The Division of Nephrology at Washington University School of Medicine and San Carlos University/Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS) – an official “Sister Renal Centers” pair under the sponsorship of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) – is now in its sixth year of collaboration. The World Congress of Nephrology ’21 is featuring the partnership’s success story via a video showcased on the WCN ’21 YouTube channel.
The initial aim of the partnership – to identify, describe and study Mesoamerican Nephropathy in Guatemala – has grown into a multifaceted alliance that combines mentorship and the exchange of educational information with capacity building and direct healthcare assistance.
An Annual Nephrology Symposium, organized by Marcos Rothstein, MD, Professor of Medicine, WashU Nephrology, and Vicente Sanchez Polo, MD, Chief of Nephrology at the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security (IGSS), provides an intensive update on topics ranging from basic science to clinical nephrology. The last symposium, held virtually in November of 2020, included over 200 participants and reached beyond Guatemala into the Caribbean and other Central and South American countries.
Now that San Carlos University has reached Level A of the Sister Center program and their fellows have gone on to practice throughout the country, the next phase will involve expanding the program to another country. San Carlos University will serve as a key mentor, creating a ripple effect that will hopefully echo throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
Dr. Rothstein is passionate about the WashU/IGSS collaboration, which has been beneficial to everyone involved. “Our Guatemalan colleagues, and all of us at WashU Division of Nephrology, are very proud of the prominent recognition by the ISN and wish it to be an inspiration to others. Emulating our achievements by the creation of more Sister Renal Centers would be for us the highest accolade.”
WCN ‘21, held virtually this year from April 15-19, will bring together thousands of the world’s leading experts in kidney health care to present recent advances in kidney research and discuss the newest clinical applications designed to improve kidney health and prevent kidney disease. WCN’21 is organized by the ISN, hosted by la Société Québécoise de Néphrologie (SQN) and the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN).
Watch the video showcasing the ISN Guatemala-WashU Nephrology partnership:
