for information on a falldinner program that we are currentlyplanning.

Great Lakes #128 Our officers for 2008-2009 are:

President Debbie LaDue, President-Elect Marcia Savage, TreasurerMickey Newell, Secretary JulieDeBadts, and Health PolicyRepresentative Marie Wade.

The chapter officers are workingon this year’s newsletter and makingplans for Kidney Disease Awarenessand Education Week in August.

Northern New England #131Due to rising postage costs, the

chapter sent notices via snail mail tothe dialysis units and will e-mailinformation concerning our AnnualFall Renal Update to the generalmembership. If your unit did notreceive a notice, please print thecopy you receive via e-mail and postit in your unit.

Speaking of membership, we hitan all time high last year of 100members. We would like to do evenbetter this year, so if you have notsubmitted your annual dues yet,please do so and encourage yourfriends to join also.

We had a nice showing of mem-bers at the 2008 NationalSymposium. The chapter gave twoscholarships to members to help withregistration.

E-mail Mary Dyson at medyson@roadrunner.com or call 207-944-0723with any questions or concerns.

Intercounty #132Four chapter members attended

the 2008 National Symposium. Threenew officers – Secretary TheresaWilliams, Health PolicyRepresentative Patricia Cole, andSecretary-Elect Sally Miller – alongwith President JoAnn Pitcher attend-ed the VLOW.

The chapter sponsored theWinter Audio Conference at theBuffalo General Hospital. The eventwas well attended.

Plans are underway to host aCDN review course in early fall. Wealso are working hard to increase ourmembership.

Jersey South #133We have started our second year!

Our new officers are PresidentJoanne Carella, President-Elect PattyMcCann, Secretary Ann Caswell, andTreasurer Eileen Walker. We plan tohave a Day of Learning. We wouldlike suggestions for topics of interestfrom our members. Several CE dinnermeetings also are planned. The FallAudio Conference will be offered atsites in different regions of our mem-bership area.

Remember to encourage your fel-low nephrology nurses to participatein our activities. Contact the officersif your e-mail address changesbecause we are trying to use e-mailfor communicating with our mem-bers.

Susquehanna Valley #130We began our new year with a

new chapter officer. Arlene Smith isnow the incoming president-elect.Arlene attended the 2008 VLOW. Wewelcome Arlene and new ideas!

Upcoming events include aSunday educational brunch to beheld in Danville in September. Wealso are recruiting host sites for theFall Audio Conference in October.The Fall Meeting will be held inChicago in September. A newsletterwill be e-mailed to all chapter mem-bers this summer once dates arefinalized.

If you are not on the chapter’s e-mail list, contact Secretary LoriMahaffey (lmahaffey@ncpdc.com)with your correct e-mail address.

Many Jersey North chapter membersattended the 2008 NationalSymposium. Pictured (from left) areWally Petteway, Gloria Azubiake, LeeCardenas, Marilyn Eilert, DonnaHurley, Nina Picone, AliceCampanelli, and Debra Wells.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 4 43

Southeast

Cardinal #201The first North Carolina

Statewide ANNA Meeting was heldMay 21-22 at the Grandover Resortand Conference Center inGreensboro, NC. This meeting was acollaborative effort involving all fourchapters in North Carolina. Themeeting was a big success with over200 attendees and more than 20 ven-dors. Special thanks to LesleyDinwiddie for chairing the meetingplanning committee. We hope to plananother collaborative meeting nextyear.

Our next chapter dinner meetingwill be held in August at Maggiano’sin Durham, NC. The topic will betransplantation. For more informa-tion, contact Amy Woodard atawoodard@unch.unc.edu.

Greater Charlotte #202Four of our five chapter officers

attended the VLOW in Philadelphiaand had an awesome time.

On May 21-22 we co-hosted ourfirst statewide symposium with theother North Carolina ANNA chaptersat the Grandover Resort inGreensboro, NC. What a wonderfulmeeting with beautiful surroundings,excellent speakers, great food, lots ofvendors, and networking opportuni-ties! We hope you attended. Thanksto all of you who made this event asuccess.

Alamo City #205In April the new chapter execu-

tive board attended the 2008 VLOWand National Symposium along withmany other chapter members.

In May our annual executive

board and board of directors retreatwas very productive. We plannedmany events for members and thecommunity for the 2008-2009 year.Also in May, Dr Lazaga, a nephrolo-gist, presented CKD and Hyper-tension. This educational offeringwas well attended by our members.Thanks to the generosity of our spon-sor Boehringer Ingelheim Pharm, weenjoyed a wonderful dinner/presenta-tion at the Bright Shawl.

In June our educational offeringwas sponsored by Fresenius, and Dr.Wajeh Qunibi enlightened us onPhosLo®. This session was wellattended by our members whoenjoyed the fine cuisine of The PalmRestaurant.

Our July educational offeringwas held at Alamo Café and the topicwas entitled Sensipar®. Amgen spon-sored the event.

South Florida Flaming #206We are pleased to announce our

officers for 2008: President NurianRobert, President-Elect Jane Sapp-Wallace, Secretary Carol Baird,Treasurer Rosalyn Tanudtanud, andHealth Policy Representative RobbieAguirre. Anita Velasco, immediatepast president, continues to be veryhelpful.

We are excited to provide educa-tional opportunities for our membersand are looking forward to sugges-tions as well as volunteers for futuremeetings. The officers are happy toreport a very successful annual din-ner presentation to honor all thenurses in our chapter for NationalNurses Week.

The chapter wants to extend sin-cere appreciation to the local teamfrom Abbott: David Kaiser, JoseGuerra, Joan Schulman-Lewis, andGeorge Newport-Jones. Intervent-ional radiology and vascular accesswas the topic of our April meeting atAmerican Access Care.

President-Elect Jane Sapp-Wallace and several other chaptermembers attended the 2008 NationalSymposium. Jane also attended theVLOW and shared what she learnedat our business meeting in June.

On July 19-20 our chapter willhost a certification review course forlocal nurses and technicians. Weencourage members to spread theword about this review course.

Greater Charlotte chapter officers attended the Volunteer Leaders OrientationWorkshop in Philadelphia.

South Florida Flamingo chapter members enjoyed an educational presentation byDr. Goel on April 10.

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Dallas #208The chapter represented ANNA

at the National Student Nurses’Association (NSNA) conference inDallas on March 27-29. ANNANational Treasurer Donna Painterpresented two focus group sessionson nephrology nursing, while TrishWhite, Ron Tamplin, Nicole Woolen,and Mary McGraw worked at theANNA booth.

