Managing hyperkalemia in the outpatient setting We are pleased to share that BCMJ (BC Medical Journal), which is distributed to all physicians across the province, has as its cover story this month the article, Managing hyperkalemia in the outpatient setting.
“The publication was made possible through the amazing collaborative effort of two renal dietitians and two physician research scholars,” says BC Renal executive director Dr. Adeera Levin who is an additional co-author of the article. “We will be interested to see if the article increases awareness and helps shift attitudes towards K+ management going forward. Congratulations to the great team!” For the complete issue and article, see: BCMJ Vol67 No3 | | Thank you to our volunteers for making waves in kidney care! We are very grateful to all BC Renal patient partners and health professionals who volunteer with our many committees and working groups. Equitable and optimal people-centred care is one of our foundational principles, and your efforts put that principle into action. Sincere thanks for your dedication to our provincial renal network and British Columbians living with kidney disease! To learn ab out patient partner opportunities - for patients, their family members or other care partners - see the Patient & Family Engagement section of our website.
To learn about our various provincial committees and professional groups, see Our Committees page. | | Executive Director Receives Medal | Dr. Adeera Levin honoured with King Charles III Coronation Medal Congratulations to BC Renal's executive director Dr. Adeera Levin on receiving a King Charles III Coronation Medal in honour of her innumerable contributions to people living with kidney disease in British Columbia and around the world.
As a nephrologist and renal leader, Dr. Levin has dedicated her career to advancing patient-centred, best practice kidney care — from being the first Canadian to serve as president of the | | International Society of Nephrology to her prolific work as a kidney researcher with over 600 peer-reviewed publications.
In addition to our congratulations, we are pleased to share words from a congratulatory letter from PHSA leadership: "We are particularly grateful for your outstanding commitment to kidney care and research in the province – BC Renal stands as a model of care for other services to emulate.” Nominated by The Kidney Foundation of Canada - BC & Yukon Branch, Dr. Levin was presented with her medal at their annual Kidney Gala on March 8, and is one of 30,000 Canadians to receive this prestigious recognition. | Updated resources for itchy skin (pruritus) Patient handout: Itchy skin, also known as pruritus, is common in patients with and without kidney disease. Updated earlier this year, a one-page patient handout is available on our website, explaining the condition and providing several tips for managing it. See: Itchy Skin (Pruritis) Health professional guideline: This updated guideline is laid out in a helpful, step-by-step flowchart, and also includes reference tables of funding information for medications, supplemental evidence for treatment options, and more. See: Management of Pruritus in Patients with CKD
Thanks to health professional and patient partner members of BC Renal's provincial Kidney Care Clinic and Hemodialysis committees for updating these resources! | | New handout of diet tips for kidney stone prevention Kidney stones are hard deposits that form inside the kidneys, and can cause an infection or a blockage. Posted on our website earlier this year, a new handout for patients covers 7 tips for kidney stone prevention, spanning fluids, food and supplements. See: Diet For Kidney Stone Prevention Thanks to the BC Renal Dietitians Practice Group for updating this resource! Also see our Diet page for more resources related to nutrition, and stay tuned for additional materials currently under development. | | Advance Care Planning Day | Helping patients plan ahead in case they can’t speak for themselves National Advance Care Planning (ACP) Day is on April 16, highlighting the importance of planning ahead in case we aren’t able to speak for ourselves in the event of a health emergency. This is something we can all do, and is especially recommended for anyone who has a serious illness. | | Did you know? In a kidney care survey in BC, 4 of 5 patients said they had thought of whether they would want life sustaining treatments, but only 1 in 3 had talked with their care team about it. When patients share an Advance Care Plan with their care teams, it promotes conversations ahead of time so patients receive the care they want.
Patients: Access information, guides and tools:
Advance Care Planning (from BC Centre for Palliative Care; resources in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Simplified and Traditional Chinese)
Learn the Basics of Advance Care Planning (from Advance Care Planning Canada)
Care teams: Support kidney patients in documenting what is important to them. Share what you’ve learned with your team to guide conversations with patients. Access information, guides and tools:
Integrative Palliative Nephrology Resource Guide (from BC Renal)
Palliative Care (from BC Renal; explore links to other key resources including the End-of-life Framework, Serious Illness Conversation Guide, ACP tools, and more) | What’s new from BC Renal and our provincial network Happy Earth Day 2025! With Planetary Health a foundational principle of the 2023-2028 BC Renal strategic action plan, and Earth Day on April 22, we are pleased to share these recent developments and opportunities: Actionable BC Renal planetary health strategy now available | | BC Renal’s new strategy for planetary health provides an actionable plan to integrate environmentally sustainable kidney care (ESKC) in BC Renal committees and key activities. Guided by a working group of clinical champions from all regional health authority renal programs, an Indigenous leader, patient and family partners, and BC Renal staff, the strategy outlines key priorities, objectives, and how network members can work together to advance efforts. See: BC Renal Planetary Health Strategy Read full article | New infographic captures strategic action plan in simple two-page format A new infographic outlining our 2023 - 2028 strategic action plan is now available and posted on our website. Designed to be easy to read and follow, it expands on each of the plan’s four strategic priorities and three foundational principles. Check it out today to better understand the direction we’re moving in: BC Renal Strategic Action Plan 2023 - 2028 infographic Also look for updates in future issues of BC Renal News about how we’re implementing this plan across the provincial renal program! | PROMIS team expands capabilities with PRO-Kid symptom assessment tool Over the past year or so, seven sites across Canada, including BC Children’s Hospital, validated Can-SOLVE CKD’s PRO-Kid symptom assessment questionnaire in preparation for using it broadly in clinical practice. In British Columbia, to begin optimizing PRO-Kid data as soon as possible - to improve patient care as well as renal program improvements - a team with the Patient Records and Outcome Management Information System (PROMIS) and their BC Children’s contacts took a phased approach. | | Doing so allowed the first phase of implementation in PROMIS to be completed relatively quickly, coinciding with when the BC Children’s Renal Program was introducing the tool. Read our full story to learn from the BC kidney doctor co-leading the project, a patient partner, PROMIS’ director of operations, and the renal program’s medical director. Full story. | Partner/Network News Follow these links for more news and helpful resources: | Event Spotlight - Province Wide Rounds (for health professionals and patient partners)
- Patient Education Webinars (for patients and others interested)
| Visit the websites of our kidney-related partner organizations for additional resources, events and information: | Want to stay up to date with other BC Renal news and events? Subscribe to our mailing lists. | | We acknowledge with gratitude that our BC Renal offices are located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Coast Salish, home of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish peoples, as well as the Métis chartered communities of the Lower Mainland | | | | |
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