Invited Speakers
Thank you to our keynote speakers for their contribution to the 2021 RSA Annual Conference.
Keynote Speaker
Catherine DeVrye
Shift Happens: Service to patients and yourself in times of change
Laugh and learn to turn stumbling blocks to stepping stones
Best-selling author of 8 books translated into a dozen languages, the former Australian Executive Woman of the Year understands service and resilience from both a professional and personal perspective. Starting life in an orphanage, she’s held leadership roles in IBM and government; and was co-founder of the Life .Be In It campaign.
An active baby boomer and surf lifesaver, Catherine’s content and humour will offer a unique perspective on change and resilience to help you be of better service to your patients, community and yourself.
Plenary Speakers
Annette Bezzant
Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes Mellitus: An overview and update of diabetes care for renal nurses
Annette Bezzant is a Nurse Practitioner with Monash Health Nephrology. She works as part of the multidisciplinary team to ensure patients across the spectrum of chronic kidney disease (CKD) receive timely and effective care. Her role includes autonomous and collaborative care with a strong focus on education and patient self-management. Annette has a special interest in slowing progression of CKD, pregnancy in CKD and improving the patient care journey. Annette completed a post graduate certificate in diabetes education in 2016 and works in the Diabetes Kidney Service providing integrated care for patient with chronic and complex needs.
Paolo Cardelli
The consumer as a resource
Diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease at the age of 20, by 2006 Paolo was receiving haemodialysis up to six times a week. He subsequently had both of his native kidneys removed prior to a live donor transplant from his brother-in-law Bruno, in July 2007. Paolo has two daughters in their 20’s, both of whom in recent years have been diagnosed with PKD. Paolo is a business consultant and corporate trainer. Until December 2020 he chaired the National Kidney Consumer Council for Kidney Health Australia. He is a passionate advocate for maximising the consumer as a resource to better understand and treat kidney disease.
Jayson Catiwa
REDUCCTION - an evidence implementation national project
Jayson is one of the Renal Vascular Access Nurse Consultants at St George Hospital in Sydney. He is a haemodialysis clinician with over ten years of renal nursing experience internationally and in Australia looking after both paediatric and adult renal patients. He has completed a Masters Degree in Clinical Nursing with Renal specialisation and currently facilitating students for various nursing institutions. His has a strong passion for vein preservation, vascular access coordination and improving vascular access care and outcomes of adult patients with end-stage kidney disease in acute and satellite haemodialysis settings.
Fiona Donnelly
On the other side of the fence
Fiona Donnelly is a Nephrology Nurse Practitioner, Haemodialysis for Central and Northern Renal and Transplant Service at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Fiona’s husband has suffered from kidney disease since his mid 20’s and has had a couple of transplants over the past 20 years. He has a complex medical history and renal journey. With15 years’ experience as a consumer of renal health care she recently became a kidney donor, donating to her husband. She has over 30 years’ experience in renal nursing in the UK, Singapore and Australia. She is passionate about improving the journey and care of patients with kidney disease.
Myfanwy Graham
Cannabis and kidney disease clinical implications
As an Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE) affiliate researcher, Myfanwy has collaboratively developed several medicinal cannabis research projects and contributed to a suite of NSW cannabis medicine prescribing guidance documents. In her clinical role, Myfanwy is the principal specialist medicines information pharmacist of the New South Wales Cannabis Medicines Advisory Service (CMAS), an innovative Australian State government-funded cannabis medicines advisory service for health professionals. Myfanwy has collaboratively developed and provided subject matter expert review of several state and national medicinal cannabis educational resources.
Kylie Hurst
Latest Highlights and Developments from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA)
Kylie Hurst holds the academic qualifications of a Bachelor of Nursing and Graduate Diploma of Nephrology. She has been a Registered Nurse for over 25 years and following early years of clinical nursing practice and nursing management roles, she pursued a career in clinical research and data management. Kylie currently the General Manager of the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry and is a member on number of Advisory Committees and Clinical Working Groups across the of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation, registry science and data governance. With a special interest in the benefits of clinical quality registries integrated into broader healthcare systems, Kylie is dedicated to improving health outcomes of kidney disease treatment options.
Peter Kerr
Dialysis Membranes – what’s the difference?