Over 10 members attended the2008 National Symposium, includingGlenda Payne and Mary Schira whowere speakers at the symposium. Thechapter shared the ChaptersCollaboration Award with the othernine Texas ANNA chapters.

We are planning activities for theupcoming year, including an educa-tional offering on the new Conditionsfor Coverage for ESRD Facilities.

Caribbean #210Congratulations to our new offi-

cers for the upcoming year: PresidentMyriam Centeno, President-ElectRita De Jesus, Secretary JeannetteDominguez, and Treasurer MarienSaade.

Three chapter members attendedthe 2008 National Symposium andenjoyed the learning opportunities,networking, and celebration. Ourchapter is planning the celebration ofour 20th anniversary.

Suncoast #213Thank you to Dr. John Reed for

his presentation in April. His humorand knowledge on the subject ofAnemia Management in CKD madefor a delightful evening. We also wishto extend our thanks to AmericanRegent, Linda Stewart, and RhodaGonzalez for their support of ourchapter and for their sponsorship.

Our biggest endeavor as a chap-ter was once again a huge success atThe Colony Tennis and Beach Resort.The 3-day seminar featured greatspeakers, vendors, and attendees.Thanks to all who participated andhelped make this the wonderfulannual event that it has been for 29years. Plan now to attend our 30thanniversary celebration in June 2009!

Plans are underway for anephrology nurse reception in thefall. More information about ourupcoming events can be obtainedfrom Stephanie Hull (813-872-0933)or Donna McDuffie (813-265-9733).

Arkansas #215The chapter was represented at

the VLOW by chapter PresidentAndrea Easom and President-ElectKathryn Morris. They came backmotivated to “carry the torch,” the

theme for this year, and build aneffective team of nephrology nursesand other health care professionals topromote and support activities thatbenefit the nephrology community inArkansas.

The first step was to hold anorganizational meeting at Restaurant1620 in Little Rock. Sue Turton-Weeks presented the transplant sec-tion of the ANNA CertificationReview Course, and ideas were gen-erated to complete the chapter’saction plan for the year. The rest ofthe course will be presented inSeptember during Nephrology NursesWeek, and ANNA “Carry the Torch”pins will be presented to all mem-bers.

The chapter will be a host sitefor the various certification examsthis year. Arkansas does not have astate-specific exam for patient caretechnicians (PCTs), and it is expectedthat many PCTs will sit for the CCHTexam. The chapter is encouragingthem to become associate membersand attend the CNN certificationreview course. Even though thecourse is not specifically for theirexam, we are going to review the testmaps for all the exams and providehandouts of the exams’ content.

Plans for Kidney DiseaseAwareness and Education Week areunderway. Local, state, and federalpolicymakers are being invited toseveral dialysis units across the state.The ESRD Briefing Book and theArkansas State Fact Sheet will beprovided to them, along with a tourand the opportunity for them to meetwith both nephrology nurses andpatients.

We look forward to a fun andproductive year!

Dogwood #224Our new chapter officers are

President Angela Taylor-Smith,President-Elect Gwen Taylor,Secretary Juanita Connor, TreasurerJoan Wokpara, Health PolicyRepresentative Norma Heard, andPlanning Committee Elpedia Reason.

The new officers hosted theirfirst educational offering on May 6after attending the VLOW in April.There was excellence attendance atthis educational dinner, which washeld at Copeland’s Restaurant andsponsored by Watson Pharma-ceutical. Andrea Easom presentedInterpreting Serum Ferritin Levels toMore Effectively Care for YourHemodialysis Patients. The presenta-tion was excellent and providedvaluable information that can be usedto improve patient outcomes.

Each officer had the opportunityto discuss important informationwith chapter members and brieflydiscuss her role. Southeast RegionalVice President Loretta JacksonBrown and State Health PolicyRepresentative Marleen Currierattended and made specialannouncements. Some participantswon raffle prizes, and ShelitaMentore won a $25 gift card donatedby Copeland’s Restaurant.

The chapter hosted the certifica-tion exams at Emory Crawford LongHospital on May 17 with 21 partici-pants testing for professional certifi-cation. Thank you to Becky McKeeWaddle for providing the chapterwith a place of learning and to ournew officers who volunteered tomonitor testing.

In June and July new officers andmembers volunteered at community

Dogwood chapter officers are ready to get the year started after attending the 2008Volunteer Leaders Orientation Workshop. Pictured (from left) are President-ElectGwen Taylor, Secretary Joan Wokpara, President Angela Taylor-Smith, and HealthPolicy Representative Norma Heard.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 4 45

events, such as children day campsponsored by Children Healthcare ofAtlanta, and planned for upcomingevents. Upcoming events include aCE dinner meeting sponsored byVascular Access of Georgia onAugust 5. The topic will be EarlyIntervention of Grafts and Fistulas inConjunction with UltrasoundSurveillance. Invite a dialysis techni-cian or a new nephrology nurse toattend this event.

The chapter’s next 2-day CEevent will be held September 19-20.The Road to Nurse and ClientSuccess: Driven Toward a TeamApproach will be sponsored byAmerican Regent on Friday evening.An all-day collaborative event withSoutheast Kidney Council will beoffered on Saturday. This interactiveworkshop entitled DecreasingDialysis Provider Conflict will be pre-sented by Sammy Bailey and willinclude some speakers of our own:Southeast Regional Vice PresidentLoretta Jackson Brown, BeckyMcKee Waddle (Emory CrawfordLong Hospital), Marina Villano(Fresenius Medical Care-NorthAmerica [FMC-NA]), and LindseyPedley (Abbott). We thank our spon-sors American Regent, FMC-NA, andAbbott. Please invite professionalswho are in contact with patients,including social workers, dialysistechnicians, renal dieticians, or clini-cal managers, to attend this event.

Some of our chapter membersand officers will attend the ANNAFall Meeting in September.

On October 7 and 14 the chapterwill sponsor the Fall AudioConference as we expand our chapterto your area. If you are interested inhosting a site, e-mail annadogwood@annadogwoodchapter224.com.

On October 17-18 the chapter isplanning to collaborate with theNational Association of NephrologyTechnicians (NANT) to host a 2-dayworkshop for nephrology profession-als and a review course for CCHTand CHT certification.

The chapter would like to hostan educational offering in your area.Please contact us via e-mail.

Information about our next eventcan be found on our Web site atwww.annadogwoodchapter224.com.For more information or to request abrochure, e-mail annadogwood@annadogwoodchapter224.com.

Joining together at a Dogwood chapter event are Norma Heard, Loretta JacksonBrown (Southeast Vice President), Rebecca McKee Waddle, Angela Taylor-Smith,and Joan Wokpara.

