the
ki ney
citizen
Board Members
Nancy Scott
President
Julie Crandall
Vice President
Diane Brisbane
Secretary
Mike Guffey
Treasurer
Andrew Conkling
Danny Iniguez
Robert Lee
Jack Reynolds
Advisory Council
Sandra Amaral
M.D., M.H.S.
Akhtar Ashfaq
M.D.
Laura Arentz
M.B.A., M.S., R.D., L.D.N
Teri Bourdeau
Ph.D.
Kerri Cavanaugh
M.D., M.H.S.
Debbie Cote
M.S.N., R.N., C.N.N., N.E.-B.C.
Steven Curtiss
M.D.
Kerry Cooper
M.D.
Stephanie Johnstone
L.C.S.W.
Elizabeth Jones
L.C.S.W.
Rajnish Mehrotra
M.D.
Cheryl Neal
M.D.
Velma P. Scantlebury
M.D., FACS
Barry Smith
M.D., Ph.D
President’s Message
Dear friends
As I watch the flowers on my patio grow and bloom this summer, I am reminded of how the Dialysis Patient
Citizens (DPC) Education Center is growing in both membership and programs. We appreciate your input
and feedback as we continuously fulfill the mission of our organization to improve kidney patients’ quality of
life and to reduce the occurrence of ESRD through education. As we develop new programs and resources,
we want to make sure you know about them as soon as possible. So, in this issue of the newsletter, there is a
membership postcard for you to complete to ensure that we have your current contact information.
Communication and education go hand- in-hand. We want to learn more about who you are and what you
would like to learn more about. We want to share information about our monthly webinars, E-News, updates
on public policies, our new Facebook page, our newsletter, and new resources on our web site. You, in turn,
can share what topics interest you, ask questions, request copies of resources, and provide feedback to us.
Together, we can build a strong community of people committed to our mission of patient empowerment
through understanding and knowledge.
Your information and feedback guide us in our desire to meet your needs. For example, last year on our
annual membership survey, we learned that you wanted more information on diet and nutrition. This year,
we have a monthly recipe posted as a blog on our web site and each of our newsletters has an article on
nutritional topics of interest to people with kidney disease. In addition, two of our monthly webinars this
year feature a dietitian discussing aspects of traveling while staying on a kidney diet (June) and how to shop
for kidney-friendly foods (upcoming in October). Each of our webinars is recorded and available for viewing
anytime on our web site. We also address other quality of life topics at your suggestion, such as coping with
kidney disease, depression, intimacy and sexuality, and setting goals.
In addition, we will have four issues of our newsletter, the Kidney Citizen this year. We listened when people
asked for more articles from people living with kidney disease. Now, in each issue, you will find personal
stories and articles written by people who have kidney disease and frequently you will find articles written by
caregivers. Our newsletter contains valuable information for those newly diagnosed with kidney disease as
well as for those who have been living with ESRD for years. Of course, you are always welcome to let us know
what topics you would like to see covered.
I want to assure you that our patient-led organization is active in the global kidney community and will
advocate for you, keep you informed, develop new projects and resources, and seek your input as we move
forward with our mission’s goals. Your membership information will help us to do this. Please complete the
enclosed membership form today to help us know more about you and to have a direct way to share with
you. I look forward to our continued communication and thank you in advance for your input.
Sincerely
Kathleen Smith
B.S., R.N., C.N.N.
Joan Thomas
M.P.A., C.E.M., A.B.C.P., M.E.P.
Nancy L. Scott
DPC Education Center
Board President