Renal News Express - November/December 2020

November/December 2020

Welcome to Renal News Express -- highlighting happenings from our BC renal network!

Congrats! Dr. Karen Shalansky Receives Wilma Crockett Memorial Award

As part of this year’s virtual BC Kidney Days event on Nov. 5, we were delighted to have pharmacist Dr. Karen Shalansky, Pharmacotherapeutic Specialist in Nephrology at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), receive this year’s Wilma Crockett Memorial Award!

Dr. Dan Martinusen, BC Renal Provincial Director of Pharmacy, who was also co-nominator of Dr. Shalansky along with Dr. Judith Marin, Dr. Elaine Cheng and the VGH nephrology group, presented the award noting its significance in providing recognition from the province’s broad renal and kidney transplant community of an individual who has made outstanding contributions to patient care in BC.

Dr. Shalansky’s nomination outlines her amazing work ethic, undying enthusiasm and strong dedication to patient care, which are well known to anyone who has worked with her either within the pharmacy department, on the dialysis unit, on projects or through various committees.

COVID-19 Information for Kidney Patients & Health Professionals

All BC kidney clinics are continuing to screen patients for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and visitor restrictions remain in place. Care providers are continuing to take precautions such as wearing masks and washing hands frequently, and programs are following the lead of infection control experts and public health leaders. Patient health and safety remains our highest priority. Please see our patient and health professional web pages for more information and resources:

COVID-19 Information for Patients

COVID-19 Information for Health Professionals

Let’s Take Action on Patient Goal-Setting

Patients and Care Teams Working Together So Patients Can Live Well

As introduced in the November BC Kidney Days session, Journeying Together: Creating a Map to What Matters Most to Patients, people living with kidney disease and their care teams can now access and use a practical strategy document and its companion worksheet to improve patient goal-setting. The strategy document includes several tools and how to use them. We encourage all care teams and patients to have a look and give the tools a try!

People Profiles

Q & A with Dennis McCann, Patient Partner, BC Renal

This fall, we had a phone call with long-time BC Renal patient partner Dennis McCann to learn more about him and his volunteer work with BC Renal over the past several years as well as his thoughts on being a patient partner. The following highlights our conversation.

Q: You’ve been a patient partner with BC Renal since 2012. We’re very grateful for your dedication to BC Renal and your help in shaping kidney care and research in BC and beyond. What roles have you filled with BC Renal since you started as a patient partner?

Video Spotlight

Kidney COVID Heroes

Check out the BC Renal YouTube Channel for new videos such as the inspiring and touching Kidney COVID Heroes video montage created for BC Kidney Days 2020, highlighting the contributions of health care professionals and patient partners!

Celebrity Chefs Cook Kidney-Friendly Salmon & Veggies

Another new video on the BC Renal YouTube Channel is the entertaining and informative cooking demonstration created for BC Kidney Days 2020! It features celebrity chefs Dan Hayes and Art Napoleon who show how to prepare pan roasted salmon with Tuscan salsa verde and delicious veggies!

Purchase a Mask &Support Kidney Patients!

Makes a Great Gift!
We keep hearing these masks are the most comfortable ones people have worn. Locally made in East Vancouver, proceeds from the purchase of these masks go to The Kidney Foundation - BC & Yukon Branch COVID-19 Response Fund to help our patient community through these very challenging times. See here to purchase.

From News @IH:

A silver lining in the IH renal program

A Sep. 8, 2020 story with News @IH highlights how telephone consultations during COVID have benefitted many Interior Health kidney patients who need vascular surgery to create a fistula for dialysis.

From PHSA News:

Transplant First initiative aims to increase living kidney donations

If you missed this September 2020 story we’ve adapted from PHSA News, we recommend it to learn about the Transplant First initiative and steps taken this fall to support BC patients considering a living kidney donation.

PROMIS Tips

For health professionals using our PROMIS information system

Submitted by Karin Jackson, Director of Operations, PROMIS

This month, we have a couple of tricks that involve a single click. Did you know…

Tip #1: You can hide the worklist and patient panels (to the left and right of the screen) to view results with more clarity, and to view more results when using the on-screen lab tools. Simply click the chevron on the edge of the panel to hide the window. When you’re ready to unhide the panel, just click it again to restore your view.

Read more

#TopPosts

Thanks to the many BC Renal patient partners featured in Silver Linings of COVID video as part of BC Kidney Days session "Positive Reflections: A BC Kidney Community Perspective on the COVID-19 Pandemic." Shown here are a few. Video to come. #BCKD20 #KidneyPatients

Thanks to moderator Paula Hann & the 5 panelists who provided insight into patient goal-setting at BC Kidney Days today in the session, "Journeying Together: Creating a Map to What Matters Most to Patients." More to come from the panelists... #BCKD20 #KidneyCare

Congrats!

BC Renal community pharmacy partner receives Collaborative Care Award 2020: Cameron Bonell

Featured Research:

Event Spotlight:

Upcoming Province Wide Rounds:
- December 4: Potassium: Insights and Issues for Nephrology - Dr. Navdeep Tangri
Recordings of Province Wide Rounds
Upcoming Patient Education Webinars
- Jan. 14: Peritoneal Dialysis: What? Why? How?
- Feb. 4: Home Hemodialysis: What? Why? How?
Recordings of Patient Education Webinars
Recordings of Nov. 5 BC Kidney Days presentations