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May 2012
Congratulations to Dr. Andrew S. Levey for his publication in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association entitled “Comparison of Risk Prediction Using the CKD-EPI Equation and the MDRD Study Equation for Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate”.
Congratulations to the DCI Somerville Home Dialysis Program. They received the following awards given at the recent 12th Annual PD Quality Initiative and Home Hemodialysis Meeting held in Nashville TN:
- Award of Excellence for Increasing PD Utilization
- Award of Excellence for Improved Infection Rates
- 2nd place in the poster competition for their poster on using digital photographs to document exit site infections. This effort was a quality improvement project and collaboration between the home dialysis staff and nephrology fellows.
April 2012
Congratulations to Dr. Scott J. Gilbert for receiving his 9th Excellence in Teaching Award from the Senior Class of Tufts University School of Medicine. The award will be presented at the Senior Dinner on May 16th at the Boston Marriott Copley Hotel.
DCI Boston, the outpatient dialysis facility affiliated with Tufts Medical Center has the second highest proportion of native vein arteriovenous fistulae in the state at 78.2%. Only 9 of the 68 hemodialysis facilities in the state had fistula rates exceeding 70%. The national goal established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is 66%. Our results reflect hard work by everyone participating in the care of CKD and dialysis patients, including the patients themselves, clinic support staff, patient care technicians, nurses, interventional radiologists, surgeons and nephrologists.
Drs. Uhlig and Levey published an editorial in the Annals of Internal Medicine entitled "Developing Guidelines for Chronic Kidney Disease: We Should Include All of the Outcomes".
March 2012
Andrew S. Levey, MD, Chief of the William B. Schwartz Division of Nephrology and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine is the 2012 recipient of the David M. Hume Award from the National Kidney Foundation. The David M. Hume Memorial Award was created in memory of one of the National Kidney Foundation's most distinguished members. The Hume Award is the highest honor given to a distinguished scientist-clinician in the field of kidney and urologic diseases. It is bestowed upon an individual who exemplifies the high ideals of scholarship and humanitarianism in an outstanding manner.
Congratulations to Dr. Dan Weiner for receiving a 2012 Tufts CTSI Pilot Studies Grant for his project studying Brain Perfusion and Cognitive Function in Hemodialysis: Effects of Acute Hemodynamic Changes. Dan was awarded a Catalyst Development Grant which will provide him with critical planning and preliminary study support.
February 2012
Congratulations to Amy Earley and Drs. Miskulin, Levey and Uhlig for their publication in Annals of Internal Medicine entitled Estimating Equations for Glomerular Filtration Rate in the Era of Creatinine Standardization: A Systematic Review.
Dr. Lesley A. Inker has been promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.
January 2012
The editorial home of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases will remain in Boston after the editorial staff was awarded a 2nd 5-year term. Drs. Levey and Weiner wrote the editorial entitled "Staying Put, but Not Standing Still" describing the team's plans for the next 5 years.
December 2011
Medscape published its Top 10 Game Changers in Nephrology for 2011 and the paper written by Drs. Upadhyay, Uhlig and Haynes along with Ms. Earley on blood pressure goals ranked 6 out of 10!
On December 14, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported on the performance of dialysis facilities under the ESRD Quality Incentive Program for Payment Year 2012. CMS developed the ESRD QIP to be the nation's first pay-for-performance (also known as "value-based purchasing") quality incentive program as mandated by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA). The three dialysis facilities directed by Tufts Medical Center nephrologists, DCI Boston, DCI Ball Square and DCI Walden Pond in all received 30 out of a possible 30 points. This performance reflects the high standards set by Tufts Nephrology and by the staff of Dialysis Clinic, Inc. Based on this achievement, these facilities will not see any reduction in their payments. Possible reductions in payment based on the ESRD QIP score are as high as 2%.
Boston magazine recognized Drs. Levey, Perrone and Sarnak as Boston's Best Doctors in the December issue. Other colleagues from the Tufts Kidney community recognized included transplantation doctors Cooper and Rohrer along with pediatric nephrologist Dr. Milner. This recognition is an outstanding achievement and a testament to the sterling reputation of our doctors and the high-quality care they provide to their patients.
November 2011
Dr. John Harrington received the Laureate Award from the Massachusetts Chapter of the of Physicians on Saturday, November 19th. The Laureate Award is the most prestigious award given at the local level. It honors Fellows or Masters of ACP who have demonstrated, by their example and conduct, an abiding commitment to excellence in medical care, education or research, and in service to their community, their chapter, and the American College of Physicians.
September 2011
Congratulations on a job well done to The Kidney Recruiters, from DCI Somerville. They won 3rd prize in the DCI 40 Acts of Service competition.
The Kidney Recruiters organized both a project and event for high school students to help raise awareness of kidney donation. The team worked with the students and staff at the Center for Career and Technical Education at Somerville High School. The team provided kidney disease and transplantation educational material to teachers for presentation to their students. After receiving the education, the students were asked to work individually and create a moving and informative poster or essay.
On April 26th 2011, The Kidney Recruiters hosted a program at the school that included doctor and patient speakers as well as videos on transplantation. The room was filled with approximately 80 students who sat captivated by the speakers who shared their own personal and professional experience with kidney disease and transplantation. The second part of the program was the announcement of the winners for the essay and poster project on the theme of kidney donation awareness. There was an excellent response with over 40 student entries.
The event was filmed by the local television network and has aired numerous times on Somerville Cable TV to benefit others in the community regarding the importance of kidney donation.The Kidney Recruiters received $2,000 to use toward educational purposes. The “40 Acts of Service Celebrating 40 Years of Care” was a creative way to bring DCI’s mission to life. The objective was to engage employees in creative service projects to impact the community and the renal patient’s quality of life. The 44 Acts were diverse and wide reaching. From establishing renal food sections within food banks, raising money for Camp Okawehna and the local kidney foundations, developing a patient fund, creating a mentor program, registering organ donors, and planting the seeds of education, the Acts provided tangible benefits to the renal community for years to come. While the Acts were designed to benefit the community, it is apparent that teams also benefited from the teamwork and community relationships that developed.