Juanita Connor and Angela Taylor-Smith supported ANNA at a Dogwoodchapter event.

Angela Taylor-Smith, president of the Dogwood Chapter, networks with ANNAPast President Gail Wick (left).

Stacey Lane was one of many mem-bers representing the DogwoodChapter at the National Symposium.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 446

Music City #228Our chapter leadership includes:

President Melissa Foster, President-Elect Anita Tipton, Secretary CherylSmith, Treasurer Cheryl Conquest,and State Health Policy DirectorBillie Axley. Several local memberstraveled to Philadelphia for theNational Symposium. Melissa Fosterand Anita Tipton attended the VLOWprior to the symposium. Severalmembers presented at the sympo-sium on various topics, includingBillie Axley, Melissa Foster, RebeccaWingard and Kathryn McDougall.Other members who were spotted inPhiladelphia included: GlendaBarnett-Streicher, Pam Hager, TanaWaack, Michelle Carver, MiddieCrooks, Carolyn Latham, and BrendaLee.

In May the chapter hosted a suc-cessful dinner event. The CE offering,Anemia and Iron Balance, was spon-sored by American Regent and heldat Stoney River. Many familiar faceswere at the gathering. Perhaps mostencouraging were the number of newfaces eager to attend the local meet-ing and be part of our membership.We look forward to gaining newmembers and “growing” our chapter.

Plans for the year include offer-ing the certification exams with anaccompanying review course as wellas CE dinner events and the FallAudio Conference. Stay tuned toyour email for more information!

Congratulations to the followingchapter members: Melissa Foster onbecoming the Hemodialysis SIGLeader; and Billie Axley on beingnamed editor of the new edition ofANNA’s continuous quality improve-ment manual to be published in 2009and on her appointment as theKidney Disease Awareness andEducation Week Advisor.

Masters City #233The chapter has officially moved

to Macon, GA! We began our localrecruiting efforts by displaying anANNA board with the other profes-sional nursing organizations duringNurses Week. We are planning anupcoming CE event with emphasison recruitment from our acute andoutpatient dialysis centers.

Our chapter officers arePresident Sandra Copeland,President-Elect Sarah Freant, andSecretary/Treasurer Marilyn “Janet”English. Daniel Triolo is helpingrevise our chapter Web site. Ourchapter e-mail address is masterscity@comcast.net.

We are pleased to announce thatMarilyn Janet English won ANNA’sQuality Care Award this year. Both

Janet and Sandra Copeland attendedthe 2008 VLOW and NationalSymposium.

We are making plans to inviteour elected leaders to visit our facili-ty for Kidney Disease Awareness andEducation Week. More information tocome!

Hazel Taylor #239The chapter’s incoming officers

attended the 2008 NationalSymposium. Enjoying all the greateducational and networking opportu-nities were President Donna Casey,President-Elect Cindy Richards,Secretary Betty Etherton, TreasurerSara Kennedy, and Health PolicyRepresentative Carthenia Walker-Jefferson. Each had an opportunity toattend sessions related to their volun-teer role.

A CE offering was well attendedon May 20 at the Cahaba PumpHouse.

All members are encouraged tosupport the Free for 3 membershipcampaign to recruit new ANNAmembers.

We are busy planning for theLegislative Update and our 24thAnnual Nephrology Update inNovember. Please contact any of theofficers for information.

Commonwealth #250The chapter was excited to have

the opportunity to send three newofficers to the 2008 VLOW: PresidentKitty Thomas, President-Elect GailLangabeer, and Secretary KathyCure. The officers were fortunate tostay for the symposium along withfellow member Kay Lair.

The chapter is in the process ofplanning lectures and communityevents. The chapter is excited aboutplanning events for NephrologyNurses Week.

The chapter executive committee

has set a goal to double the member-ship over the course of the upcomingyear.

Cathy Husser, past president, islooking forward to attending the FallMeeting in Chicago.

Acadiana #252Chapter members attended the

2008 National Symposium and couldhave probably flown home without aplane. We were soaring higher thankites when our chapter was recog-nized with four awards. CharlaLitton received a $2,000 CareerMobility Scholarship; Linda Betheareceived the ANNA RepresentationAward ($500 and a plaque); and thechapter was awarded $500 and aplaque for the Chapter StrategicAlliances Award as well as $500 anda plaque for Southeast RegionalChapter of the Year. Mary MichaelBogues also won a $50 gift card, agold medal, and a certificate for toss-ing her bean bag on the winning line.

Chapter officers for the upcom-ing year include: President LindaBethea, President-Elect KandaceLandreneau, Treasurer Kathey Day,Secretary Mary Michael Bogues, andHealth Policy Representative CharlaLitton. Linda Bethea joined theChronic Kidney Disease SIG, andTrudy Saldana joined the PeritonealDialysis SIG. Linda Bethea remainson the Ethics Committee, and CharlaLitton remains on the AdministrationSIG this year.

On April 25 Valerie Best gave apresentation Acute Renal Failure tothe critical care nurses at LouisianaState University (LSU) HealthScience Center, Shreveport. On April26 several chapter members, includ-ing Christina Shuler, Linda Bethea,and Sharon Sergeant, manned abooth on chronic kidney disease atthe annual LSU Health SciencesCenter Family Health Fair.

On May 19 Kandace Landre-neau, Mary Michael Bogues, KatheyDay, Charla Litton, Sharon Sergeant,and Linda Bethea joined forces withvolunteers from Loyola Prep to helpRoger Zeigler, NKF of Louisiana’sDirector of Golf & Development, carryout the Annual Shreveport CadillacInvitational Golf Tournament. Teamsgathered at Southern Trace GolfCourse on a beautiful spring day towin a wonderful array of prizes andenjoy lunch, dinner, and goody bags.

On May 29 Suzann VanBuskirkpresented Understanding IronMetabolism in Hemodialysis andAnemia, which was made possibleby Watson Pharma. It was held atThe Mabry House, a beautifulVictorian restaurant. A large group

Cindy Richards, president-elect of theHazel Taylor Chapter, attended the2008 National Symposium.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 4 47

assembled for an evening of educa-tion offering 1.5 contact hours andnetworking.

We reviewed upcoming eventsand made strategic plans at our offi-cers retreat at Lake Claiborne StatePark on May 30. Plans are in theworks for a CNN/CDN/CCHT reviewcourse and exam in the fall.

