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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Welcome to Our New Publication!
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Peter Anas
Executive Director |
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The Board of Directors recently approved a change from our 4-page newsletter, to an electronic newsletter format. This is a growing trend in organizations, reacting to people reading more items on their cell phones. This format makes it much easier and quicker to read.
We'll be bringing you news and highlights about, not only your organization (BONENT), but items that will help you as a certified member of BONENT, such as Continuing Education, Recertification, Regional Representatives, Seminars…and much more!
Quick Links: Also, along the right side are boxes with quick links to the most-read pages on our website.
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
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We Can Do This - in 2022!
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RJ Picciano
BA, CHT, OCDT, CHBT
President |
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Welcome to 2022! The past 2 years have seen a new era in healthcare. Covid 19 has dominated the news, our jobs and our families. Initially we were frightened because we weren't sure how it would affect our health and daily lives. Then there was the vaccine which gave hope to healthcare workers, plus our vulnerable patients.
Get Your CEUs with our Seminars
Last year, we offered our first Virtual Seminar, which enabled all of you to attend virtually to keep you safe. This was very well attended, affording our members an excellent opportunity to keep themselves updated, with an added bonus of receiving CEU's.
In 2022, we are offering 2 in-person seminars and 2 virtual seminars, which of course would depend on update Covid information from the CDC. I want to assure you that myself and the board are kept up-to-date with information regarding Covid 19 and variants. For the in-person seminars, we already have established Covid protocols in place.
Board Member Updates
I want to take this opportunity to recognize 2 long-term Board Directors whom we have worked with in the past several years.
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Lyle Smith
BSN, CPDN
Umatilla, OR |
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Firstly, Lyle Smith recently retired as a director. He is a long-term Director with a long history of supporting BONENT and a valued member of the board. His years of experience has been appreciated by not only myself and board members, but also in the renal community. I would like to wish him a long, happy, and fruitful retirement which has been well earned. Fear not that Lyle is leaving BONENT, as he remains a Presidential Advisor, for which we are grateful.
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Michael Morales
CHT, CHBT, CHWS
Bellflower, CA |
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I would also like to recognize Michael Morales whose experience, guidance and knowledge has supported BONENT over the years. I wish him well in his future endeavors.
Lastly but not least please welcome our new Directors to BONENT. Remember your vote counts. Kazim R. Naqvi, CHT, was voted in the fall of 2021. Please join me in congratulating his promotion. Kazim will bring international experience and help us to grow. Also from NY, please welcome Minerva Ymaz, CHN, as our newest board member. She brings with her many years of HDx experience. More information is in the board article below.
Thank You Staff
Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of our Executive Director Peter Anas, who has been involved with BONENT for many years. Peter and his wonderful staff go above and beyond for BONENT.
Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful 2022 - we can do this!
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CONTINUING EDUCATION
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4 BONENT Regional Seminars in 2022
Choose from 2 Virtual & 2 Onsite Seminars
& Get 8 Continuing Education Credits for Each!
Join your dialysis colleagues and get 8 hours of Continuing Education credits — all in one day — at each of our seminars.
A broad range of topics will be presented and each seminar will have 2 concurrent presentation sessions for: |
• | Technicians and Nurses | | • | CHBTs, BioMed & Water Technicians |
Click any seminar logo below for more information.
Past Seminar Attendee Comments
| "Very informative speakers!" | | "Outstanding presentations!" |
| "Good job, keep it up!" | | "Useful tips, very relevant!" |
| "I learned more about dialysis." | | "Well organized!" |
| "Great seminar!" | | "Staff was friendly." |
| "It is always an informative experience attending these seminars and getting insight and ideas on better helping our patients." |
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REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
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Want to be a Regional Rep in Your Area?
If you are interested in becoming a Regional Representative, send BONENT a letter stating your interest, including your up-to-date contact information and your resume.