August 2011
Dr. Levey published an article on kidney donation in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases with Susan Hou (a former Tufts MC Nephrology Fellow) and Gabe Danovitch. In the article, the authors outlined what we they thought were the donor’s and team’s obligations and responsibilities in a complex series of decisions. Two of the three authors have donated kidneys to unrelated recipeints so they have a unique perspective which they share in the article.
Dr. Levey published an article and its accompanying appendix on Chronic Kidney Disease in the August 15th edition of the Lancet. The article highlights advances in CKD care, many of which are based on research by Division members.
July 2011
Congratulations to three Division members who have been recognized as “Top Doctors” on the U.S. News & World Report website. Drs. Levey, Perrone and Sarnak were all listed as Top Doctors. Dr. Perrone was further honored with the distinction of ranking among the top 1% in the nation in nephrology.
Effective July 1, Dr. Meyer is the President of the Forum of End-Stage Renal Disease Networks (a national organization). He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Forum of End-Stage Renal Disease Networks since 2006. He also represents the Forum Board on the United States Renal Data System External Advisory Committee and also the Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative.The Forum is a not-for-profit organization that comprises the 18 regional End-Stage Renal Disease Networks that are responsible for coordinating care for patients with kidney failure throughout the US. The Forum’s mission is to provide support to the ESRD Networks in promoting and improving the quality of care of ESRD patients. Their mission is achieved through education and the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data and information.
June 2011
Dr. Balakrishnan won an Attending Teaching Award from the Tufts Medical Center housestaff at the annual end of the year banquet.
April 2011
Congratulations to Drs. Tangri, Stevens , and Levey for their recent publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association. A predictive model for progression of chronic kidney disease to kidney failure. JAMA 2011;305(15):1553-9.
Dr. Gilbert will receive an Excellence in Teaching Award from the Senior Class of Tufts University School of Medicine at the Senior Dinner on Wednesday, May 18th at the Boston Marriott Copley Hotel. This marks the 8th year in a row that Dr. Gilbert has received this award from the Senior class.
Debbie Mitchell-Dozier, RN is the April Tufts Medical Center Saltonstall Employee Excellence Award recipient. She was nominated by her colleagues in the Kidney and Blood Pressure Center, where she is the clinic nurse. The Saltonstall Award recognizes 1 employee each month who exemplifies the Tufts iCARE 12 tenets, who stands out among their peers as an excellent service provider, who goes above and beyond the scope of their position, and who demonstrates a commitment to team work both in and out of their departments.
Debbie Mitchell-Dozier, RN
March 2011
Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Business Operations Manager, and the Division of Nephrology were honored with the Patriot Award Certificate of Appreciation. Debbie Mitchell-Dozier, the Kidney and Blood Pressure Center clinic nurse and also an Active U.S. Army Reservist, applied for the award to be given because she has always found the Nephrology department quite accommodating when it came to her meeting her military obligations. The Certificate of Appreciation is awarded by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) along with a Patriot lapel pin on behalf of the Department of Defense. All members of the National Guard and Reserve forces are eligible to nominate their employers for the Patriot Award certificate. This nomination is subsequently used by the local ESGR Committee as the basis for consideration to receive higher level awards.
Four members of the Division of Nephrology published a systematic review in the Annals of Internal Medicine this month. Drs. Updahyay, Haynes, and Uhlig with their colleague Amy Earley found that setting lower blood pressure goals for patients with chronic kidney disease isn't supported by the available evidence.
In addition, their study was featured in a video on www.TheDoctorsChannel.com which offers short, educational, HD videos that get right to the point.
Dr. Meyer , President-elect of the Forum of ESRD Networks, was a co-author of a final report advising CMS to delay CROWNWeb national deployment. The Forum had been engaged in an analysis of progress on CROWNWeb since May 2010 including sending CMS a preliminary report, conducting further data collection and analysis, and reviewing the information by all Networks. On a February 23, 2011, conference call with all ESRD Network Executive Directors, CMS announced that as a result of internal deliberations and community comment, the deployment schedule would in fact change.
February 2011
Dr. Mark Sarnak was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health. The 5-year study is entitled The Aging Kidney: Chronic Injury, Impaired Functions and Clinical Outcomes.
January 2011
Drs. Levey , Stevens , and Tangri published an editorial entitled Classification of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Step Forward in the January edition (Ann Intern Med 2011;154:65-7) of the Annals of Internal Medicine .
Dr. Andrew Levey will be honored at the National Kidney Foundation's Spring on the Park Gala on April 1, 2011 at the Four Seasons Boston. Andy will be recognized for his long-term passion and dedication to the kidney community, as well as his demonstrated commitment to furthering the mission of the National Kidney Foundation. This special evening will include more than 300 of Boston’s prominent corporate and private citizens, medical professionals, appointed and elected officials, and community leaders coming together in support of the National Kidney Foundation and it’s programs of prevention, education, and research.
We hope that you can join us for this wonderful event to celebrate Andy’s contributions to the patients and nephrology community. For those who may not be able to attend, other opportunities to acknowledge Andy and support the NKF are available through Kathy Russell in the NKF office at Kathleen.Russell@kidney.org .
Drs. Balakrishnan, Gilbert , and Sarnak were recognized by the third year medical class for their teaching in the medical clerkship at Tufts Medical Center. The students identified Dr. Gilbert for accomplished teaching and Drs. Balakrishnan and Sarnak for their notable teaching.
