Recognition & Awards

Professional Council Awards

Council of Advanced Practitioner Award Recipients

 

NOSTRADAMUS AWARD
A 16th century seer, Nostradamus has long been portrayed as someone who could see into the future. This award will be given annually to an individual or organization that, through forethought and vision, recognizes and promotes the contributions of Advanced Practitioners in Nephrology.

Debra Hain, DNS, APRN, GNPCharles J. Foulks, MD, FACP, FACNCharles J. Foulks, MD, FACP, FACN

Dr. Foulks, or Charlie as he is known to all who know and love him, exemplifies the values set forth in CAP’s Nostradamus Award. He has a passion for nephrology, teaching, training the next generation of nephrology practitioners, and for his family and patients. Charlie has been a friend and mentor as the leaders of CAP have made inroads with the nephrology community.  He has been recognized by the American Academy of Family Practice (AAFP) with teaching awards throughout the 1990s, NKF for his contributions to the development of the K/DOQI guidelines and CKD education, the Renal Physicians Association (RPA) with the 2007 Exemplary Practice Award and the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) awarded him the 2009 Paragon Award, their highest accolade. He has been a strong supporter for CAP, lecturing for AP sessions at the NKF Spring Clinical Meetings prior to it officially becoming a track, and, along with Laurie Benton, developing an online course for nephrology practitioners and donating it to the NKF for CAP.  In other words, he has stood by CAP throughout its infancy and toddlerhood, mentored us in our childhood and now, in our adulthood, we wish to tell Charlie how important he is to us all.

Not only has Dr. Foulks practiced nephrology for over 30 years, he has published numerous papers in the field of CKD education, renal nutrition and hypertension. He has set up CKD education programs for practitioners and patients that resulted in the stabilization and slowing of the progression of kidney disease in a large CKD clinic.  He has been on the editorial boards of the Journal of Renal Nutrition and Seminars in Dialysi, and served as a reviewer for Kidney International, Mineral and Electrolyte Metabolism, JASN, AJKD and Peritoneal Dialysis International. He also has been a question writer for the National Board of Medical Examiners Step 2 Licensing Examination.  However, his biggest and best legacy is the number of nephrology professionals he has trained. He gives lectures to anyone who calls.  He teaches PAs, NPs, medical students, residents, nephrology fellows, nephrologists, primary care practitioners…in fact, anyone who will sit and listen. His lectures are known for their ‘folksy’ humor and down to earth pearls of wisdom that are practical and useful in real practice. 

While he is currently the C.S. Lewis, Jr., M.D. Chairman of Medicine at the University Of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, he has recently had the Nephrology Fellowship at OU accredited by the ACGME, the first fellowship in the School of Community Medicine. He previously founded a Nephrology Fellowship at Scott and White and Texas A&M University. He has taught nephrology at a number of medical schools and in the military, and he is now the new Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs for the OU School of Community Medicine.  He has received awards for academic teaching at EVERY medical school he has been involved with. 

Dr. Foulks exemplifies leadership in nephrology, education for all professionals in medicine as well as exemplifying success in community service and research.  CAP is honored to present this award to our dear friend and mentor, Charlie Foulks, and to thank him for his years of assistance to APs nationwide.

TIM POOLE MEMORIAL AWARD
This award was established in honor of Tim Poole, PAC, who passed away in 2008. Tim was an exceptional clinician and incredible human being who dedicated his life to the care and well-being of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and their families. The Tim Poole Memorial Award will be given to a CAP member who follows in Tim’s footsteps and demonstrates the qualities that made him so outstanding.

Debra Hain, DNS, APRN, GNPDebra Hain, DNS, APRN, GNP

Dr. Hain has been a nephrology nurse since 1987. She is currently a Nephrology Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Researcher and an Assistant Professor at the Florida Atlantic University Christine Lynn College of Nursing in Boca Raton. She is an active member of NKF-CAP and American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA). She has made significant contributions by advancing nephrology practice, research, education, clinical practice and leadership, all while balancing her professional life with the demands of an active family. 