Our Third Annual Bowl-A-Ramawas held June 22 at Holiday Lanes inBossier City. This event serves as atime of fun for members, families,and friends as well as a fundraiser forthe chapter. A multitude of gifts weredonated and given away in a rafflethroughout the day. This event ishighly anticipated by members eachyear, and everyone enjoys participat-ing in the friendly competition.

On June 26 Genzyme sponsoredan educational meeting at theCountry Tavern Restaurant. The topicwas Calcium Load in CKD Stage 5 –How Much Is Too Much. Basketswere raffled as a fundraising eventfor the chapter. Congratulations to thewinners!

East Texas #255Our chapter is still growing!

Remember the Free for 3 membershipdrive and spread the word. The chap-ter gained some new members at theNational Symposium. Welcome toRon Wilson! Several chapter mem-bers attended the 2008 VLOW andNational Symposium. We participat-ed in the Olympic events held at theSoutheast Reception. Congratulationsto the Texas chapters on winning theChapters Collaboration Award thisyear!

In June the Texas chapters met inSan Antonio to begin planning the2009 meeting. Alice Thomas repre-sented our chapter this year whileDanyelle Hannum co-chaired thecommittee with Gail Dewald.

The chapter is looking for placesto hold CE meetings this year as wellas a certification test site. If youwould like to host a CE event or testsite, contact Danyelle Hannum(ruby.hannum@fmc-na.com) or DebWarrington (deb.warrington@fmc-na.com). We are currently working oncreating a chapter Web site. Oncecompleted, we will have a link fromthe ANNA Web site.

Northeastern Oklahoma #256Welcome to all our new and

returning members. We hope to havean exciting year for you. SharonBennett and Katie Colpitts attendedthe VLOW in Philadelphia and had agreat time meeting other chapter offi-cers from around the country. We feelenergized for the next year.

We enjoyed a fantastic meetingon June 3 provided by WatsonPharma at Flemings Steak House.Andrea Easom discussed A CQI

Approach to Improving IronManagement.

Watch your e-mail for moreinformation about upcoming events.Contact Katie Colpitts (kcolpitt@sjmc.org) with any questions.

Central Virginia #258Our chapter has had an exciting

year filled with many educationalopportunities. On February 9 wehosted Back to Basic Training:Nephrology Boot Camp, a CNN/CDNreview course. On April 17 our chap-ter collaborated with the Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition (MARC) tooffer a program titled AccessAdequacy and CannulationTechniques: Hands on Training.Nancy Gregory, MARC qualityimprovement director, was the guestspeaker. The “hands-on” trainingadded to the overall learning experi-ence. On June 12 Glinda Stricklinand Janna Carter presented HomeHemodialysis Therapy as an Option.

Chapter President-ElectAntoinette “Toni” Sperandeo attend-ed the VLOW in Philadelphia. Shewas enriched by the experience andis eager to begin her new role. Wewelcomed our new officers for theyear: President Jayne Davey,Secretary Robyn Jones. TreasurerTheresa Kitts, and Health PolicyRepresentative Diane Kraynak.

Thank you to Cathy Bishop whodid a fabulous job as 2007-2008 chap-ter president and Anne Webber,2007-2008 secretary. Your hard workis sincerely appreciated.

Visit our Web site at www.anna-centralva.org for information onfuture educational offerings, registra-tion details, and pictures. As always,we welcome your involvement!

The Acadiana Chapter’s table display at the National Symposium featured pic-tures and flyers of last year’s events as well as green Louisiana pins with flashinglights, which were a great souvenir for participants to take home. Pictured (fromleft) are Charla Litton, Sandra Newland, Mary Michael Bogues, and Judy Franklin.

Cathy Bishop, Robyn Jones, and Theresa Kitts participated in the Central VirginiaChapter’s “Back to Basic Training: Nephrology Boot Camp” (a CNN/CDN reviewcourse) on February 9.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 448

Sand Dollar #260The chapter has been busy since

we returned from the 2008 NationalSymposium. We are still glowingfrom receiving the ChaptersCollaboration Award, which was pre-sented to the 10 Texas chapters.President Jeanene Trochesset andSecretary Joyce Schells attended theVLOW and the symposium. It wasfun visiting with old acquaintancesand make new friends.

When we returned to Galvestonwe immediately began working.Chapter members participated in thelocal hospital’s Nurses Week activi-ties. We had a booth to screen forhypertension.

Our president hosted a retreat inher home for our executive board. Webrainstormed for activities for 2008-2009.

Blue Ridge #262We had a great time and good

attendance from our chapter at thefirst North Carolina statewide sympo-sium in May. After enjoying sometime off this summer, we will startback up with a Journal Club andbusiness meeting on August 19 at6:30 pm (place to be determined).Come out and help plan the year.

We also will host the Fall AudioConference in October. Watch formailings or flyers giving details clos-er to the event. Contact Secretary SueCaldwell at 828-627-6907 (work)with any questions.

Fleur de Lis #263Our mission is to equip nephrol-

ogy nurses in their efforts to excel asnurses, engage in communityactivism, and champion the needs ofpeople with kidney disease. We servethe southeastern area of Louisiana.Our new officers leading this effortare President Kathy Ellis, President-Elect Janice Johnson, Secretary CathyGroeger, and Treasurer LajuandaDaigle. Our chapter is proud to recog-

nize Sue Cary who is serving asANNA President and BernadineMilton who is serving as RegionalHealth Policy Advisor. Several chap-ter members attended the 2008National Symposium to applaud Sueas she assumed her new role withANNA.

Cathy Groeger was a speaker atthe symposium and she presentedChallenges where Rewards of aMultigenerational Workforce. Did youknow that preparing for generationaldiversity issues in the workplace isan important skill for nurse managersas well as their staff? For more infor-mation, review her presentationslides online and feel free to contacther at cgroeger@renalassociates.com.

On June 7 we participated in theNKF Kidney Walk in Baton Rouge.Another walk is scheduled forNovember 9 in New Orleans. Ourmembers are actively engaged infundraising and getting in shape forthe walk. Our meeting dates and cal-endar of events will be sent to mem-bers via e-mail.

In order to meet our educationgoal, our chapter is sponsoring two 2-day certification review classes andNNCC testing in collaboration withthe New Orleans chapter of NANT asfollows:• Option 1

Day 1: July 13, 11 am - 6:30 pm(RNs and technicians) Day 2: July 20, 12-6 pm (RNs only)Test: July 27, 12:30-5 pm

• Option 2Day 1: October 5, 11 am - 6 pm(RNs and technicians) Day 2: October 19, 12-6 pm (RNsonly)Test: October 26, 12:30-5 pm atOchsner Hospital, New Orleans

Palm Valley #271Welcome to our new chapter

officers: President Charlotte Vescova(chash53@yahoo.com), President-Elect Rosie Olivares (rolivares@usre-nalcare.com), Secretary AudreySaldana (asaldana@usrenalcare.com),and Treasurer Irma Davila(idavila@usrenalcare.com). We arelooking forward to an exciting yearfull of educational activities, volun-teering, and participation in theKidney Disease Awareness andEducation Week.