December 2010
Boston Magazine has included 3 Division nephrologists on its Best Doctors Boston list. Drs. Levey , Perrone , and Sarnak received honors from the magazine. This is Dr. Perrone's 2nd year on the list.
November 2010
The William B. Schwartz Division of Nephrology is pleased to announce a new philanthropic initiative. The Stevens-Inker Family Fund was created in 2010 through the generosity of Lesley Stevens, MD and Ben Inker, in honor of their wedding being held on January 16, 2011. The Inker Family Fund will be under the direction of the Chief of the Division of Nephrology, with an initial goal to provide direct support to kidney patients, whether they are in the Kidney Transplant Program; whether they are receiving dialysis through the independent Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI) or another dialysis provider; or if they are receiving any type of treatment for kidney disease. The Chief of the Division of Nephrology will consult with leaders of kidney-related clinical disciplines, including dialysis, the medical and surgical areas of transplantation, and pediatric nephrology, to identify compelling needs to be supported by the Stevens-Inker Family Fund .
October 2010
DCI Boston was again recognized by the ESRD Network of New England for attaining a consistent prevalent AV fistula rate of 60% or greater for hemodialysis patients. In fact, DCI Boston has the highest AV fistula rate in Boston and is the only urban unit to achieve this distinction in New England. This is the fourth year the dialysis unit has been recognized for its performance in the national Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative and this accomplishment is a credit to the hard work of the nurses, technicians, nephrologists, interventional radiologists, and access surgeons.
September 2010
In September, the National Kidney Foundation and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration co-sponsored a workshop on Patient-reported Outcomes in Clinical Trials of Chronic Kidney Disease-related Therapies. Dr. Perrone chaired the planning committee and Dr. Meyer was a member of the planning committee. In addition, Drs. Levey , Richardson, and Stevens were of the 100 invitees who attended and participated in the event. The meeting will result in a position statement providing a report and recommendations on the following: an approach to defining a core set of concepts that represent the essential and defining signs, symptoms, and impacts of kidney disease and its common complications; a core set of endpoint measures for use in CKD clinical trials and gaps in current measures; a specific context of use and a core set of concepts required before developing PROs; problems with standard PRO instruments and how to adapt existing PRO instruments to more specific contexts or develop one de novo; discuss endpoint model options for CKD clinical trials in the specific subgroups identified and identify endpoint measures that could serve as primary or key secondary endpoints in CKD clinical trials; and create a consensus of the most important endpoint measures in need of further development.
August 2010
Dr. Uhlig has been promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.
July 2010
Dr. Gilbert has been selected to participate in the 2010-2011 Tisch College Faculty Fellows program. The goals of this program are to: build the capacity of Tufts faculty to conduct research and teaching with/for active citizenship (or public service, civic engagement, or community leadership); encourage and support faculty leadership to build active citizenship as a defining strength across the University; develop an expanding interdisciplinary community of Tufts teacher-scholar-active citizens; grow the group of faculty members who are affiliated with Tisch College; and contribute to Tufts’ commitment to “knit together” its several schools.
Dr. Gilbert will be participating in special educational sessions at Tisch College; applying what he has learned to a designated individual project (a new or revised course, research project or service endeavor); organizing a group project with other Fellows; and submitting a short final report in May 2011. Once he completes the program, he will join the Tisch Faculty as a secondary academic appointment.
Dr. Dan Weiner has been appointed to a 3-year term as a member of the American Society of Nephrology’s Dialysis Advisory Group. The Dialysis Advisory Group is responsible for representing its constituents in all ASN activities including identifying, developing and communicating policy issues; meeting the needs of the constituent group in all forms of ASN education; promoting collaborations for its constituent group (including research); assisting the ASN in generating external support for its activities; and interacting with other organizations that relate directly to the Advisory Group and its members.
The William B. Schwartz Division of Nephrology ranked in the top 50 hospitals for kidney disorders in the "Best Hospitals 2010-2011" edition of US News and World Report . The report has ranked the Division in the top 50 the last 2 out of 3 years.
Drs. Dan Weiner and Dana Miskulin published an outstanding editorial in the Annals of Internal Medicine about erythropoietin in chronic kidney disease.
June 2010
Dr. Gautham Viswanathan, research fellow of the William B. Schwartz Division of Nephrology recently received a grant from the National Kidney Foundation/Amgen Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative Research Fellowship in the amount of $50,000 in support of his research study on complications of chronic kidney disease by albuminuria and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The 1-year study will analyze the complications of CKD in two different cohorts by level of albuminuria and GFR. The results of the study will strengthen evidence for a new classification system that has been proposed for classifying CKD by both albuminuria and GFR based on its ability to better predict long term outcomes.
These Fellowships are designed to provide training opportunities in epidemiology, biostatistics, translational research, health systems research and/or health outcomes research, to prepare young kidney investigators to address the gaps in knowledge identified in the process of developing KDOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines.
April 2010
Dr. Gilbert has been awarded an Excellence in Teaching Award from the Senior Class of Tufts University School of Medicine. The award will be presented at the Senior Dinner on Wednesday, May 19th at the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston. This marks the 6th year that Dr. Gilbert has received this award from the Senior class.
Dr. Gilbert received the Milton O. M30 and Natalie V. Zucker Clinical Teaching Prize for Accomplishment. The 2 awards – one for innovation and one for accomplishment – were established in 1998 to promote and honor excellence in clinical teaching. The awards are given annually to clinical teaching faculty for the purpose of: 1. rewarding and recognizing specific faculty for outstanding innovation, accomplishment, and ability to motivate students and 2. encouraging all faculty to review those attributes needed to be an effective teacher.
