Provincial standards for CKD care 
The BC Kidney Care Initiative continues its work to refine and standardize the care and services provided for patients with chronic kidney disease at CKD clinics across the province.  Footcare pilot aims to improve patient outcomes
Paying more attention to the feet of renal patients should lead to better patient outcomes and reduced health system costs, says Dr. Daniel Schwartz, medical director of the renal program at Fraser Health.  Survey reveals patient satisfaction with care
A Renal Agency survey of BC kidney patients conducted last fall found that most patients are satisfied with the quality of care they receive from their renal care teams.  Expansion of nocturnal in-centre dialysis
Following the positive outcomes from the nocturnal dependent dialysis pilot at St. Paul’s Hospital, in June Fraser Health initiated a similar program at Surrey Memorial. Fraser Health has further plans to expand its assisted nocturnal dialysis program to Royal Columbian and Abbotsford Regional hospitals over the next 18- 24 months. Northern Health is similarly interested, and intends to launch an assisted nocturnal dialysis program in Prince George at University Hospital of Northern BC, in partnership with the on-site extended care facility, possibly within the year. New transplant registry for highly sensitized patients In conjunction with Canadian Blood Services and renal programs across the country, British Columbia’s renal transplant community is working to develop a registry for highly sensitized patients (HSP) requiring a kidney transplant. Finding compatible donors for these patients is difficult because of their high antibody levels. The new HSP registry will offer highly sensitized patients a much better chance of finding a matching donor. The registry will track inter-provincial kidney sharing to ensure equitable access for patients in every province.  Research
New dialysis technology to be tested In September the Renal Agency’s Home Hemodialysis Program is launching a 12-18 month pilot project to assess the benefits of an innovative hemodialysis technology called NxStage. The pilot will include 10-15 patients and will be managed within Vancouver Coastal’s home hemodialysis program under the supervision of Dr. Mike Copland, head of the BC Renal Agency’s provincial home hemodialysis program. Community pharmacists join CKD clinic teams  At Interior Health, community pharmacists are now working with renal teams at several regional kidney care clinics, providing medication reviews and addressing other medication-related issues for patients. The practice was first started in 2011 as a pilot project at the Penticton Integrated Health Clinic, and has now been adopted by the CKD clinics in Kamloops and Trail.
New Dialysis Unit for Kamloops In September, the BC Renal Agency and Interior Health will open a new community dialysis unit (CDU) in Kamloops. The opening ceremony is set for September 13 and will be attended by local MLA and Minister of Health, Terry Lake, BC Renal Agency executive director, Dr. Adeera Levin, Interior Health director of renal services, Paula James, and others.  Kidney Foundation news
Increased support for living kidney donors The Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC) BC Branch has announced a new two-year pilot program to help support kidney donors who must travel outside of BC as part of the KFOC’s Paired Exchange Program. BC Kidney Days update  Early bird registration rates are now in effect for BC Kidney Days, October 24–25, 2013 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. The annual conference attracts more than 500 members of the renal community from across BC, Canada and the US. The deadline for early bird registration is August 31. To take advantage of the early bird discount, click here. BCKD - Call for abstracts 
BC renal care and renal transplant teams are invited to present posters at BC Kidney Days on local or regional research, education and patient care initiatives. Posters describing any project related to enhancing the quality of care for renal patients, including pre-dialysis, dialysis and transplant patients are welcome. | | | | | | | | 
Dr. Adeera Levin, executive director of the BC Renal Agency, has been elected incoming president of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN). She will assume the position in 2015. Adeera has been secretary general of the ISN since 2010. | | | | 
The winner of the 10th annual Wilma Crockett Memorial Award is Dan Martinusen, renal pharmacist at Vancouver Island Health Authority. The award will be presented to Dan at BC Kidney Days on Friday, October 25th. Click here to read more about Dan’s work in the renal community and about past award recipients. | | | | The Kidney Foundation has updated its We’re Here to Help brochure, which describes the Foundation’s programs and services for kidney patients and their families in BC. Copies are available in English and Chinese versions by calling 1-800-567-8112 or contacting Laurie Mark. | | | Positive outcomes from anemia management protocol | |  Five years ago the BC Renal Agency introduced its anemia management protocol, which was adopted by all five of the province’s renal programs. The protocol was further revised in 2010 to incorporate new evidence-based measures. | | | Physician symposium on CKD | | A symposium for family physicians and other primary health care providers on the subject of chronic kidney disease will be held November 30 in Vancouver. Sponsored by The Kidney Foundation of Canada BC Branch and presented in partnership with the BC Renal Agency, the symposium is intended to help primary care providers understand the risk factors of CKD, interventions that can delay progression of the disease, how to recognize and treat complications related to CKD, and when to refer a patient to nephrology. | | | Award for education materials | | 
Dialysis Options in BC, a patient education tool developed by the BC Renal Agency to increase uptake of independent therapies, has received a 2013 Hermes Creative Gold Award. The prestigious international Hermes Awards are sponsored by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals. | | | | 
The BC Renal Agency website has been redesigned for easier navigation and a cleaner look. The new design was launched the first week of August. Check it out at bcrenalagency.ca. | | | |
