MINUTES OF THE RENAL PATHOLOGY SOCIETY BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES OF THE RENAL PATHOLOGY SOCIETY BUSINESS MEETINGThe meeting was called to order by the President, Vivette D'Agati.
Dr. D'Agati thanked the Education and Scientific Committee and the speakers for the outstanding RPS Companion Meeting presentations, which had been given in the scientific session just prior to the business meeting.
Dr. D'Agati reminded members about the reception and dinner honoring Dr. Benjamin Spargo, which would be taking place in the evening.
The Committee Chairs were asked to give their reports.
Dr. Stephen Bonsib, Chair of the Membership Committee (Bonsib, Katz, Schwartz), reported that five applications for membership were approved. (This recommendation was upheld later at the Board of Directors meeting. The new members are: Serena Maria Bagnasco, Emory University, Atlanta, GA; Franco Ferrario, San Carlo Borromeo Hospital, Milano, Italy; Peter B. Marcus, Methodist Medical Center, Dallas, TX; Volker Nickeleit, University of Graz, Austria; and Yahia Mohamed Tagouri, University of Alabama at Birmingham.)
Dr. Fred Silva, Chair of the Nominations and Awards Committee (Silva, Venkataseshan, Weiss), discussed the upcoming RPS dinner at which Dr. Benjamin Spargo would receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Silva discussed the RPS Young Investigator Award, which had been awarded to Hugh B. Carey during the scientific session. He urged the RPS members to nominate for this award, which includes a $500 prize, any trainee who submits an abstract to the NKF/ASN or USCAP meetings. (Nomination forms can be obtained from the Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. Charles Jennette.)
Dr. Agnes Fogo, Chair of the Education and Scientific Committee (Fogo, Alpers, Rennke), reported that planning was underway for the RPS scientific session at the November 1996 NKF/ASN meeting. She indicated that the two areas that were under consideration were diabetic renal disease and mechanisms of microvascular injury. She opened the floor for discussion. The consensus of the members was that diabetic renal disease would be a good topic. Dr. Silva advised that the session should not be too redundant with other sessions at the meeting. Dr. Fogo stated that this was being taken into consideration.
Dr. Michael Kashgarian, Chair of the Training Programs Committee (Kashgarian, Striker, Colvin), discussed the issue of the availability of renal pathology positions, and suggested that there might be a decrease in the U.S. because of general trends in health care. Dr. Silva pointed out that the predicted future decline in nephrologists in the U.S. would result in fewer renal biopsies and therefore less need for renal pathologists. Dr. Kashgarian raised the issue of how many renal biopsies are being performed in the U.S. and who is interpreting them. He indicated that a market survey performed several years ago had estimated that about 40,000 native kidney and 80,000 allograft kidney biopsies are performed in the U.S./year. A discussion followed and a decision was made to survey the membership about the number of renal biopsies that are evaluated at their institutions, the procedures used, and the FTE pathologist effort required. Dr. Arthur Cohen suggested that the Association of Pathology Chairs might be a resource for obtaining information about availability of faculty positions in renal pathology. Several members who are familiar with the APC did not think that this would be likely. Dr. Bob Colvin suggested that the RPS home page on the World Wide Web might be a useful location for posting information about renal pathology job availability as well as information about pathologists seeking renal pathology positions.
Dr. D'Agati asked Dr. Kim Solez, who produces the WWW RPS home page, to comment on its current status and the prospects for expanding its utility. Dr. Solez indicated that the page was receiving about 600 contacts per month.
The USCAP evening session cases had helped stimulated this traffic. He indicated that additional applications could be accomplished quickly, but that the utilization of new features usually lagged far behind implementation. The pros and cons of electronic communication among members by WWW versus an internet list server were discussed. There was a general conclusion that an internet list server would be more accessible for more members.
Dr. Cynthia Nast, Chair of the Communications and Publications Committee (Nast, Solez, Gallo, Rosen, Jennette), reported that she had sent out a mailing explaining the access to both the RPS WWW home page and the NEPHRO-L list. She also has solicited e-mail addresses from members. When the list is more complete, it will be distributed to the members so that e-mail communication among members will be facilitated. Dr. Nast suggested that the questionnaire about renal biopsy volume also include some questions about electronic communication preferences.
Dr. Charles Jennette, Chair of the Auditing Committee (Jennette, Truong, Kim), reported that the RPS was financially sound. The only expenditures since the last report were for the RPS reception and the BOD lunch at the last NKF/ASN meeting.
Dr. Jennette also gave an update on the RPS incorporation process. He reported that the RPS would officially become the Renal Pathology Society, Incorporated on March 25, 1996 when the 1995 RPS Board of Directors (i.e. the 1995 officers and committee chairs: Silva, D'Agati, Jennette, Cohen, Colvin, Rosen, Fogo, Kashgarian, Nast) sign the Consent of Directors agreement to incorporate. (Dr. Kashgarian later pointed out that by coincidence the meeting at which incorporation would be consummated would be held in the same room, the Edison Room, in the same hotel, the Washington Hilton, that was the site of the first organizing meeting in 1977 of the Renal Pathology Club, which was the precursor organization of the Renal Pathology Society.)
Dr. D'Agati asked if there was other business that should be discussed. There being none, the meeting adjourned.