Dr. Hain has been active in NKF, participating in multiple KEEP Screenings in Southern Florida and now is the official “travel agent” for Sydney, CAP’s kidney mascot. She represents ANNA on the Kidney Care Partners (KCP) Technical and Expert Panel-Patient/Family Engagement. This panel is in its second year of developing/identifying tools that can be used by patients/families to enable them be more engaged with their providers.

She is especially interested in the growing number of older adults with CKD since she is a Fellow of the Geriatric Nursing Excellence Faculty of Hartford Minnesota. Dr. Hain’s research focuses on improving health outcomes of older adults with CKD who are discharged from community hospitals. She is currently creating an educational program for providers to help transition patients from CKD Stage 5 to dialysis.  She is the advisor Chairperson for DNP students who are nephrology nurses.

Her research in the "Use of story theory to explore health challenges of hemodialysis patients" earned her an ANNA Research Grant in 2007 and the next year she received the ANNA Nephrology Nurse Competence in Aging Award.  Her publication on "Cognition and Adherence in Older Adults undergoing Hemo dialysis" was accepted in the Hemodialysis International Journal. Some of her more recent publications in peer-reviewed journals include “Approaches to Resolve Health Challenges in a Population of Older Adults Undergoing Hemo dialysis” published in Research in Gerontological Nursing, 2010,”Chronic Kidney Disease”  in Advance for Nurse Practitioners, 2010,  and “CKD education: an evolving concept” published in Nephrology Nursing Journal, 2009…

Dr. Hain continues an active role in the hemodialysis area teaching nephrology fellows the basics of hemodialysis emphasizing compassion for this patient population.  Because she is noted both for her compassion and her knowledge, she is the person the nephrology team calls to counsel patients approaching dialysis.   Norma Gomez, who sent in the nomination, said that Dr. Hain exhibits patience and understanding when working with patients and their families, using various care strategies to meet their individual needs, and ensuring they have a support system with family and friends before discharge. She is committed to evidence-based practice and is a resource for nursing, research and clinical practice in the nephrology community.

Dr. Hain meets and exceeds all the qualifications as a recipient of this award. Her priorities in life are family and a commitment to advancing education and nephrology practice while also caring for a fragile and sick population.  CAP is thrilled to give Debra Hain this award, as she represents all that we strive to be.  Thanks for making it all look easy.

Council of Nephrology Nurses and Technicians Award Recipients

 

Glenda Harbert, RN, CNN, CPHQLEADERSHIP AWARD
Glenda Harbert, RN, CNN, CPHQ

Ms. Harbert began her career as a nephrology nurse in 1983, following her development of a patient orientation to dialysis program while working at a hospital. Working with this special group of patients led her to a position in a chronic outpatient dialysis facility. Her dedication and expertise quickly had her promoted into a management and, eventually administrator roles. Her current position as the Executive Director of the ESRD Network of Texas, Inc. is the highest level of management in the state, and she has held this position for more than 14 years.  For the past 25 years she has tirelessly worked at promoting quality, safe and effective nephrology nursing care through participation in multiple roles in ANNA, strategizing with other entities such as the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), corporate dialysis providers, independent dialysis centers, National Kidney Foundation (NKF), American Kidney Fund (AKF), Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the ESRD Networks.

Ms. Harbert is a member of NKF-CNNT, actively participating in both local and regional events.  She has given more than 150 presentations on topics ranging from Quality Management and Improvement Tools and Techniques, the National ESRD Network Program, Patient Safety and Advanced Care Planning and End of Life.  Her management style and direct leadership in the Texas Emergency ESRD Coalition (TEEC) rallied the entire Texas nephrology community to participate and paved the way for the creation of a national renal emergency coalition which is known as Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER). 