There is an extensive nomination and award process. Department chairs, division chiefs, and other members of the faculty submit nominations, which are reviewed and voted on by the Curriculum Committee. Then, the Zucker Clinical Teaching Prize Selection Committee, which consists of the Dean of the Medical School, the Dean for Educational Affairs and Dean for Students, and the Curriculum Committee Chair, selects the winners. At the request of Mrs. Zucker, the committee strives for balance between recognition of past accomplishments and promising innovations, and between male and female nominees.
March 2010
Dr. Rao successfully defended her dissertation titled, TGF-b1 Gene Variants in Chronic Kidney Disease - A Candidate Gene Study. She was the second PhD candidate in the Sackler Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Program, which is part of the Tufts CTSI Education Component. Her dissertation was approved unanimously.
On Sunday, March 28th, a very special story appeared on the front page of the Boston Globe. This story highlighted an amazing gift three couples gave each other – the gift of life – a donated kidney. What makes this story even more special for Tufts Medical Center and the Division of Nephrology is that Dr. Andy Levey , one our renowned kidney specialists, was not the doctor in the story but one of the donors. Dr. Levey’s wife was in need of a kidney transplant; however, Dr. Levey was not a match to donate to her. A match was found among with another couple also receiving care at Tufts Medical Center; Dr. Levey could donate to the husband in this couple, and the wife in that couple could donate to Dr. Levey’s wife, Roberta – this is called a kidney “swap.” However, in working with the New England Program for Kidney Exchange and the New England Organ Bank , the hospital learned that at the Lahey Clinic a wife was wanting to donate to her husband but couldn’t. The possibilities of including that couple in this miracle were studied and it was determined that a donation “circle” could be created, meeting the needs of all three couples. In December, four surgeries took place at (two donor surgeries and two recipient surgeries) and two surgeries happened at Lahey Clinic (one donor and one recipient surgery). Two kidneys traveled the highways to and from Tufts MC and Lahey. It truly was a day of giving and miracles. There is also a video on Boston.com . The video features Dr. Levey and Dr. Richard Rohrer, who performed two of the donor surgeries.
The Division's 2009 Annual Report has been posted.
Dr. Bertram Kasiske from the University of Minnesota was the Visiting Professor for the 4th Annual John T. Harrington Grand Rounds. On World Kidney Day, March 11th, fellows from Tufts-affiliated Nephrology Programs (BayState Medical Center, Maine Medical Center, Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center) presented their research. Dr. Kasiske presented Long-term Effects of Kidney Donation at Research Conference. On Friday, March 12th, Dr. Kasiske presented at Grand Rounds. His presentation was Guidelines for the Management of Kidney Transplant Patients.
February 2010
Dr. Sarnak has been promoted to Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. This promotion is in recognition of Mark’s outstanding achievements in research, teaching, and patient care, and his tremendous contributions to the division, department, hospital and university. Mark has reached this milestone at an early stage in his career -- a testament to his many capabilities, hard work, and tireless devotion to his principles. We are all very proud that he is member of our division.
December 2009
Dr. Meyer was the principal author of comments by the Forum of ESRD Networks to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the CMS ESRD Network Assessment Report. Dr. Meyer is the President-elect of the Forum ( www.esrdnetworks.org ), which advocates for the organizations that monitor the quality of chronic kidney disease, dialysis and kidney transplant care in the United States.
In the December Boston’s Best Doctors issue of Boston Magazine, Dr. Perrone was recognized in the as one of Boston’s best nephrologists. The list is compiled by polling local medical professionals to determine which doctors they would recommend if their own family members needed care.
Dr. Perrone was informed he will receive the Distinguished Faculty Award ,which is one of the most important honors the Tufts University School of Medicine can bestow. The award recognizes careers highlighted by major national and local accomplishments in research, teaching, and overall contributions to academic medicine and Tufts.
November 2009
Ten years ago, Jerome P. Kassirer decided to sign off as editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) rather than agree to an arrangement he believed would compromise the journal's integrity. Upon leaving, he promised readers, he would "find some way to continue to contribute." Fortunately for the health of the American public, Dr. Kassirer has made good on that promise by helping medical schools and teaching hospitals nationwide revise their conflict-of-interest (COI) policies. He wields the power of the pen for major medical journals and newspaper publications and lectures on COI extensively in the U.S. and abroad.
Dr. Kassirer is special assistant to the dean at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM), where he has been a faculty member for 50 years (nearly half of which were spent as vice chair of the department of medicine). Additionally, he holds the titles of distinguished professor—an honor conferred upon only a handful of Tufts faculty in the history of the school—and visiting professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. He also has served on the board of directors of the National Committee for Quality Assurance since 2002.
As a "fearless" editor-in-chief of one of the most respected medical journals, Dr. Kassirer commented upon all aspects of American medicine, publishing, as a professor put it, "what readers needed, not necessarily what they wanted." He also gave NEJM its first redesign in over a quarter century, added several new clinical features, and ensured it was one of the first medical journals to be available online. Moreover, Dr. Kassirer developed a process for prepublishing articles that were likely to affect patient care, a mechanism that played a prominent role in saving lives when the toxicity of the then-popular drug Fen-phen was discovered, and which continues to improve the public health today.
"Patients should not have to worry about the integrity of their doctors."
- Jerome P. Kassirer, M.D. |
In addition to the 70 opinion pieces he wrote during his NEJM tenure, in 2004 Dr. Kassirer authored On the Take: How Medicine's Complicity with Big Business Can Endanger Your Health . As the first major work about the various forms COI can take in clinical care and research, the widely acclaimed book made professional integrity a front-burner issue for academic medicine.
While gaining prominence at the national level, Dr. Kassirer also has left his mark on TUSM as a medical educator, mentor, and researcher. "Through his example, his teaching, and his writing," said Institute of Medicine President Harvey Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D., "Dr. Kassirer inspired a generation of young physicians on both the analytic and the humane aspects of clinical practice." Additionally, his research on the analytics of clinical practice helped pioneer the field by taking a systematic approach to clinical reasoning, helping to explain how and why decisions are made in clinical settings. The second edition of his coauthored book, Learning Clinical Reasoning , was published in September 2009.