Peter’s current Position: Since 2006: Professor/Director – Dept of Nephrology, Monash Medical Centre. Graduated from Monash Uni (Melbourne) in 1980. Training in Nephrology: Prince Henry’s Hospital Melb, and Austin Hospital. PhD in transplant immunology – Prince Henry’s Hospital under Bob Atkins. Peter had a major directional change to haemodialysis in 1991, during which time he spent a year in Montpellier, France. Extensively involved in haemodialysis at a clinical, research, teaching and administrative level. Peter’s on-going research interests include dialysis access, home dialysis, nutrition in CRF and dialysis, bone and mineral metabolism, cardiovascular disease and vascular calcification in renal patients. He has over 300 peer-reviewed publications. Peter has been Editor-in-Chief of the journal Nephrology and has served as haemodialysis project manager for the ANZDATA (dialysis and transplant) registry. He has been a Council member of the Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology, the International Society of Nephrology and a Council member of the Australian & New Zealand Soc Nephrology and has held a number of positions for the International Society of Nephrology including Chair of the Oceania-South-East-Asia Regional Board, Chair of the Sister Renal Centre Program, and Executive Council. Finally, Peter was the Chair of the Local Organising Committee for the World Congress of Nephrology, held in Melbourne, April, 2019.
Sradha Kotwal
REDUCCTION - an evidence implementation national project
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Dr Kotwal is a nephrologist at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney Australia and a post-doctoral research fellow at the George Institute of Global Health. Dr Kotwal completed her clinical training in 2010 and her PhD in 2016 and has expertise in expertise in health systems research in patients with kidney disease. Her main areas of interest are vascular access, the use of linked health data to answer questions of clinical relevance and evidence implementation research. She has designed and led multiple data linkage projects across Australia and has experience in analysis of large observational registry and administrative datasets. She also has a track record of collaboration with national and international research leaders and institutions. Dr Kotwal has been the project fellow on the Reducing the burden of dialysis access complications (REDUCCTION) project and has been intimately involved in all aspects of this large vascular access trial.
Sharon Ricardo
Regenerative medicine targeting kidney disease: The future of medicine is personal
Professor Sharon Ricardo completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne in 1994 pursuing post-doctoral studies at Pennsylvania State University in the Division of Nephrology (1994-2000). Professor Sharon Ricardo is currently a Research Group Leader in the Monash Biomedical Discovery Institute at Monash University. As head of the Kidney Regeneration and Stem Cell Laboratory her lab is producing high-impact research aimed at developing new stem cell-based therapies in combination with repair and growth factors that may offer alternatives to renal replacement. Her discoveries resulting in >95 publications that have been cited >6,000 times, have led to the first induced pluripotent stem cell lines from human kidneys and translational research evidenced by seven granted international patents. Sharon is an Editor of the Nephrology journal and previously served on the Scientific Program and Education Committee of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology. She holds a University role as Academic Director, Graduate Research to make decisions and provide guidance on a range of complex academic matters related to graduate research. She is actively involved in the promotion and education of science to the broader community by engaging with secondary school students, patient groups and philanthropic societies.
Irene Ruderman
Update on CKD-MBD
Irene Ruderman graduated in medicine in 2009 from the University of Adelaide and undertook her advanced training in Nephrology at the Alfred Hospital and the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She has been working as a Nephrologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital since 2017. Irene completed her postdoctoral studies focusing on secondary hyperparathyroidism and vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients in 2020. In addition to her clinical and research work she has clinical appointments at Melbourne Private Hospital and Epworth Richmond Hospital.
Raymond Sambo
My dial
Raymond Sambo is an Indigenous man of both Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island Decent. He has lived in Cairns for the last 30 years and worked extensively in Cape York and the Torres Strait regions of Far North Queensland. Over the years Raymond has witnessed the difficulties and barriers that Indigenous people of the Cape and Torres experience. He, like many other Indigenous Australians was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes well over 30 years ago. Each year his diabetes worsened until 24 months ago when he was diagnosed with End Stage Kidney Disease and required dialysis. For the last two years. Raymond has been on home peritoneal dialysis. Being on Dialysis has made him aware of the difficulties Indigenous Australian’s face regarding their Dialysis Journey. He now finds himself advocating for Indigenous dialysis patients, hoping to see an improvement in the treatment of dialysis patients and ultimately making the transplant list and receiving the lifesaving transplant.
Nicole Scholes-Robertson
Patient partnerships in research
Nicki is a patient partner, physiotherapist, and a PhD candidate at the Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney. In 2014, Nicki commenced peritoneal dialysis and was fortunate to receive a living donor kidney transplant from her brother in November that year. Her research focus is on access to dialysis and transplantation services for rural and remote patients in Australia. Nicki has given several invited presentations, including at the Global Health Policy Forum at The World Congress of Nephrology on “Quality, Sustainability and Equity of Care: a patient’s perspective.” Nicki is a Steering Group member of the Standardised Outcomes in Nephrology (SONG-GN) initiative, which aims to develop core outcomes for people living with glomerular disease, Consumer Editor for Cochrane Kidney and Transplant and assists with consumer guidelines at CARI. Nicki lives in Armidale NSW where she loves to grow roses in her spare time.
