Can-SOLVE CKD Network

01/04/2026

Today is National Ribbon Skirt Day.

Today, we revisit an article from last year that recognizes the cultural significance of the ribbon skirt and the events that led to this day being formally acknowledged.

The ribbon skirt is a symbol of Indigenous identity, tradition, and resilience. National Ribbon Skirt Day emerged from advocacy, education, and the refusal to let cultural expression be dismissed or misunderstood.

As conversations around equity, inclusion, and respect continue to evolve, we believe it remains important to pause, reflect, and learn. We invite our network to revisit our article and take time today to acknowledge the meaning of this day and the teachings it represents.

🔗National Ribbon Skirt Day: Celebrating Indigenous culture and identity

Recognized on January 4, National Ribbon Skirt Day acknowledges the significance of ribbon skirts within Indigenous culture and honours the experience of Isabella Kulak, a young girl from the Cote First Nation in Saskatchewan. During a “formal dress day” at her school in 2022, Isabella was ridic...

12/31/2025

We’re revisiting our December Can-SOLVE CKD Network update, which highlights recent network activities, partnerships, and opportunities from the month.

This month’s update highlights:
🔹 How My Heart and CKD supports patient decisions
🔹 In Memory of Arris Hans Vorster
🔹 Partnering to strengthen Black kidney health
🔹 Giving youth with CKD a voice
🔹 Patient partners needed: Share your insights in a kidney care survey
🔹 Upcoming nephrology events

👉Catch up on the December update and subscribe to stay connected.
https://mailchi.mp/9c3f0d88da69/whats-new-this-month-at-can-solve-ckd-december-2025

12/18/2025

Happy Holidays from the Can-SOLVE CKD Network

We would like to thank our network colleagues for all their support this year. Our offices will be closed December 22, 2025 to January 1, 2026 as we take a short break over the holidays. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to connecting with you in 2026!

12/18/2025

Advancing Black kidney health through community partnership

Black communities in Canada face disproportionately high rates of kidney disease. A new collaboration between Can-SOLVE CKD, the Black Health Alliance, and The Kidney Foundation of Canada La Fondation canadienne du rein is working to change that—through culturally grounded webinars, community-informed education, and the proposed Black Research Council for Kidney Disease to ensure Black representation in research.

Learn more about this important initiative and read the full story here: https://cansolveckd.ca/impact_stories/advancing-black-kidney-health-through-community-partnership/
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Améliorer la santé rénale des personnes noires grâce à un partenariat communautaire

Les communautés noires du Canada sont touchées de manière disproportionnée par les maladies rénales. Une nouvelle collaboration entre Can-SOLVE CKD, la Black Health Alliance et la Fondation canadienne du rein vise à améliorer la sensibilisation, la prévention et la représentation dans la recherche grâce à des webinaires adaptés à la culture et au projet de création d'un conseil de recherche sur les maladies rénales chez les Noirs.

Pour en savoir plus sur cette initiative importante et lire l'article complet, cliquez ici : https://cansolveckd.ca/fr/impact_stories/ameliorer-la-sante-renale-des-personnes-noires-grace-a-un-partenariat-communautaire/

12/17/2025

A new way for kids with kidney disease to be heard

PRO-Kid, a first-of-its-kind tool, helps children with chronic kidney disease report their symptoms in an age-appropriate way. It’s currently being tested in pediatric kidney clinics in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and other centres. Early feedback is strong, and the team is using insights from patients and caregivers to make the tool even more accessible.

🔗 Read more about this Can-SOLVE CKD initiative: https://cansolveckd.ca/impact_stories/a-new-way-for-kids-with-kidney-disease-to-be-heard/
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Une nouvelle façon pour les enfants atteints d'une maladie rénale de se faire entendre

PRO-Kid, un outil unique en son genre, aide les enfants atteints d'une maladie rénale chronique à signaler leurs symptômes d'une manière adaptée à leur âge. Il est actuellement testé dans des cliniques pédiatriques spécialisées dans les maladies rénales à Winnipeg, Vancouver et dans d'autres centres. Les premiers retours sont très positifs, et l'équipe utilise les commentaires des patients et des soignants pour rendre l'outil encore plus accessible.

🔗 Pour en savoir plus sur cette initiative Can-SOLVE CKD : https://cansolveckd.ca/fr/impact_stories/une-nouvelle-facon-pour-les-enfants-atteints-dune-maladie-renale-de-se-faire-entendre/

12/15/2025

Staying informed about new developments in kidney research supports better care and stronger advocacy.

KidneyLink.ca makes it easy to discover Canadian research you can share with patients and community members.

Explore the latest research results and help connect knowledge to action: bit.ly/KL-Research-Results

KidneyLink is a collaboration between The Kidney Foundation of Canada La Fondation canadienne du rein and Can-SOLVE CKD.

12/12/2025

Our Can-SOLVE CKD Network update for December is here!

From supporting heart–kidney decision-making to strengthening Black kidney health, uplifting youth voices, and new opportunities to get involved — discover how we’re advancing kidney care across Canada:

🔹 Happy Holidays from the Can-SOLVE CKD Network
🔹 How My Heart and CKD supports patient decision-making
🔹 In memory of Arris Hans Vorster
🔹 Partnering to strengthen Black kidney health
🔹 Giving youth with CKD a voice in care and research
🔹 Patient partners needed: Share your insights in a new kidney care survey
🔹 Upcoming nephrology events

Stay connected — read our December update and be sure to subscribe!
🔗 https://mailchi.mp/9c3f0d88da69/whats-new-this-month-at-can-solve-ckd-december-2025

12/11/2025

Helping patients weigh benefits and risks: My Heart and CKD moves into clinics

People living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often face difficult decisions about heart tests that may offer benefits but also pose risks. Our latest impact story highlights My Heart and CKD—a Can-SOLVE CKD initiative from the APPROACH project.