The personification of professional integrity, Dr. Kassirer has held the medical profession to the highest possible standards, advanced medical journalism through his incisive writings, and rightfully earned the nickname, "the conscience of American medicine." Thanks to his unwavering commitment to practicing what he preaches, Dr. Kassirer has protected the health and safety of Americans, all of whom can be grateful he made good on his promise not to disappear.
Dr. Kassirer earned his M.D. degree from the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and completed his residency training at Buffalo General and . About the David E. Rogers Award
The David E. Rogers Award is sponsored by the AAMC and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The award honors David E. Rogers, M.D., a former president of the foundation and an exemplar of academic medicine's commitment to meeting the health care needs of our nation. The award recognizes a medical school faculty member who has made major contributions to improving the health and health care of the American people.
Tufts Medical Center will be a clinical site for the newly launched NIH-funded multicenter randomized clinical trial to determine whether maintaining blood pressure levels lower than current recommendations further reduces the risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases, or age-related cognitive decline. Called the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), the nine-year, $114 million study will be conducted in more than 80 clinical sites across the country. Dr. Weiner is the Tufts MC site PI.
SPRINT will enroll approximately 7,500 participants age 55 years or older with systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or higher. Participants will have a history of cardiovascular disease; be at high risk for heart disease by having at least one additional risk factor, such as smoking or high blood cholesterol levels; or have chronic kidney disease. Patients with a history of stroke or diabetes are not expected to be studied in SPRINT because other randomized clinical trials are currently testing similar strategies in these patients. These studies will help inform how SPRINT is designed and conducted.
Enrollment for SPRINT is expected to begin in fall 2010.
October 2009
DCI Boston received recognition from the ESRD Network of New England for attaining a consistent prevalent AV fistula rate of 60% or greater for hemodialysis patients. This is the second year the dialysis unit has been recognized for its performance in the Fistula First National Vascular Access Improvement Initiative. The dialysis program exceeded the 2009 CMS stretch goal of 66% for dialysis treatments conducted using a fistula. Nationally, 52.6% of treatments were done with fistulas in May, the last month for which data were available, and in Network 1 (New England), 56.4%.
Dr. Weiner received a $50,000 grant from the DCI Paul Teschan Research Fund to conduct a pilot study of Transglutaminase 2 and Vascular Calcification in Chronic Kidney Disease. The award is for 1 year and the study is eligible for renewal funding for a second year.
September 2009
Two Division members recently received new grant funding from the National Institutes of Health:
- Dr. Lesley Stevens received funding from the NIH/NIDDK for her study entitled “Kidney Function and Aging”. This American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) award is an administrative Supplement to her K23 award.
- Dr. Ronald Perrone received funding from the NIH/NIDDK for his study entitled the "HALT-Polycystic Kidney Disease Trials (UO1)”. Dr. Perrone's grant is also an ARRA award and is an administrative supplement to his UO1 award.
August 2009
Martin Wagner, MD, MS has been appointed as an Adjunct instructor within the Division and Tufts Medical Center's Department of Medicine .
July 2009
Ashish Upadhyay , MD joined the Division in July. Dr. Upadhyay completed his internal medicine residency at Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center and his nephrology fellowship at Boston Medical Center. While at BMC, Dr. Upadhyay was active in clinical research looking at CKD in the Framingham Heart Study. His responsibilities at Tufts Medical Center include directing the Kidney and Blood Pressure Center, participating in the development of clinical practice guidelines, and providing patient care and medical education at Tufts Medical Center.
Klemens B. Meyer, MD was elected President-Elect of the National Forum of ESRD Networks.
Madhu Rao, MD was elected to the TUSM Scientific Affairs Committee.
June 2009
Dr. Perrone stepped down at the end of his term as the Department of Medicine's faculty representative to the TUSM Faculty Senate.
Dr. Dena Rifkin won an Attending Teaching Award from the Tufts Medical Center housestaff. Dr. Rifkin received the award as a 1st year attending.
Dr. John T. Harrington retired from the Division and will be working part time in the International Affairs in TUSM
May 2009
Dr. Navdeep Tangri, Research Fellow, received a Top Trainee Abstract Award at the Canadian Society of Nephrology Meeting in He, along with co-fellow Dr. Martin Wagner, also received a Young Investigator Award from the World Congress of Nephrology/ERA-EDTA Meeting in . The awards are for projects titled “ Predicting Mortality in Incident Dialysis Patients: An Analysis of the United Kingdom Renal Registry” and “Effect of bone mineral guideline target achievement on survival: An analysis of the United Kingdom Renal Registry”. His collaborators were Martin Wagner, David Kent, John Griffith, Dana Miskulin, Christoph Wanner, Alex Hodsman, David Ansell and David Naimark. Dr. Tangri’s work was the result of a multi-center collaboration of researchers at Tufts Medical Center in Boston; University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada; United Kingdom Renal Registry in Bristol UK;and the University of Wuerzberg in Wuerzberg, Germany. The researchers created a prediction tool from easily available demographic and laboratory variables that accurately predicted all cause mortality in patients with end stage kidney disease on dialysis. They also demonstrated that achieving the bone mineral guideline targets does not improve survival for patients on dialysis.
Save-the-Date : More details will follow, but we are planning a celebration of Dr. Schwartz’s many accomplishments and contributions on November 13, 2009. The events will begin at noon with a special grand rounds and a remembrance session will follow.
Dr. Daniel Weiner is the recipeint of a 2009 American Society of Nephrology career development grant. The award is for $100,000 annually, with support for the second year of funding contingent upon continued eligibility and submission of a satisfactory progress report at the end of the first year.
