Mark your calendar for BC Nephrology Days 2008!
BC Nephrology Days 2008 has been scheduled for October 2-3 at the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside, the same hotel used for last year’s conference.
Themes planned for next fall’s event – soon to be confirmed – include:
- peritoneal dialysis
- dealing with challenging behaviour in renal patients
- pediatric issues
- exercise in renal patients
- independent dialysis
- disaster planning update
- renal care in First Nations communities
A primary objective for the 2008 event is to attract more general practitioners and to offer presentations targeted to their specific professional interests and needs. Registration for BC Nephrology Days 2008 begins in June, but in the meantime, you’ll hear more about our plans.
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A virtual walk across Canada
Fraser Health takes it one step at a time
 It takes a lot of footsteps to complete a return trip across Canada, from Victoria to Halifax and back. Nineteen million, to be exact.
Undaunted by the distance, Fraser Health renal unit staff members and their patients took on the challenge – a "virtual" walk across this great country of ours, one step at a time.
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 Our PROMIS keeps growing
The BC Renal Agency’s PROMIS database is generating impressive statistics in its work towards providing support and value to the renal community across the province. During the last year the system was called upon to generate over 250,000 end-user reports – a 30 percent increase from the previous year.
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Orientation DVD introduces BC renal network to new staff
Renal care professionals joining the BC renal community will now receive a DVD explaining how the province’s renal network functions and how kidney patients in BC benefit from our provincial approach to treatment.
The new orientation DVD features interviews with members of the renal community from around the province explaining the various components of BC’s renal network, and how they all work together within our collaborative model of care.
Copies of the 11-minute orientation DVD have been sent to renal managers around the province. Additional copies are available on request by contacting bcpra@bcpra.ca.
New strategic plan provides direction to BCPRA and renal community
The BC Provincial Renal Agency is in the final stages of revising its three-year-old strategic plan. The revised plan is designed to provide essential direction and guidance for our operations for the next few years.
The strategic plan is built upon a vision providing "an innovative, integrated health system resulting in outstanding care for patients living with kidney disease." In support of this overarching goal, the agency’s mission, working in partnership with the renal community, is to combine knowledge and practice for better kidney health.
The strategic plan also defines our values and lays out our priorities and goals. Our four strategic priorities are:
- Ensure provision of effective and cost-efficient kidney care
- Provide evidence-based decision-making
- Strengthen the kidney care continuum
- Improve BCPRA capacity
Profiles in kidney care
 Hilda Gregory knew at age 15 what she wanted to do with her life. The former school principal and recipient of the Order of British Columbia, the Order of Canada and a YWCA Women of Distinction award – who also happens to be on peritoneal dialysis – saw a film about a deaf child whose mother was determined to teach her to speak.
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Contract update
Work has begun on the community and home hemodialysis supplies contract – which is currently held by Fresenius, but due to expire at the end of 2008.
By law, contracts this large must go through a competitive bid or "RFP" (request for proposals) process. To this end, a provincial sub-committee with expertise in the existing contract is reviewing all products listed in the contract, and developing a "wish list" of new products.
Through our affiliation with PHSA, the Renal Agency is fortunate to have Medbuy (a national health care group purchasing organization) as a partner in this process. As with all the provincial contracts, we work in partnership with the renal community to ensure we can achieve the highest clinical standards in patient care while balancing the need for fiscal responsibility.
Pharmacy & Formulary
 Coming in April...A special feature
The next issue of Renal News – scheduled for April 2008 – will be dedicated to the topic of pharmacy and formulary for renal care. The primary focus will be medication reconciliation, however the special feature will also explore:
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Retail pharmacy contracts
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Changes in formulary and policies
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Other exciting initiatives related to the use of medications
If you have other ideas for pharmacy and formulary topics you’d like to see covered in the next issue, please contact Dan Martinusen: Dan.Martinusen@viha.ca
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This year’s World Kidney Day – on Thursday, March 13th, right in the middle of Kidney Month – provides an opportunity for the renal community to celebrate successes in kidney care in BC, and advocate for necessary changes. 
A group of BC renal nurses has received the top award for their poster presentation at the 2007 conference of the Canadian Association of Nephrology Nurses and Technologists. 