Workshop Speakers
Katherine Barraclough- Facilitator
Workshop 1: Green Nephrology
Katherine Barraclough is a nephrologist from Melbourne, Australia. She strongly believes that health professionals need to do more than simply care for those who are ill - they also have a central role to play in ensuring that healthy, stable environments exist so that current and future generations can thrive. She is currently chairing the Australia New Zealand Society of Nephrology Green Nephrology Action Team and the Victorian Committee of Doctors for the Environment Australia.
Leanne Brown - Facilitator
Workshop 2: A practical guide for conducting research
Dr Leanne Brown is a nephrology nurse practitioner for the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service. She is also a casual academic for School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology. Leanne has extensive experience in renal nursing and has been a nurse practitioner for over 10 years. She completed a PhD in 2017 with focus on shared decision making for the older person with advanced kidney disease. She has supported nurses in completing the Qld Health Renal Education program and mentored several Nurse Practitioners from a variety of specialities. Leanne is recognised nationally as an expert renal nurse and is a member of the CKD working group for the Australian Kidney Trials Network (AKTN), member of the HD working group for ANZDATA, an Associate Editor for the Renal Society of Australasia Journal, and the Vice President for the Renal Society of Australasia. Representative on the Primary Care Education Advisory Committee for Kidney Health Australia (PEAK- KHA), guest editor for Journal of Advanced Nursing, Journal of Renal Care and JBI evidence synthesis.
Justin Hamilton - Presenter
Workshop 5: Vascular Access “Connection for life”
Justin Hamilton, NUM BRHS Dialysis Unit. Completed Graduate Year at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton in 1997. During this year, completed a rotation in the Renal ward; this began my career in Renal Nursing. Was successful in continuing to work on the Renal ward. A move to East Gippsland in 2000, commenced working at Sale Hospital, and began working in the Haemodialysis Unit, whilst also working on Medical/Surgical Wards. Successful in gaining positions at Bairnsdale Hospital, as an ANUM on Surgical ward and continued in Dialysis at Sale. Gained position of Nurse Unit Manager of the Bairnsdale Dialysis unit, completed Renal Certificate at Queen Elizabeth SA. Have a keen interest in cannulation skills and techniques, utilizing tools such as ultrasound in my practice.
Bronwyn Hayes - Facilitator
Workshop 2: A practical guide for conducting research
Dr Bronwyn Hayes has been a renal nurse since 1998 working in haemodialysis and transplantation where her main focus has been on providing evidence-based health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, particularly those who live in remote locations. She has been instrumental in improving the access to transplantation for patients in remote Far North Queensland. While this position is predominately clinical, Bronwyn also has an interest in undertaking research. In 2015 Bronwyn completed her Doctorate looking at job satisfaction, stress and burnout in haemodialysis nurses and more recently looking at transplant specific research topics. Bronwyn is involved in national and state renal and transplant committees and is also chair of the RSA Scientific Committee.
Kathy Hill - Facilitator
Workshop 2: A practical guide for conducting research
Dr Kathy Hill is a practicing renal nurse who also teaches undergraduate nursing at the University of South Australia and conducts research with relevance to population health and improving the lives of people affected by end stage renal disease. Kathy is the Editor in Chief, Renal Society of Australasia Journal. She is passionate about destigmatising nursing research and developing a renal nurse work force committed and capable of critically appraising evidence, identifying knowledge gaps and conducting nursing research to improve health outcomes. She continues to strive to make the RSAJ an engaging and informative resource for submitting authors and the RSA membership.
Kerry Linton - Facilitator
Workshop 3: Supportive Care: Maintain the Momentum
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Kerry Linton is a Nurse Practitioner working in Nephrology at Monash Health in Melbourne. Kerry started in nephrology in 1989, working in Acute and Chronic Haemodialysis, and Home Therapies. Her current role in the renal service includes caring for patients in the Monash Health satellite haemodialysis units, as well providing education and decision support to patients attending the Nurse Practitioner clinic. Kerry has a particular interest in supportive care, has been integral in the establishment of the supportive care program at Monash and continues to provide care in a multidisciplinary team for many patients now benefiting from that service.
Mary Ann Nicdao - Facilitator
Workshop 4 : Peritoneal Dialysis
Mary Ann Nicdao is a Nurse Practitioner with Western Renal Service (WRS) in Sydney. She has extensive experience in home dialysis, having previously worked as a Clinical Nurse Consultant for home HD and as a Clinical Nurse Specialist for PD. She is a vital resource person for the nursing staff in home therapies, which has a combined patient population of 420 patients. Her passion for improving patients’ access to specialised care within the community is evident in her clinic where she provides comprehensive assessments, pharmacological prescribing and follow-up care. Mary Ann is also passionate about reducing treatment burden for patients and their families. In 2019, she started incremental PD prescribing in WRS, whereby incident patients’ PD dose are based on estimated residual urea clearance and clinical symptomatology at initiation of therapy. This initiative allowed for a large proportion of PD patients to perform only 1-3 exchanges per day, as compared to the standard 4 exchanges.