Our chapter is proud to havereceived the following awards at the2008 National Symposium: ChapterRecruitment and Retention Award,Southeast Region; ChaptersCollaboration Award; and Certificateof Outstanding Achievement inRecognition of Participation in COTY2007. We also were excited to haveCharlotte Vescova present a lectureduring the VLOW on How Can anAction Plan Help Make Your ChapterAlive Again? Charlotte Vescova,Rosie Olivares, and Irma Davilaattended the conference. All wereexcited to gain new insights, makenew friends, and learn valuableknowledge to bring home and sharewith fellow nephrology nurses.

Rosie Olivares, our selected offi-cer to participate on the annual TexasCollaborative Committee, met withthe committee in June to start coordi-nating another exciting program. If itis anything like the last meeting, weare in for a special treat!

Cathy Groeger congratulates Sue Caryon officially becoming ANNAPresident at the National Symposium.Both are members of the Fleur de LisChapter.

Palm Valley chapter officers Irma Davila, Rosie Olivares, and Charlotte Vescovaaccept awards on behalf of the chapter during the National Symposium.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 4 49

North Central

Windy City #305Congratulations to our chapter

members as the Windy City Chapterwas awarded the North CentralRegional Chapter of the Year Awardat the 2008 National Symposium. Allof our chapter officers were presentto accept the award on behalf of thechapter, and many members werepresent as well. Congratulations toJane Gardner, who was awarded theNephrology Nursing Journal WritingContest Award for Research.

Our second summer NephrologyNurse Certification Review Courseheld at Loyola University MedicalCenter in Maywood, IL, in July was asuccess. And just in time for the fallcertification exams, which will beheld October 11 at the Metro ChicagoHealthcare Council (MCHC), 222South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL.The application deadline for thisoffering is August 2. Certificationexams also will be offered at theANNA Fall Meeting at the HyattRegency Chicago on September 26.Even if you are not planning to take acertification exam, mark your calen-dar now to attend the Fall Meeting(September 27-29), which will beheld within our chapter boundaries.Please contact us if you would like toassist your chapter at this event.

We are planning to host two sitesfor the Fall Audio Conference inOctober. Watch our Web site fordetails as they develop.

Stay current with your chapterby visiting our Web site at home.com-cast.net/~anna-windycitychapter305/annawindycity.html, or find us byvisiting the ANNA Web site at

www.annanurse.org (click onChapters, select Chapter Links, thenscroll down until you find the WindyCity Chapter #305). The Web site isupdated monthly. Contact us toincrease your chapter involvement,become an officer, keep your e-mailaddress current, or tell us about yourprofessional nephrology accomplish-ments for our “Accolades” page.Remember, our chapter is only aseducational, informative, and fun asour most active members. Getinvolved and “Contact Us!”

Heart of America #313The spring very quickly turned

into summer here in the Midwest.We are continuing to work with theNKF to provide community serviceand education.

Congratulations to our membersArmen Davis, Sasha Haarhoff, andNichole Yarbrough. They took theprofessional challenge and passed thecertification exam.

Several members were involvedwith the NKF planning committee forthe annual educational meeting onMay 6. Jane Hafner presented DailyHemodialysis Update. The meetingwas well attended. During the breaks,the chapter sold T-shirts, distributedmembership information as well asinformation on the requirements fortechnician certification.

Members staffed the first aid sta-tion and manned the scoreboard atthe Mercedes-Benz of Kansas CityChampionship Golf Tournament.Everyone had a great time.

Camp Chimer will be August 3-7this year. If you are interested in vol-unteering, contact debbie.ulm@kidney.org. This is a wonderful andrewarding experience.

Our annual 1-day educationalseminar, The Heart of NephrologyCare, will be held September 11 andwill include topics such as Wegener’sdisease, oral health, fluid manage-ment, cardiac calcification, and more.We once again will be holding oursilent auction which has been verysuccessful in the past. If you haveany items or services you want todonate, notify Sharon Bunnell atsbunnell5@comcast.net.

We are considering offering theCNN certification review again in thefall if there are enough interested intaking the course. If you would liketo be placed on that list, e-mail sbunnell5@comcast.net and we willlet you know when it is scheduled.

We have had several e-mailscome back to us. If you haven’t heardfrom us lately, send us an e-mail sothat we can update our list with cur-rent e-mail addresses.

Central Missouri #318President Janet Peterie attended

the 2008 VLOW and NationalSymposium. Michelle Hutchinsonaccepted the position of chapter pres-ident-elect. Barbara Prowant andLeonor Ponferrada volunteered toserve on the chapter board.

The chapter presented an educa-tional dinner program on July 1 enti-tled Coaching Patients for Success:Strategies to Enhance Dialysis PatientEducation Through MotivationalInterviewing. The speaker was JoBerlinger.

Plans are in progress for theAnnual Nephrology Update to beoffered by our chapter in 2009. Thechapter will offer a CCHT certifica-tion review course in September andhost a certification test site inColumbia.

Bluegrass #322The Bluegrass Chapter from

Lexington, KY, enjoyed its first meet-ing of the 2008-2009 season on June12. Dinner was provided atPortofino’s Restaurant by Eli LillyCorp. The topic for the evening wasRenal Bone Disease. New officerswere installed: President Jill DeBoltand President-Elect Mary MargaretRice-Burdette.

Future plans include a CE onWheels program in September andthe Fall Audio Conference inOctober.

Black Swamp #323In June we participated in a pro-

gram titled Understanding ActiveVitamin D at LaScola Grill. Also inJune we were pleased to participatein a half-day symposium at theUniversity of Toledo Medical Collegesponsored by the NKF of NorthwestOhio. Topics included herbs – a kid-ney perspective; healing touch andaromatherapy; what’s new in thetreatment of metabolic bone disease;and an update on home hemodialysisand the use of the NxStage system.

Platte River #324Chapter officers returned from

the 2008 VLOW refreshed, full ofideas, and ready to move forward. AFall Workshop will be heldSeptember 17-18 at Lincoln’s CountryInn & Suites. Save the date. Cardshave been sent, and you will receiveregistration brochures at a later date.The fall workshop planning commit-tee has met and is busy planning agreat meeting. Plan to attend andinvite your coworkers to join us.