To qualify, you must:
| - | Be a BONENT member in good standing; |
| - | Be willing to host 1 exam per year; |
| - | Represent BONENT at renal meetings; |
| - | Hand out BONENT materials at dialysis facilities and meetings in your area; |
| - | Inform the BONENT Board of any legislative changes as they relate to nephrology practice in your state or region which would impact certification in nephrology, especially as it relates to PCT licensure. |
Click to see the list of our current representatives.
The States Below Need Regional Representatives:
| Alabama | | Hawaii | |
| Alaska | | Idaho | |
| Arizona | | Iowa | |
| Arkansas | | Kansas | |
| Colorado | | Maine | |
| Connecticut | | Maryland | |
| Delaware | | Michigan | |
| District of Columbia | | Minnesota | |
| Montana | | Rhode Island |
| Nebraska | | South Carolina |
| Nevada | | Utah |
| New Hampshire | | Vermont |
| New Mexico | | Virginia |
| North Dakota | | West Virginia |
| Oklahoma | | Wyoming |
| Oregon | | |
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RECERTIFICATION
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Has Your Certification Expired?
Amnesty Program Extended through 2022!
In 2019, BONENT introduced the Expired Certification Amnesty Program to celebrate BONENT's 45th Anniversary. Thanks to the program, many nurses and technicians were able to reinstate their expired certification without having to retake the exam. Over the past two years, many nephrology professionals have returned to the field. In response, the BONENT Board has decided to extend the Amnesty Program through 2022.
If your BONENT certification expired 1-10 years ago, consider reinstating through the BONENT Amnesty Program. You qualify if your Certification Expiration Date (as noted on your wallet card, or in the BONENT database) is between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2020. Click to learn more.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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BONENT Board Meeting Highlights
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by Paulette C Sheeley
RN, MSN
Vice President |
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For the second consecutive year, the BONENT fall board meeting was held by Zoom conference call. RJ Picciano opened the meeting by welcoming our two new board members, Kazim Naqi and Minerva Ymaz. Kazim is a Dialysis Technician and Minerva is a Registered Nurse working in dialysis. See the separate article below.
The fall Virtual Seminar was successful, with over 300 attendees, our biggest seminar attendance ever! Dialysis staff at all levels are ready for education. In response, BONENT will sponsor 4 seminars in 2022, 2 virtual and 2 in-person. See the separate article above.
BONENT continues to expand its membership, over 8,000 strong! We have members in 12 countries as well as the US. Certification is becoming increasingly important for employment in the dialysis industry. Certification tells your employer you want to learn about the dialysis patient and administer the best possible care. If you have a friend who has not kept up their BONENT certification and is in of need of reinstatement, please give them the BONENT office number for more information, and see the Amnesty article above.
When NNCO was brought into BONENT in January 2021, we acquired their Water exam. We reduced the exam to 150 questions and re-named it the Certified Hemodialysis Water Specialist (CHWS). Let your colleagues know it is available.
Members can become involved with BONENT by a becoming Regional Representative. They can be the first contact for potential members that have questions about certification and BONENT. You can get further information about regional representatives from Zelma Griffin or the BONENT office, and see the article above.
Welcome to Our New Board Members
An election was held for the BONENT Board of Directors in the summer 0f 2021 and we welcome Kazim Naqvi, as a CHT member. Since there were no CHN's nominated, Minerva Ymaz was appointed to the board as the CHN representative.
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Kazim R. Naqvi
CHT, CHBT, CBNT
Massapequa, NY |
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"I started hemodialysis 25 years ago and currently, I am working as a Chief Bio-Technician, and also work as a home hemodialysis consultant in New York Metro area. I have been part of NANT as president, board of directors, and regional VP."
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Minerva Ymaz, CHN
Valley Stream, NY |
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"I graduated from Nursing in 1993 in the Philippines and started in Hemodialysis in 2000. I am now in charge of training PD and home hemo patients."
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BONENT Seminars
(8 CEUs each):
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Certification UPDATE eNews is published three times a year by:
100 S. Washington Street, Rockville MD 20850
Phone: (202) 462-1252 ~ Fax: 202-463-1257
www:BONENT.org
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