On May 22nd, Dr. Daniel Weiner co-presented at Tufts Medical Center Grand Rounds with Marvin Konstam, MD, Chief Physician Executive of The Cardiovascular Center at Tufts Medical Center. Their presentation was entitled “Ace Inhibitors, ARBs and Their Combination in Heart Failure and Kidney Disease. “Making Sense of Conflicting Clinical Trial Data”.
In May, the kidney transplant programs received full and unconditional approval from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services!
Dr. Ronald D. Perrone has been selected by the regional councilor and associate councilor and approved by the OPTN/UNOS President Elect to serve as the Region 1 Representative on the OPTN/UNOS Living Donor Committee. His term on the committee will begin July 1, 2009 and end June 30, 2011. As the Region 1 Representative his role will include attending committee meetings; representing the Region 1 Membership during committee deliberations; providing an update on committee activities during the face to face Regional Meetings held in the Spring/Fall; presenting the committee proposals during all face to face and internet based Regional Meetings and providing feedback to the committee as to the regional sentiment on proposals.
Twenty five division members and their families and friends participated in the NKF Kidney Walk held at the Franklin Zoo on May 17th. Our team "Tufts Kidney Care" placed 2nd in fundraising. We raised a total just shy of $11,000! Team members raised almost $1000 and we are very appreciative of an extremely generous gift given from a friend of Dr. Perrone's who donated in memory of his father to the NKF through our team.
Dr. Christoph Wanner from Germany was a Visiting Professor in the Division. In addition to meeting with Division faculty, Dr. Wanner presented "Decreasing the Burden of Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with CKD: How are we doing?" at the Division's Research Conference.
Drs. Levey and Stevens, in collaboration with colleagues both at Tufts Medical Center and externally, published an article in the May edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine entitled A New Equation to Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate . The complete citation is:
Levey AS, Stevens LA, Schmid CH, Zhang Y, Castro AF III, Feldman HI, Kusek JW, Eggers P, Van Lente F, Greene T, Coresh J, for the CKD-EPI (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration). A New Equation to Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate . Ann Intern Med 2009;150:604-12.
Effective, May 1st Dr. Samina Khan accepted a new position at Abbott Laboratories in Illinois. Seemi completed both her clinical and research fellowships within the Division and has been on staff since that time. We wish her well in her new endeavor! Dr. Dana C. Miskulin will replace Dr. Khan in her role of working with Drs. Tony Dash and Michael Cohen caring for patients in the community with chronic kidney disease.
Lorna Davies, Administrative Assistant, has received The Tufts Medical Center Saltonstall Employee Excellence Award for the month of May. The Saltonstall award honors employees who exhibit the highest standards of service and performance in their work and their interactions with staff, patients and visitors. Lorna is an integral part of our Nephrology team. Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Division Administrator says of Lorna "she always greets you with a smile, is always willing to help, and serves as a great resource to many of us in the division who are in constant need of help!" A luncheon will be held in Lorna’s honor in the coming weeks.
April 2009
Dr. Ronald D. Perrone has been notified that he will receive the 25 Year Faculty Service Award from Tufts University School of Medicine on Monday, June 1, 2009.
Two Division physicians have been honored by the Senior Class at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Scott J. Gilbert received the Outstanding Teaching in the Pre-clerkship Years award and Ranjani Moorthi, MD, MPH, MS, Clinical Fellow, is a recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award awarded by the Senior Class of Tufts University School of Medicine. Drs. Gilbert and Moorthi will receive their awards at the Senior Dinner on Wednesday, May 13th at the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston.
Dr. Vandana Menon has been awarded the Satellite Dialysis Clinical Scientist Award from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). Dr. Menon will study biomarkers for kidney disease progression and poor long-term prognosis in patients with stage 3-4 non-diabetic chronic kidney disease. The Clinical Scientist Award from the NKF is intended to support investigators who have demonstrated outstanding clinical research potential to promote their continued success as independent investigators. The award provides salary support for 3 years to enable recipients to devote at least 75% of their time to research for the duration of the award.
Dr. Brian J.G. Pereira, Professor of Medicine, received The David M. Hume Award from the National Kidney Foundation at its 2009 Annual Spring Clinical Meeting. The David M. Hume Memorial Award was created in memory of one of the National Kidney Foundation's most distinguished members. The Hume Award is the highest honor given to a distinguished scientist-clinician in the field of kidney and urologic diseases. It is bestowed upon an individual who exemplifies the high ideals of scholarship and humanitarianism in an outstanding manner.
Dr. Cindy Huang, Research Fellow, received an Outstanding Poster Award from the National Kidney Foundation 2009 Spring Meeting in Nashville, TN. She placed 2nd in the competition for her abstract entitled “ Body composition and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients ”. Her collaborators were Hocine Tighiouart, Srinivasan Beddhu, Alfred Cheung, JohannaDwyer, Garabed Eknoyan, Gerald Beck, Andrew Levey , and Mark Sarnak . Dr. Huang’s work was the result of a multicenter collaboration of researchers at Tufts Medical Center in Boston the University of Utah in Salt Lake City; Baylor College of Medicine in Houston;and the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. The researchers concluded thatboth higher muscle mass and fat mass are associated with decreased all-cause mortality in HD patients.
March 2009
- It is with great sadness that Tufts Medical Center announces the passing of one of the preeminent physicians and administrators in its history, former Chairman of Medicine William B. Schwartz, MD, 86. Dr. Schwartz died on March 15, 2009 after a long illness in Los Angeles, California, where he had lived for a number of years.
“Dr. Schwartz was a remarkably productive and intelligent physician who made major contributions in kidney disease, computers in medicine and medical economics,” said Deeb Salem, MD, Chairman of Medicine. “I had the honor and pleasure of working with him up until last year, and his sharp mind, rigorous analytical ability and health policy acumen will be sorely missed.”