The respect and admiration that she has from the entire nephrology community in the country is an attestation to the success in her management and leadership styles.  She always emphasizes the need for a collaborative teamwork approach to addressing all challenges faced by patients and professionals in the ESRD community.  Highlighting on-going education and sharing of knowledge is always a priority in her management style, from direct employees to coalitions spanning to national levels. Always willing to “roll up her sleeves” and provide a helping hand on projects or answering calls during disasters, she is in the trenches working alongside her staff, simultaneously guiding them through the roughest of challenges, and achieving successful resolution to some the most difficult of situations.

As a manager and leader, Ms. Harbert acknowledges triumphs, losses, and personal challenges.  She empathizes as staff face challenges both professionally and personally, and is always there willing to listen, support and encourage.  Her management style is second to none and her personal dedication to others is always prominent in everything she does. 

Marianne Neumann, RN, CNNDISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Marianne Neumann, RN, CNN

Ms. Neumann has had many years of nephrology nursing experience.  She was employed by Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY for 20 years, at first in the NICU and then as a staff nurse in the adult dialysis unit’s chronic and acute areas. Following that, she was the Pediatric Nephrology Clinical Coordinator for 12 years and worked with children and their families while they lived with CKD and transplantation.  She was then a clinical manager of a busy, adult hemodialysis center in Albany for almost 13 years, and has recently become the National Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative Clinical Lead for the IPRO ESRD Network of New York.

Ms. Neumann has volunteered with the National Kidney Foundation local affiliate for many years on the Medical Advisory Board,and nationally as the Region I Vice Chair of the CNNT.  She has served on the CNNT Planning Committee for several NKF Spring Clinical Meetings, developed the pre-conference course “CKD 101,” and the 2011 pre-conference session on anemia. She has also been active with the American Nephrology Nurse’s Association on a local, regional and national level.  Ms. Neumann has traveled to Lima, Peru and Singapore to lecture nephrology nurses as a result of friends and colleagues within both organizations.

Council of Nephrology Social Workers Award Recipients

 

ROBERT W. WHITLOCK LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The CNSW Lifetime Achievement Award is named in honor of Robert W. Whitlock, MSSW, MHA, LCSW, Director of the Missouri Kidney Program (MoKP) and leader in the kidney community, who passed away in 2008. Bob was a dedicated nephrology social worker and an outstanding contributor to research, teaching and clinical practice in nephrology social work.

Karren King, MSW, ACSW, LCSWKarren King, MSW, ACSW, LCSW

 Currently, Ms. King is a kidney disease social work consultant. She served as President of the NKF’s Council of Nephrology Social Workers (CNSW). She has served on the NKF Executive Committee and Board of Directors, as Chair of the NKF Patient Services Committee and on numerous other NKF committees both nationally and within her NKF affiliate. She was a member of the NKF’s Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative, HD Adequacy Work Group, as well as the Renal Physicians Association/American Society of Nephrology Workgroup that developed the Clinical Practice Guideline on “Shared Decision Making in the Appropriate Initiation of and Withdrawal from Dialysis.” She is a past member of the Life Options Rehabilitation Advisory Council, the Missouri Kidney Program Advisory Council and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care, End Stage Renal Disease Peer Workgroup. She currently serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Center for Practical Bioethics. She was appointed by Secretary Donna Shalala to serve as a member of the Secretary of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Xenotransplantation. Ms. King is the former editor of the NKF’s Family Focus patient newsletter and has also published 19 papers and made over 60 presentations, both nationally and internationally, on the psychological and social aspects of kidney disease. She has received the National CNSW Merit Award and its President’s Award, the National NKF’s Distinguished Service Award, the Chairman’s Award and the Martin Wagner Memorial Award, and was the first recipient of the University Of Missouri School Of Social Work Outstanding Alumni Award.

Jessica Phipps, MSW, LSWMERIT AWARD
Jessica Phipps, MSW, LSW

Ms. Phipps is the Regional Treatment Options Coordinator for Fresenius Medical Care in New Jersey. She has worked in dialysis since 2002, and was the New Jersey Regional Lead Social Worker for Fresenius from 2004-2010. She has facilitated quarterly regional social work meetings and educated social workers on the use of outcomes based interventions to assist particularly in areas of treatment adherence, fluid management and to improve KDQOL scores. She started patient support groups and open houses for dialysis patient caregivers, and promoted public CKD education at community health fairs and support groups. She was the Chairperson of the CNSW NJ Chapter, and is currently the Co-Chairperson of the National Association of Social Work (NASW) NJ Chapter's special interest group "Dialogue on Power, Privilege and Oppression," a member of the ESRD Network 3 Renal Coalition Committee, and is also active on the Fresenius Medical Care national social work advisory board.

Angela Metzger, LSCSW, LCSW NEW WORKER AWARD
Angela Metzger, LSCSW, LCSW

Ms. Metzger has worked as a nephrology social worker at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, since March, 2009.  Her primary responsibilities are to provide comprehensive case management services to the kidney dialysis and transplant patients and their families.  In addition to nephrology, she also provides back-up to the other disease areas, voluntarily serves in the after-hours pool and works regular shifts in the Emergency Department.  She is the lead staff member of the Transition Committee, a program which assists adolescent patients with kidney failure to adjust to their illness as well as prepare them for self care and transfer to adult care. She is also a Co-Investigator on a Quality of Life Study with dialysis and transplant patients. As a member of the Core Team for Camp Chimer, a kidney dialysis and transplant camp, Ms. Metzger not only helped with the planning, but also remained at camp for the week as both the resident Social Worker and Camp Counselor.

CHAPTER AWARD
CNSW Valley of the Virginias

CNSW Valley of the Virginias Chapter covers the Central Shenandoah Valley of the state of Virginia, and is the first CNSW Chapter to have 100% of its members apply for the NKF-CNSW’s Nephrology Social Work Certification (NSW-C). At meetings, the group regularly benefits from an educational presentation (some with CEUs), lunch and discussion, and member support (including tips for time management, organization, coping with the new Conditions for Coverage, etc.). In 2010, every Chapter member was also  a national CNSW member.

Sarah Schuh, LICSW TRANSPLANT SOCIAL WORKER AWARD
Sarah Schuh, LICSW

Ms. Schuh is a transplant social worker at the HCMC Transplant Clinic in Minneapolis, MN. She is a strong advocate for patients in all of the areas of the transplant process – she has worked hard to educate and provide an opportunity for every recipient to write to each donor family, and for each of those donor families to receive that gift from the recipients. She has been active with the local National Kidney Foundation Serving Minnesota and the Dakotas office, volunteering for several KEEP screening events and facilitating an NKF Coffee House Conversations for transplant recipients and their family members on the topics of “Reducing Cancer Risks” and “Understanding Depression.” With others, Ms. Schuh has presented to the International Symposium of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work on the topics of “Restorative Education” and “Efficacy of an Open-Ended Psycho-Educational Support Group in a Health Care Setting.”

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORKER AWARD
Dr.Sujata Rajapurkar Dr.Sujata Rajapurkar

Dr. Rajapurkar is a faculty member of the National Disease Transplant Network in New Delhi, India, and has been a member of CNSW since 2000. She has been published in four national journals and one international journal,  and has given more than forty presentations at international conferences. Dr. Rajapurkar also conducts kidney disease detection camps and coordinates kidney disease and transplant awareness programs for World Kidney Day. She has collected $2 million USD for the benefit of underprivileged kidney patients in India, and has created funds for various categories of diseases so that every patient receives help.  She organized a “Silver Jubilee Felicitation,” which celebrated kidney transplant recipients who had completed 25 years of successful graft survival and included kidney donors who gave the gift of life.

