Accepting the gavel

I am proud to begin my term as CRN Chairperson and would like to thank the CRN membership for the privilege and opportunity to serve as the Chairperson of CRN. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Susan Reams for the leadership and guidance she provided during her term as CRN Chairperson. Her high level of energy and enthusiasm has been an inspiration to everyone on the CRN Executive Committee and the membership at large. Through Susan’s efforts, the CRN has been elevated to a new level of respect and recognition that we can all be proud to be a part of.

As for my background, I earned my graduate degree in Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. I have been a registered dietitian for 25 years and a renal dietitian for the past 14 years. At present, I am the Administrative Dietitian at Winthrop-University Hospital Dialysis Center in Mineola, Long Island, New York.

I joined CRN in 1991 and have been fortunate to attend many NKF Annual and Clinical Meetings. I was the Chairperson of CRN of Long Island in 1998–1999, and also participated in the local NKF affiliate Multidisciplinary Conference Committee.

For the past 4 years I have served on the CRN Executive Committee as the Region I Alternate Representative and Region I Representative. I have also served as the Chair of the Research Grant Committee for the past 3 years. I am pleased to say that there are several exciting grant projects currently in progress that will continue to provide renal dietitians with important information to apply in our clinical practice in an ongoing effort to improve outcomes for our patients with CKD.

Another project that I spearheaded was the Research Grant Bulletin Board. The idea and support for this endeavor came from Judy Beto, RD, PhD. Dr. Beto’s passion for research and her desire to get renal RDs involved in doing research are evident throughout this project. If you are interested in doing research, be sure to take advantage of this membership benefit, which can be found on the NKF-CRN website, www.kidney.org.

As I look to the future and reflect on our Council’s objectives, I am enthusiastic about our 5-year goals, which I will now share with you.

We have several programs, projects, and activities currently underway to support these goals. First, I am excited about our upcoming milestone anniversary. This year CRN will commemorate its 30th year as a professional council of the National Kidney Foundation. I hope many of you will attend CM.05 in Washington, DC, May 5 to 8, 2005, where together we will celebrate our past 3 decades of achievements and look back on fond memories. In addition to the outstanding educational sessions, the NKF will organize a legislative workshop and trip to Capitol Hill for members of all three professional councils. Second, I have recently been honored to become a member of the NKF Board of Directors. My role on the Board is to be a voice of the professional councils, as well as for other associated issues.

The professional education committee is organizing an authors’ bureau for experienced and new authors who are interested in writing for publication. We will also plan to collaborate with the ADA-RPG on a joint project that will benefit the membership of both groups. The patient and public education committee continues to update and create new fact sheets and brochures. The cookbook list has also been revised. These can be found on the NKF-CRN website.

The Journal of Renal Nutrition continues to be a shared journal with the CRN and the International Society for Renal Nutrition and Metabolism. The Journal of Renal Nutrition is now recognized internationally as a renowned journal for renal dietitians, physicians, allied team members, and scientists.

The membership committee successfully completed the affiliation process last summer. CRN is 1,533 members strong. With so many benefits and the opportunity for nationwide networking, membership in the national CRN is an asset to any renal dietitian. Together, we can keep the membership numbers growing by encouraging fellow renal dietitians to join.

I look forward to another productive and fulfilling year for CRN. For additional information on any CRN activities or member benefits, you may contact me at dbrommage@winthrop.org. I would be happy to hear from you!