Developed in collaboration with patients, clinicians, and researchers, this decision aid provides clear, personalized information to support shared decision-making and improve care pathways for diverse CKD populations. The tool is now being piloted in cardiac clinics in Edmonton and Calgary.

Patient partner Maureena Loth shares why this tool matters:
“The tool allows empowerment… patients are being respected. It builds the relationship between the doctor and the patient and supports informed choices.”

🔗 Read the full story: https://cansolveckd.ca/impact_stories/helping-patients-weigh-benefits-and-risks-my-heart-and-ckd-moves-into-clinics/

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Aider les patients à peser les avantages et les risques : My Heart and CKD fait son entrée dans les cliniques

Les personnes atteintes d'une maladie rénale chronique (MRC) sont souvent confrontées à des décisions difficiles concernant les tests cardiaques qui peuvent offrir des avantages, mais qui comportent également des risques. Notre dernier témoignage met en avant My Heart and CKD, une initiative Can-SOLVE CKD issue du projet APPROACH.

Développé en collaboration avec des patients, des cliniciens et des chercheurs, cet outil d'aide à la décision fournit des informations claires et personnalisées afin de faciliter la prise de décision partagée et d'améliorer les parcours de soins pour diverses populations atteintes d'IRC. Cet outil est actuellement testé dans des cliniques cardiaques à Edmonton et à Calgary.

Maureena Loth, patiente partenaire, explique pourquoi cet outil est important :
« Cet outil permet l'autonomisation... les patients sont respectés. Il renforce la relation entre le médecin et le patient et favorise des choix éclairés. »

🔗 Lire l'article complet : https://cansolveckd.ca/fr/impact_stories/aider-les-patients-a-peser-les-avantages-et-les-risques-my-heart-and-ckd-fait-son-entree-dans-les-cliniqu

12/03/2025

📣 Call for Presenters!

The Canadian Nephrology Trials Network (CNTN) is looking for speakers for the 8th Annual CNTN Research Symposium on May 6, 2026, at the Canadian Society of Nephrology's AGM in Quebec City.

Do you have a project in:
✔️ Investigator-initiated trials
✔️ Randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
✔️ Observational or feasibility studies
✔️ Pediatric nephrology research

We’d love to hear from you!

Trainees, early career researchers, and those with early-stage project ideas are especially encouraged to get involved. This is a great chance to share your work and receive feedback from peers and experts in kidney research.

🔗 Learn more and find contact details:
https://cntn.ca/news/cntn-research-symposium-seeking-presenters/

Can-SOLVE CKD is proud to support CNTN.

11/28/2025

Thank you to Helicopters Without Borders for their shared commitment to improving access to kidney health screening in First Nations communities in B.C.

In British Columbia, Kidney Check brings mobile screening and kidney health education directly into rural and remote First Nations communities, using culturally safe approaches co-developed with First Nations partners.

To learn more about the screening program, visit:
https://cansolveckd.ca/research-projects/kidney-check/

November is , and in remote B.C. communities, access to early screening and support can be the difference between prevention and serious complications.

Thank you to the teams and many individuals who make this work possible!
👉 Sq'éwqel "Seabird Island Band", BC Doctors of Optometry, Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada, Can-SOLVE CKD Network

11/27/2025

We’re excited to share an update from The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) Consensus Meeting held in Vancouver last November.

A group of Can-SOLVE CKD patient partners brought powerful lived-experience insights to an international stage — insights that deeply influenced nephrology leaders worldwide and helped shape the broader conversations reflected in this work.

🎙️ Listen to the podcast, which explores themes from the meeting and includes insights from our Co-PI Dr. Adeera Levin
📄 Read the publication, where Can-SOLVE CKD patient partners are listed as authors — a strong example of how patient-oriented approaches strengthen healthcare research

Links in the original post below. 👇

🎙️ Check out the latest Global Kidney Care Podcast!
Clinical trial design in nephrology is evolving. In this episode, experts explain why shifting from traditional biomarkers to patient-centered outcomes is essential and share practical strategies to improve trial implementation.
Listen here: http://lite.spr.ly/60073W35
Drawing on insights from the ISN Consensus Meeting on Changing Paradigms of Studies in CKD (Vancouver, Nov 22–23, 2024), they explore how reimagined endpoints and designs can yield more relevant, equitable, and actionable evidence for better kidney care worldwide. 👉 http://lite.spr.ly/60093W39
To read more, explore the related paper Changing Paradigms of Studies in Kidney Diseases published in Kidney International ® 👉 http://lite.spr.ly/60013W3c

11/26/2025

What's new on KidneyLink?

KidneyLink is Canada’s hub for connecting researchers with patients, caregivers, and families who want to get involved in kidney health research. Whether you're launching a study or looking to share your lived experience, KidneyLink.ca makes it easy to connect and collaborate.

This month, we’re sharing:
✔️ New studies you can get involved in
✔️ A free peer-review training module for people with lived experience
✔️The latest Canadian kidney research on donor kidneys, pregnancy-related hypertension, and weight challenges in CKD

Read and subscribe to the monthly newsletter here:
https://mailchi.mp/981fc6d785db/new-opportunities-to-get-involved-in-kidney-research-october-5838004

Kidneylink is a partnership between Can-SOLVE CKD and The Kidney Foundation of Canada La Fondation canadienne du rein