We also are planning a summercertification review for nurses andtechnicians. Watch for updates.

Windy City chapter officers acceptedthe 2007 North Central RegionalChapter of the Year Award at theNational Symposium. Pictured (fromleft) are Debra Kaiser, health policyrepresentative; Mary Kay Larson, trea-surer; Susan Kuester, president; GaryReschak, secretary; and Molly Cahill,North Central Regional Vice President.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 450

Remember to renew your ANNAmembership. It is the perfect time toupdate your e-mail address so we cankeep in touch and send you the latestinformation about chapter activitiesin a timely manner. Still have ques-tions about upcoming events? Visitwww.platteriverchapter.org, or con-tact President Sheila O’Day(soday@unmc.edu) or Secretary TerryMunsinger (tmunsinger@nebraskamed.com).

Badger #326The chapter started the year with

two officers, Jen Brady and KarenBeal, attending the 2008 VLOW andNational Symposium. Upon returninghome, we held our first chapter meet-ing of the year and began planningupcoming events. This year’s chapterofficers, including the two abovealong with Mary Jo Jacowski,Caprice Vanderkolk, and MichelleKrueger, reviewed an interest surveyof members and have an exciting yearplanned to meet educational andsocial interests.

A delicious summer dinner withNancy Kaufman of Amgen was hostedand well attended by members andrecruits. We will be hosting a NNCCcertification exam on August 16 inMadison with a review course sched-uled for August 9. Jan Schuh, one ofour members and a past officer, hasgraciously volunteered her time toconduct the review and proctor theexam. Details can be found on ourWeb site at www.annabadgers.org.Several technicians have inquiredabout the exam, proactively preparingfor future technician certificationrequirements.

We have been invited to co-hosta fall update with the NKF ofWisconsin and the ANNA WisconsinChapter. Planning has begun for thisevent, which will be held inSeptember.

Gitchee Gumee #331The National Symposium may

be over, but the memories will last along time. A big thank you to ANNAfor providing us with another won-derful conference. Mary Houglumand Victoria Bennett attended boththe VLOW sessions and the sympo-sium. It was a bit sad to see our chap-ter’s very own Sandy Bodin “pass thetorch” to the President Sue Cary.However, our best wishes are withSue as she assumes her new role. Wetook away so many new ideas andinspiration! All of the keynote speak-ers left us with such a feeling ofpride: for what we do, how we do it,why we do it, and for whom we doit. We are nephrology nurses and we

celebrate our profession. We are hop-ing that other chapter members startthinking now about running for anoffice for next year. ANNA does sucha great job with the orientation pro-gram, and the training will be held inSan Diego next year. Think about tak-ing this opportunity to help ourchapter and our patients!

The chapter held a fundraiser tokick off the new year. The winner ofa $200 Visa card was none other thanSandy Bodin. We also had a $50prize for the member who sold themost tickets. Happily, there wereeight members who were tied for thatprize so the winner was also decidedin a drawing. The winner was ToniFlyen from Superior, WI. Congratu-lations and thanks to all who took thetime to support our chapter.

We are looking forward to theupcoming year as we try to increaseour membership. We’ve started tobrainstorm on some ideas for this aswell as educational endeavors andfundraising events. We also look for-ward to getting suggestions fromchapter members.

Kidney Disease Awareness andEducation Week is scheduled forAugust 11-15. Invitations have goneout to state and federal policymakers.For more information or to host anevent in your local clinic, go towww.annanurse.org or contact ourhealth policy representative, SandyBodin. The visits can occur at anytime during the year and are wonder-ful opportunities to interact with offi-

cials and show them what we do!Mark your calendars for the Fall

Audio Conference on October 7. Thechapter will host sites in Duluth andEveleth, MN, as well as Rice Lake,WI. It’s a wonderful opportunity torelax, network with other staff, andearn contact hours.

Cookbooks are available for saleat $7 each. Contact Mary Houglum(mhouglum@centurytel.net) if youneed some for your Christmas list. It’snever too early to start planning, andit’s fun to support your chapter.

Red River Valley #341Angela McCarvel, Sandy Lura,

and Deb Bakken attended the 2008National Symposium and wereplease to bring home the NorthCentral Regional Recruitment andRetention Award for our chapter.Congratulations to Kelly Leach onreceiving a Career MobilityScholarship.

In May our chapter collaboratedwith the NKF to host the first-everKidney Walk held in Fargo, ND.Proceeds helped fund the KEEPscreening held on June 18 in Fargo.The group was "sizzling" again thissummer while fundraising at ourannual brat stand.

Those interested in certificationtesting or continuing educationshould attend our CertificationReview Course that has been resched-uled for August 24. Contactsandy.lura@meritcare.com for moreinformation.

Vickie Bennett and Mary Houglum, members of the Gitchee Gumee Chapter, vis-ited the Liberty Bell during the National Symposium in Philadelphia.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 4 51

Western

High Country #502After a successful 1-day confer-

ence in May, the summer monthswill be quiet ones. Chapter officersare busy planning for the upcomingyear. There will be another 1-dayconference most likely in October.More details to come!

Visit our Web site atwww.annahighcountry.org for legisla-tive information. We need your helpto pass important legislation as wenear election time.

Greater Puget Sound #503The chapter was well represent-

ed at the National Symposium.Chapter board members Carol Allen,Nancy Colobong-Smith, Annie Tu,and Lynda Ball attended the VLOW.Nancy McAfee and Lynda Ball werepresenters at the symposium.

Congratulations to DennisScherting, who received an ANNACareer Mobility Scholarship.

The new chapter board held adinner meeting in Seattle to plan theeducational programming for thecoming year.

Northern California #504The chapter held a successful

Nephrology and Dialysis CertificationReview Course on May 31 at MillsPeninsula Medical Center inBurlingame, CA, and June 1 at KaiserWalnut Creek in Walnut Creek, CA.The certification exams were offeredon July 12 in Burlingame and WalnutCreek.

Our chapter officers arePresident Ann Levy, President-ElectLauretta Williams, Secretary JamesCooke, and Treasurer Mei Chang. Allthe officers continue their commit-ment and efforts in support of ourmembers.

Several local nurses attended the2008 National Symposium, includingSheila Doss (Western Region ChapterCoordinator-Elect), LaurettaWilliams, Susie Soares-Phillips, andJames Cooke.