In addition to his clinical, educational and research roles at and Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Schwartz became one of the nation’s leading thinkers on the intersection of medicine and economics.
He authored or co-authored several books and hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from electrolyte disorders to the use of artificial intelligence in medicine to the rationing of health care. From 1976-1992, he was the Vannevar Bush University Professor and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University. He founded Tufts Medical Center’s Division of Nephrology in 1950 and served as its chief until 1971, when he became Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Schwartz served as Chairman of Medicine and physician-in-chief at until 1976. On the 50th anniversary of the nephrology division in 2000, it was named in his honor.
In his work at Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center, he personally trained more than 60 nephrologists. He was known for his rigorous attention to detail in scientific analysis, which he imparted to the physicians he trained. He led landmark discoveries in the physiology and management of acid-base and electrolyte disorders, in understanding potassium depletion, and glomerulonephritis, a disease characterized by the inflammation of the small blood vessels in the kidneys. Along with the late Frederic C. Bartter, MD, he discovered and defined the characteristics of the syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone (SIADH, also known as the Schwartz-Bartter Syndrome), in which there is excess secretion of the antidiuretic hormone, disturbing the critical water balance in the body.
In 1971, Dr. Schwartz spent a summer at the RAND Corporation, which spawned a second career in health policy and health services research. He remained a principal advisor to Health Science Program at the RAND for more than a decade. In 1984, he co-authored (with economist Henry Aaron), The Painful Prescription: Rationing Hospital Care , which examined health care in the United Kingdom, and its implications for American health care. Before the advent of MRIs and other increasingly expensive medical technologies, Aaron and Dr. Schwartz put forward the notion that technology would drive health care costs to a large extent. In a 1998 book, Life Without Disease: the Pursuit of Medical Utopia , Dr. Schwartz explored the impact of genetic discoveries on medicine, health spending, and society. Dr. Schwartz’s essays and analyses appeared regularly in national newspapers and health policy journals, and government and industry leaders consulted with him on health policy issues.
After moving to California, Dr. Schwartz became emeritus professor of medicine at the University of Southern California.
He leaves his wife Tressa Ruslander Miller of Los Angeles, his son Dr. Eric Schwartz and his wife Dr. Gayle Tillman of Weston, Mass, his daughter Laurie Schwartz Naparstek and her husband Jay Naparstek of Worcester, Mass., his stepson Joshua D. Miller and his wife Lori Miller of San Jose, Calif., his daughter-in-law Ellen Cohen of Newton, Mass, his former wife Carol Schwartz of Newton, Mass., and five grandchildren. He was also the father of the late Kenneth B. Schwartz.
He was a member of the of Arts and Sciences and Institute of Medicine, a past president of the American Society of Nephrology, a past chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Kidney Foundation. He received his undergraduate and medical degree at Duke University.
A memorial service was held on Friday, March 20th at Hillside and Mortuary in A second memorial service will be held later in Boston.
The Division's 2008 Annual Report is now available online.
In celebration of World Kidney Day (March 12th), Dr. Eberhard Ritz from the Department of Internal Medicine Ruperto Carola University of Heidelberg, Germany was a Visiting Professor for the 3rd Annual John T. Harrington Grand Rounds. During his visit he presented at the Division’s Research Conference and also gave the Grand Rounds at Tufts Medical Center entitled The World Kidney Day: The Kidney and Hypertension. Dr. Ritz also participated in the presentation and evaluation of the Division's Research Training Program. Fellows from Maine Medical Center and Tufts Medical Center presented their research and representatives of Divisions of Nephrology at Tufts-affiliated hospitals were present.
Dr. Andrew S. Levey was the co-chair and is the first author on behalf of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expert panel on CKD prevention published in this month's issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases . The experts recommended a comprehensive public health strategy to prevent the development, progression, and complications of CKD in the United States. The expert panel's work included applying strategies for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention for chronic diseases to the conceptual model for development, progression, and complications of CKD; reviewing epidemiologic data from US federal agencies; and discussing ways of integrating public health efforts from various agencies and organizations. The panel also recommended a 10-point plan to the CDC to improve surveillance, screening, education, and awareness directed at 3 target populations: people with CKD or at increased risk of developing CKD; providers, hospitals, and clinical laboratories; and the general public.
Levey AS, et al. Am J Kidney Dis 2009;53:522-35.
Drs. Ezra Gabby, Research Fellow, and Klemens B. Meyer have received the 1st annual Norman S. Stearns, MD, Grant to Promote Education in Ethics and Professionalism. This grant is designed to promote and support teaching and learning innovations developed by TUSM faculty that will enhance student and resident education in Ethics and Professionalism. Their proposal was entitled A Systematic Approach to Learning End of Life Decision Making. The purpose of the project is to introduce end of life decision-making as a clinical skill to be taught and learned in a systematic and multidimensional way, into the TUSM curriculum. The project will consist of two components. The first is a TUSK-based online learning module through which students will progress in a stepwise manner through the diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic, legal, and psychosocial problems of hypothetical patients for whom decisions about withholding or withdrawing treatment are considered. Students will construct a plan of action to address all these issues, for which they will receive feedback and evaluation. The second component is a pilot of a 4th year elective course in the form of a seminar, exploring end of life issues through discussion and independent research.
The Hortense “Diddy” Seybolt Fund for Staff Enrichment in Nephrology was dedicated . Numerous friends, family members, and Division members were in attendance for the unveiling of a plaque at the entrance of the dialysis unit and also a plaque outside the staff room. Dr. Meyer announced that this year’s professional development funds would be used to support Patient Care Technicians taking the certification examination that is being required for the first time this year.