Maree Ross-Smith - Presenter
Workshop 5: Vascular Access “Connection for life”
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Maree is a skilled nephrology nurse, with over 30 years of experience within adult and paediatric settings. Maree was an integral member in the development of the paediatric renal unit at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. She was the dialysis and transplant co-ordinator there for 12 years, before transferring back to adult nephrology. Since 2006 she has held the role of Renal Access Clinical Nurse Consultant at Austin Health, with a special interest in quality improvement related to nursing management of Vascular Access for haemodialysis. She has attended and presented at numerous renal conferences, seminars and workshops, both locally and internationally. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing (La Trobe University 1994); Graduate Diploma in Health Promotion (La Trobe University, 1999) and Graduate Certificate in Clinical Redesign (University of Tasmania, 2020).
Mechelle Seneviratne - Facilitator
Workshop 5: Vascular Access “Connection for life”
Mechelle is the vascular access coordinator at Monash Health and has worked in the role for 16 years and worked in nephrology and dialysis for 30 years. She has an insatiable interest in dialysis access particularly vascular access and has been part of the RSA vascular access workshop journey both nationally and state-wide since its inception. Outside of nephrology and vascular access she is a keen sports fan and loves cricket and Aussie rules football – supporting the Geelong cats.
Vicki Smith - Presenter
Workshop 5: Vascular Access “Connection for life”
Vicki Smith has worked in dialysis for 20 years, with the last 10 as a Vascular Access Nurse. Her role involves monitoring, assessment and surveillance of arteriovenous fistulas, co-ordination of appointments and reviews, performing difficult cannulations and staff training. She has a Master of Nursing –Advanced Practice and has published 2 papers on the use of plastic cannulae. She is the convenor of The Advanced Care Workshop in Vascular Access that has been running for 10 years in Australia and focuses on the use of ultrasound in Renal Dialysis units. A career highlight was attending the 2018 EDTNA/ERCA conference in Italy as a guest speaker.
Kamal Sud - Presenter
Workshop 4 : Peritoneal Dialysis
Dr Kamal Sud is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Sydney’s Nepean Clinical School and Director of Renal Service for the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District based at Nepean Hospital, NSW. He completed his nephrology training in India, received formal training in peritoneal dialysis at Toronto Western Hospital, Canada before moving to Australia in 2005. As part of the Western Renal Service, Dr Sud currently directs the peritoneal dialysis program at Regional Dialysis Centre, Blacktown Hospital, is a member of the ANZDATA Peritoneal Dialysis working group and is on the faculty of ANZ’s PD Academy. He is a subject editor of 2 international journals, and has more than 160 peer-reviewed publications.
Surjit Tarafdar - Presenter
Workshop 4 : Peritoneal Dialysis
Dr. Surjit Tarafdar works as a general physician and nephrologist at Blacktown and Mt Druitt Hospital in Sydney and is also a conjoint senior lecturer in Medicine at the University of Western Sydney. He also holds the position of visiting Faculty in the department of Nephrology in Kasturba Medical College at Manipal in India. Dr.Tarafdar has edited ‘Nephrology: A Comprehensive Guide to Renal Medicine’ published by Wiley-Blackwell in Feb 2020. An ideal study guide for medical post-graduation trainees, this book has twenty chapters covering general nephrology, dialysis, and transplantation. Dr. Tarafdar has been conducting the annual weekend renal revision program “Revise Nephrology’ in Sydney since 2015. Basic Physician Trainees from all over Australia and New Zealand attend this event; 228 doctors attended the program in 2020. (https://www.revisenephrology-renal4bpts.com/). In 2019, he was invited to host ‘Revise Nephrology’ at Kuala Lumpur for the University of Malay and at Manipal in India for the Manipal Academy of Higher Education. He has won multiple teaching awards in his career including the ‘Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital’s Consultant of the year’ award in 2019. Dr. Tarafdar also conceived and established the annual ‘Australia and New Zealand General Medicine Update (ANZGMU)’ which is now into its second year (www.anzgmu.com.au).Dr. Tarafdar has a keen interest in PD which has led him to be involved in the Incremental PD project underway at Blacktown Hospital.
Anthea White - Facilitator
Workshop 1: Green Nephrology
Anthea has worked for Melbourne Health for 26 years, initially as a dialysis physiologist, and has been in her current role as part time manager of Coburg Dialysis Unit since 2002.
Anthea’s background is as a Science graduate of Monash University and Masters in Human Nutrition & Dietetics from Deakin University. Her position as satellite dialysis manager has allowed Anthea to pursue her passion for sustainability with a strong focus on waste management and recycling. Anthea represents the RSA on the ANZSN Environmental Sustainability Committee, a joint committee of the ANZSN, RSA & KHA.