Nephros South #506Chapter members attended an

open house and educational eveningat San Diego Access Care in SanDiego on April 22. We toured thefacility, met with staff, and saw firsthand the tools of interventional radi-ology. Dr. Zachary Rattner, medicaldirector of the facility, presentedAccess Adequacy. Other staff mem-bers reviewed access assessment anddiscussed current concepts in cannu-lation techniques.

On May 20 the chapter hosted a

dinner program at Donovan’sSteakhouse in San Diego. Do YouRecognize Fabry’s Disease? was thetopic of the presentation.

Chapter officers will have aboard meeting this summer to planthe fall and winter meeting agenda.We will host the Fall AudioConference at the San Diego VAMedical Center.

Pacific Islands #507Chapter officers are continuing

to share the wealth of informationobtained at the National Symposiumwith their coworkers and managers.We hope this helps improve patientas well as establish evidence-basedpractice.

On July 13 Watson sponsored aneducational offering on anemia man-agement and iron.

In October Genzyme will spon-sor an educational update. We hopeto learn more about their new phos-phorus binder. We also will be pro-viding a CNN review course in thefall. Those who attended last yearpassed the exam, and we are antici-pating a big turnout again this year.

We have created an e-mail distri-bution list for news and educationalofferings. If you want to be on thelist, call Secretary Robin Tanner at808-542-2742.

We are looking for a president-elect, and our annual election arecoming up again at the end of theyear. If you are interested in the pres-ident-elect position or running foroffice for 2009, call Robin. Pleasenote that you must live in Hawaii torun for a position in our chapter.

Los Angeles #508Our chapter will be hosting a

half-day educational offering at theVA Greater Los Angeles HealthcareCenter in West Los Angeles onSeptember 20 entitled Topics inRenal Dialysis 2008. Topics willinclude: History of Dialysis, FabryDisease and Dialysis, Sepsis andRenal Failure, CRRT/PD/HD, andNxStage in Acute Dialysis.Registration flyers will be distributednext month, and 5.0 contact hourswill be offered.

Sacramento Valley #509President Regina Luiz had a

wonderful experience attending the2008 VLOW and NationalSymposium. Chapter board membersand committee chairs – PresidentRegina Luiz, Treasurer Sheryl Parks,Secretary Valerie August, HealthPolicy Representative Bobbe Wilson,Historian Kathleen Dealy,Membership Chair MargaretKennard, Fundraising Chair DonnaKistler, Web site Manager ChristineDouglas, and Education ProgramAdviser Judy Boyce – all helped planthe 2008-2009 education and boardmeeting calendar during a transition-al board meeting in June. If you areinterested in serving on a committee,contact any board member or emailanna509@comcast.net. Visit our Website at www.anna509.org. for moreinformation on our chapter.

Disaster Planning andPreparedness was held at theRadisson Hotel in Sacramento onApril 10. Dr. Jamie Ross spoke on herexperience with medical treatmentduring Hurricane Katrina, and Dr.

The Sacramento Valley Chapter hosted a conference on disaster planning andpreparedness on April 10. Pictured are Judy Boyce, chapter education programadvisor, and Regina Luiz, chapter president.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 452

Karen Tait, health care officer forLake County, spoke on her experi-ence during the Yuba City flood.Mike Macias and Jose Savedra spokeon water treatment needs during dis-asters. Danny Conceptcion and PeterTraub discussed facility disasterplans.

Intermountain #516Three chapter officers attended

the VLOW in Philadelphia: PresidentJoan Simard, Treasurer ErlynnWallace, and Secretary Jay Kiefer.

Congratulations to Pam Grissomwho brought in 10 new members andwas awarded the Western RegionRecruitment and Retention Award of$250 and a plaque.

The chapter held its first busi-ness meeting on May 22 attended byour president, treasurer, secretary,Health Policy Representative KristinLarson, and outgoing TreasurerDebbie English. We planned activitiesfor the coming year which include anall-day educational meeting inSeptember and one, possibly two,dinner seminars.

Cascades #518We enjoyed a fun and informa-

tive dinner meeting on May 8 atBentley’s Grille in Salem, OR. Thankyou to Dr. Neil R. Kumar ofRoseburg, OR, who spoke onSensipar and Improving Managementof Secondary Hyperparathyroidism inDialysis Patients. Thank you to KarinDunn of Amgen for sponsoring thisevent.

Thank you to Watson Pharma-ceuticals for an informative dinnermeeting on June 10.

We will be hosting the CNN,CDN, and CCHT tests on November 1at PPMC. Watch for flyers with addi-tional information in your units.

We gave $500 to the Kidney KidsKamp.

Visit our Web site atwww.annachapter518.com for morenews and events. Stayed tuned forfurther information on a scholarshipfor a chapter member for continuingeducation. Our Annual Conferencewill be held in Newport, OR, at theShiloh Inn on March 13, 2009. Markyour calendars for a fun weekend atthe beach.

Northern Lights #523Our chapter will be hosting the

nephrology nursing and technicianexaminations on October 12. We arein the process of planning aNephrology Review Course for bothnurses and technicians in September.

Inland Empire #526On February 12 the chapter host-

ed the Winter Audio Conference atLoma Linda University KidneyCenter. On March 9 Nitaya Soepronoand Eddie Soeprono attended theNurse in Washington Internship(NIWI) in Washington, DC. They vis-ited the offices of Congressmen JerryLewis, Ken Calvert, Mary Bono, andJoe Baca as well as Senators BarbaraBoxer and Dianne Feinstein.

On March 18 incoming PresidentCintia Peres organized an education-al class on Vascular Access at LomaLinda University Kidney Center. OnApril 26-27 incoming President-ElectNitaya Soeprono, Secretary PattyMcKiver, and member EddieSoeprono attended the VLOW inPhiladelphia. Five chapter membersattended the National Symposium.During the symposium NitayaSoeprono displayed a poster presen-tation entitled “ESRD Education Dayat a Non Profit Health CareOrganization Hospital Dialysis Unit”in the exhibit hall. Nitaya’s picturewas also displayed in the Award Hallof Fame because she was the recipi-ent of a NIWI grant.

All new chapter officers haveofficially started their roles: PresidentCintia Perez, President-Elect NitayaSoeprono, Health Policy Representa-tive Cathy Troia, Secretary PattyMcKiver, and Treasurer FlorenceChacon.

On May 7 the poster “ESRDEducation Day at a Non Profit Health

Nitaya and Eddie Soeprono, members of the Inland Empire Chapter, attended theNurse in Washington Internship in Washington, DC, in March.

