MT. LAUREL, N.J., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Transplantation (AST) announced today “Transplantation 101,” a briefing with the Congressional Kidney Caucus, Friday, April 22, 2005.
“Transplantation 101" focuses on the basics of transplantation and provides a unique opportunity to hear directly from transplant experts, including a transplant patient, about the basics of kidney transplantation, the costs associated with dialysis and transplantation, and the exciting new research into lifesaving immunosuppressive medications.
Presentations during this briefing include: Introduction to Kidney Transplantation By David Cohen, M.D. Medical Director for Kidney Transplant Columbia University Medical Center Cost of Dialysis vs. Transplantation and the Overall Economic Impact Mark Schnitzler, Ph.D. Director of Transplant Outcomes & Policy Research Associate Professor, Internal Medicine and Community Health, St. Louis University Receiving a Kidney Transplant Barbara Murphy, M.D. Chief of Kidney/Renal Division Mt. Sinai Medical Center The Patient Impact of Kidney Immunosuppression Medications Roy First, M.D. Senior Director of Medical Affairs in Research and Development Astellas Pharma US Inc. (formerly Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc.)
At the request of the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Kidney Caucus, the AST developed this one hour luncheon presentation to better educate Congress on the role the federal government plays in advancing issues surrounding solid organ transplantation. For many years, AST has worked closely with congressional leaders to improve and strengthen our Nation’s system for organ transplantation and organ donation.
This is the first educational briefing of the year convened by the Congressional Kidney Caucus. The Caucus is comprised of more than 50 members of the House of Representatives. This briefing was designed for the Caucus and others in Congress with a significant interest in new and innovative breakthroughs in research and science in solid organ transplantation.
Although the presentation is specifically designed for Congressional staff serving Members of Congress that participate in the Kidney Caucus, the event is open to any Congressional staffer that would like to learn more about organ transplantation.
The bipartisan Congressional Kidney Caucus was founded by Representatives Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) in March, 2002. The purpose of the caucus is to educate Members of Congress and the public about the problem kidney disease poses for society. The Kidney Caucus provides a forum for the discussion of quality of care and quality of life issues, acts as a resource on the scope and impact of kidney disease, and serves as a source of information on public policy initiatives to aid individuals with chronic kidney disease and irreversible kidney failure.
The AST is an organization of transplant professionals dedicated to research, education, advocacy and patient care in transplantation science and medicine. The society comprises more than 2,300 transplant physicians, surgeons, scientists and allied health professionals. For more information, call (856) 439-9986 or visit: http://www.a-s-t.org/.
American Society of Transplantation
CONTACT: Amy Chezem, Communications Director, American Society ofTransplantation, +1-856-439-9986 ext 4422, achezem@ahint.com
Web site: http://www.a-s-t.org/