February 2009
Dr. Scott Gilbert has been invited to participate on a Panel of Excellence for the Graduate Institute For Teaching (GIFT) at Tufts University. The Panel of Excellence consists of an inspired group of academics from across disciplines who answer questions that the 15 GIFT Teaching Fellows have about an academic career.
January 2009
Dr. Daniel Weiner , Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Dr. Maria Nurminskaya, Research Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology have received a grant from the Russo Family Charitable Foundation Trust to Tufts University School of Medicine. Their study is entitled "Novel Biomarkers for Vascular Calcification in Kidney Failure". Their collaboration has the potential to translate basic findings made by Dr. Nurminskaya to the clinic and is a strong example of translational research that has the potential to affect the way patients with chronic kidney disease might be treated in the future.
The Russo Family Charitable Foundation Trust to Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) is intended to support interdisciplinary collaborative research to encourage faculty to work collaboratively in research and to apply for multi-investigator grants. The goal is to fund proposals that will lead to an application to the NIH for a new Dual-investigator grant application.
The William B. Schwartz Division of Nephrology was honored for the 2nd year in a row in the latest "Best Hospitals" edition of US News and World Report .
December 2008
Drs. Levey , Stevens and Uhlig , in association with Drs. Lau and Balk, have received a 3-year competing renewal of their grant from the National Kidney Foundation to provide service to international guideline workgroups in nephrology.
The National Kidney Foundation of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont will honor two Tufts Medical Center nephrology clinicians at its 2009 Gift of Life Awards Dinner on Thursday, January 22. Lawrence Milner, MD will be honored as the Outstanding Physician in Nephrology and Deb Basler, MSN, NP received the Outstanding Nephrology Nursing Award. This is the fourth year in a row that a Medical Center clinician has been honored at this event. The Gift of Life Awards Dinner is a celebration of the miracle of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Local physicians, medical staff, business and civic leaders, organ donors and recipients gather for an evening to honor those individuals and organizations that have shown extraordinary commitment and dedication to the kidney and transplant community.
November 2008
Division members have begun planning for the 3rd Annual John T. Harrington Grand Rounds to be held in March 2009 in conjunction with World Kidney Day. Dr. Eberhard Ritz of the University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg Germany will be the invited professor. Dr. Ritz will also be writing the World Kidney Day editorial that will appear in the March edition of the major kidney journals.
At the American Society of Nephrology Renal Week 2008, Division members presented 5 platform presentations, 3 free communications and 35 poster presentations!
October 2008
Division members participated in a unique collaborative symposium held at the Grafton campus and hosted by the The Tufts REVEAL (Residents' Enhanced Veterinary Education & Academic Learning) Program. The program invited researchers in kidney disease from the 3 Tufts campuses together to find out what kidney research is going at Tufts and to discover where new collaborations are possible. The day included time to get to know one another and learn what people are doing and then moved into small group discussions with an eye towards creating multi-disciplinary proposals.
Dr. Scott J. Gilbert was selected by Tufts of Medicine (TUSM) third-year students to receive an excellence in teaching citation for the 2007-2008 academic year. Excellence in teaching is the highest category of citation with notable teaching and accomplished teaching being the other categories. Dr. Gilbert has received this award for 3 consecutive years.
Dr. Ronald D. Perrone presented a free webinar entitled "PKD Basics" for the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation . The 563 participants from 50 countries were very active during the presentation and posed 413 questions. Click here to view the archived webinar.
Dr. Michelle M. Richardson was elected to be the Editorial Board Chair for the 7th edition of the Pharmacotherapy Self-Assessment Program (PSAP). She is currently the Editorial Board Chair for the 6th edition. The PSAP series is a premier publication of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and is modeled after the Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program. The program is designed as a self-assessment tool to assist pharmacists in sharpening their clinical skills and keeping abreast in therapeutic areas with updated standards of practice.
September 2008
On Sunday, September 21, the Tufts Kidney Care Team participated in the Walk for PKD. Over 25 Division members and their families walked. The weather was beautiful and our team was a big success. We were the 8th top team fundraiser (raising $4286) and 6th top individual fundraiser (Roberta raised $3020).
Team Tufts Kidney Care at the 2008 PKD Walk for a Cure
August 2008
Klemens Meyer, MD was promoted to Professor of Medicine at TUSM.
Dr. Meyer was also appointed to the Schwartz Compassionate Care Faculty Development program. Already a master at compassionate patient care, Dr. Meyer will be one of a core group of physicians who will be trained to be a ‘master teacher’ of compassionate patient care. This program, through the generous support of the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center, is an opportunity for other faculty to develop, implement, and assess a compassionate care project at their clinical sites and receive feedback from a faculty peer and from the TUSM teaching faculty on how well they incorporate these skills into their teaching. The Compassionate Care Faculty Development Program builds upon the work of the Compassionate Care Faculty Advisory Group which developed a curricular template to teach compassionate care throughout the TUSM four-year medical school curriculum.
Vandana Menon, MD, PhD, MPH, MS was elected to the Scientific Affairs Committee at TUSM.
The Division is now providing peritoneal dialysis services to patients at Kindred Boston.
July 2008
The William B. Schwartz Division of Nephrology was honored in the latest "Best Hospitals" edition of US News and World Report .
June 2008
Lesley A. Stevens, MD, MS, FRCP (C) received a grant from Gilead Sciences in the amount of $743,855 USD in support of her research study entitled "Evaluation of GFR Estimating Equations in HIV Positive Patients" . This study will enroll approximately 200 subjects from 3 study centers.
Team Kidney Care represented the William B. Schwartz Division at the National Kidney Foundation's Boston Kidney Walk. Team Kidney Care placed 9th out of more than 100 teams in fundraising. They raised $5,825.00
The Tufts Medical Center housestaff awarded Mark J. Sarnak, MD, MS the Attending of the Year Award.
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