Kathy Garcia and Suzzette Quilay attended the Sacramento Valley Chapter’s con-ference on disaster planning and preparedness in April.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 4 53

Care Organization Hospital DialysisUnit” was displayed at the AnnualNursing Research Conference atLoma Linda University MedicalCenter (LLUMC). Over 100 nursesattended the conference.

On May 9 Nitaya Soeprono,chapter president-elect; DebbieStitzinger, LLUMC outpatient dialy-sis nurse manager and ANNA mem-ber; and Margie Tessner, dialysisapheresis resource team and ANNAmember, presented a speech andslide show on “LLUMC KidneyDisease Awareness and EducationWeek” at Loma Linda UniversityAdventist Health Sciences Center’sNurse Leadership Conference. Over130 nurses attended the conference.

Kidney Disease Awareness andEducation Week at LLUMC will beobserved on August 8. We have heldseven meetings so far since Januaryon planning the event. Special thanksto the LLUMC nursing managementteam: Liz Dickinson, senior vice pres-ident, patient care service; JeanneMessinger, executive director, outpa-tient care services; Margie TesnerDART nurse manager; DebbieStitzinger, dialysis nurse manager;Robert Villa, assistant manager, out-patient dialysis; Judy Foose, uniteducator, outpatient dialysis; NitayaSoeprono. chapter president-elect;and Heather Valentine, LLUMC mar-keting department. All these individ-uals are helping to organize andsponsor the event. We plan to presentmore information after the event.Cintia Peres, chapter president, alsowas involved at the beginning before

Nitaya Soeprono (second from right), president-elect of the Inland EmpireChapter, displayed a poster entitled “ESRD Education Day at a Non Profit HealthCare Organization Hospital Dialysis Unit” at the Annual Nursing ResearchConference at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

On March 18 the Inland Empire Chapter hosted a presentation on vascular accessat Loma Linda University Kidney Center.

On May 9 Inland Empire chapter members Nitaya Soeprono, Debbie Stitzinger,and Margie Tessner presented a speech and slide show on “LLUMC KidneyDisease Awareness and Education Week” at a Nurse Leadership Conference atLoma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center.

Inland Empire chapter members PattyMcKiver and Eddie Soeprono attend-ed the Volunteer Leaders OrientationWorkshop in Philadelphia.

ANNA Update—July/August 2008-Vol. 38/No. 454

she changed her job to St. JosephHospital.

A message to chapter members:chapters officer would like to com-municate with all of our members viae-mail. Please contact ChapterSecretary Patty McKiver or CintiaPerez with your e-mail address: pattymckiver@hotmail.com or cintia.perez@stjoe.org.

Big Sky #527Four sites participated in a meet-

ing bridge teleconference onPreventing Transmission of Infectionamong Chronic HemodialysisPatients on March 13. Alice Luehrwas the presenter and did an excel-lent job. This is now available as aCE on Wheels program.

Montana was represented by fivenurses at the 2008 NationalSymposium, some of whom present-ed at the VLOW. Big Sky was theproud recipient of the Chapter of theYear Award!

The Montana State DialysisConference entitled Making aDifference was held May 8-9 inBillings, MT; 72 people attended, and27 of them were ANNA members. Abusiness meeting also was held with18 people in attendance. We will beoffering the certification reviewcourse. Details will be sent to dialysiscenters when dates and speakers areconfirmed.

The NNCC exam was offered onMay 3, and one person sat for theCCHT exam. We will offer the examagain on October 11 in Great Falls,MT. Contact Patti Olson at 406-455-3961 for more information.

We look forward to havingANNA’s National Board of Directorsvisit the Big Sky state. They will bemeeting July 27-29 at Big Sky Resortnear Bozeman, MT. Nancy Pierce hasextended an invitation for ANNAmembers to join them. For furtherinformation contact Nancy at 406-444-2280.

Siskiyou #529Greetings from the Rogue Valley,

the heart of the beautiful SiskiyouChapter! President Linda St. Ongeand President-Elect Karen McEwenare dedicated to increasing chapterparticipation this year through moreWeb-based communication and net-working. We welcome newSecretary/Treasurer Cindy Gilliland,who had a great time at the 2008VLOW and National Symposium.She was a first-time attendee and isfull of enthusiasm, especially aboutthe mentor/mentee program.

Karen McEwen did an outstand-ing job organizing the all-day Dialysis

Update 2008 which was held at theRogue Valley Medical Center’sSmullin Center in May. Almost 70people attended, not only fromJackson and Josephine Counties, butfrom as far north as Vancouver,Washington, through Portland,Springfield, Roseburg, Klamath Falls,Tualatin, Florence, Hillsboro,Winston, and as far south as Redding,CA. We were able to give several edu-cational grants to participants as aresult of generous vendor sponsor-ship.

We are busy planning anothereducational event that you won’twant to miss. A complimentary din-ner and lecture at historic Porter’sRestaurant in Medford will be offeredon September 26. The topic will bethe latest innovations in buttonholetechniques in both AV fistulas andgrafts. Plan to attend and enjoy fel-lowship, a delicious meal, and a doseof useful information for your prac-tice! Contact Cindy Gilliland atgilliland@renalcareconsult.com or541-226-6653 for more information.Let’s GROW this year!

San Joaquin #532We had a great time at the 2008

National Symposium. Members inattendance were Mary JaneenLorenzi, Maria Gonzales, RobynCamper, Gloria Vicenti, Sharon

Miller, Jocelyn Delcampo, MariaEloja, and Anita Hall. Thank you toall who helped with the many eventsthat qualified us for the RegionalChapter of the Year Award. We heldour first meeting at the hotel alongwith Greater Puget Sound chaptermembers Nancy Smith and CarolAllen and networked on seminarplanning.

Several members attended theRenal Workshop hosted by DoctorsMedical Center in Modesto on May29. Thank you to member JocelynDelcampo for arranging space for theANNA posters.

We enjoyed a Dine and Learnevening on June 26 at Café 225 inVisalia, CA. Thank you to Dr. JoSclafani for a great lecture, whichwas sponsored by WatsonLaboratories, Inc.

Events are planned for KidneyDisease Awareness and EducationWeek in August, and invitations havegone out to elected officials to attendunit events.

Our Fifth Annual Fall Seminaron Disaster Preparedness is sched-uled for September 10-11 in Visalia.Come and learn what you need toteach your patients before an eventhappens. The meeting flyer is on ourWeb site as well as other informationabout upcoming events. Visit usonline at www.sjvanna.org.

San Joaquin chapter members Anita Hall, Maria Gonzales, Mary Janeen Lorenzi,and Robyn Camper visited with Benjamin Franklin at the Lights of Liberty Showin Philadelphia.