Janice Malofsky-Berlowe, LCSW, NSW-CREGIONAL SOCIAL WORKER AWARD – REGION V
Janice Malofsky-Berlowe, LCSW, NSW-C

Ms. Malofsky-Berlowe is the Regional Lead Social Worker for Fresenius in the Burbank, CA area. She has been on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles Chapter of the CNSW for over twenty years, and has served as Treasurer the entire time.  More importantly, she has been a major influence on how her area's renal social workers have been shaped and how renal social work in general has been defined.  In 1989, she was honored with her Chapter's Social Worker of the Year award for outstanding achievement. She is a Master Social Work practitioner who has guided countless MSWs towards licensure.  In 2007, she conducted a presentation on supervision at the NKF Spring Clinical Meetings.  Ms. Malofsky-Berlowe regularly attends every NKF Spring Clinical Meeting, and functions as a reviewer for the NKF-CNSW’s Nephrology Social Work Certification (NSW-C) program. She has participated in several renal organizations including the Network 18 Coalition and the National Organization for Renal Disease. Ms. Malofsky-Berlowe recently volunteered at the NKF Serving Southern California and Southern Nevada's Inaugural Kidney Walk, tirelessly raising funds and awareness.

Council on Renal Nutrition Award Recipients

 

Louise Clement MS, RD, CSR, LDRECOGNIZED RENAL DIETITIAN AWARD
Louise Clement MS, RD, CSR, LD

 Ms. Clement is a long-time member of the CRN who is best known for her research on homocystein and Vitamin B status in the CKD-dialysis population. Ms. Clement has been active with the South Plains CRN Chapter as a founding member and Chairperson. She has been recognized locally for her work as a volunteer in the South Plains community. Additionally, Ms. Clement has been very active at the national level of the CRN, most notably serveing as Region IV Representative, and as the current coordinator of the Strategies I pre-conference course offered yearly at the NKF Spring Clinical Meetings.

Jean Stover RD, LDN OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD
Jean Stover RD, LDN

Ms. Stover is a beloved member of the CRN Executive Committee who has devoted her time serving as the Historian and Nominations Chair of the CRN. She has worked many tireless years to chronicle the CRN’s history and has attended all of the NKF Spring Clinical Meetings at her own expense. In addition to her work with the Executive Committee, she continues to work as a renal dietitian in Philadelphia and is an active member of her local CRN Chapter.

Nichole Haynes MS, RD, CSR, LDRECOGNIZED RENAL DIETITIAN – REGION II
Nichole Haynes MS, RD, CSR, LD

Ms. Haynes is recognized by Region II as the Renal Dietitian of the year. She has provided exceptional contributions to the field of renal nutrition, especially in the arenas of leadership, creativity and public involvement. In addition to her rewarding work as a renal dietitian, she has precepted nutrition students with the emphasis on helping them become independent thinkers and “true clinicians” in the field.

 

Sarah Kruger MS, RD RECOGNIZED RENAL DIETITIAN – REGION III
Sarah Kruger MS, RD

Ms. Kruger has been credited with saving and reorganizing the CRN of Michigan Chapter. During her three year tenure as Chair-Elect and Chair, she has taken the Chapter from a group that was almost non-existent to an energized unit with over fifty members. Ms. Kruger also reaches out to renal dietitians in her area as a Clinical Specialist for Abbott Renal Care.

 

Jane LouisRECOGNIZED RENAL DIETITIAN – REGION IV
Jane Louis, RD, LD, CSR

Ms. Louis is well-deserving of the respect and honor bestowed to her this year and from her colleagues. She is a highly active renal dietitian within her state, her local CRN Chapter, and the Renal Practice Group (RPG) of the ADA. Ms. Louis was instrumental in working with other dietitians to petition the Texas State legislature for licensure of dietitians in Texas. Additionally, she has worked with the Texas State Board of Examiners of Dietitians to allow set staffing requirements for dietitians and to give dietitians the power to receive verbal orders if delegated by a physician. She has been a Regional Director of Nutritional Services for RPG and currently works at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston as a dietitian and mentor to nutrition students.

Nancee Vander Pluym, MS, RDRECOGNIZED RENAL DIETITIAN – REGION V
Nancee Vander Pluym, MS, RD

Ms. Vander Pluym has been a very active member of the Northern Arizona CRN, producing many educational materials for the patient population and working on cookbooks that are freely distributed to the CKD population. She currently works in the field of bariatric nutrition helping CKD patients lose weight in preparation for upcoming transplants.