Membership Services

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF BECOMING AN ASPN MEMBER

The American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) primary goal is to promote optimal care for children with kidney disease. This is made possible through advocacy, education and research, coupled with dissemination of advances in both clinical and basic science The ASPN urges all Pediatric Nephrologists, affiliate health care professionals, and basic scientists interested in children with kidney disease to join. Membership in the ASPN offers all of the following advantages:

Education:
- Annual PAS meeting:
  - ASPN Meeting is the place to interact with like-minded people doing what they love to do
  - Members of ASPN receive discounted rate for participation in the annual PAS meeting
  - Involvement in ASPN meeting program development including participation in the development of workshops and symposia
- Preparation for maintenance of certification for established pediatric nephrologists (access only to members)
- Future plans to develop Educational Board Review course to keep up with requirements for maintenance of certification
- Future plans to involve affiliate members (Renal Pathologists, Dieticians, Social Workers, Renal Nurses, Basic Scientists) to join and develop additional educational programs
Research:
- Ability to find research collaborators via registry of ASPN member research interests
- Potential identification as a site investigator in multicenter studies
Career promotion:
- Access to online job listings in nephrology via the website
- Discounted rate for participation in the annual PAS meeting
Role of ASPN in legislative activity:
- Advocating for and promoting biomedical research funding for pediatric kidney disease
- Protection of the interests of pediatric patients as the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) is implemented
- Healthcare Reform - both Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement
- Advocating for congressional legislation to provide life time immunosuppressive drug coverage for kidney transplant recipients
- Maintenance of pediatric specific dialysis billing codes and advocacy for a permanent Medicare physician pay fix
Involvement of Fellows in ASPN:
- The Pediatric Fellows in Nephrology Association (pFeNA) is an informal group created for current and prospective fellows, to foster their networking and to enhance fellowship recruitment

MEMBERSHIP OVERVIEW

The Society accepts applications year round and has five classes of membership.

Membership Benefits
Membership Benefits

Active Member: Any person holding the degree of M.D. or Ph.D. or its equivalent, who has demonstrated a major and continuing interest in pediatric nephrology, and who is a resident in or citizen of the United States or Canada shall be eligible for Active status membership in the Society. The annual membership fee in this category for a resident or citizen of the US is $350. The annual membership fee for Active status for Canadian pediatric nephrologists is $125 when paid with IPNA dues or $150 without IPNA dues. Application

The annual membership fee for Active status for Canadian pediatric nephrologists is reduced. They have 2 options:
ASPN membership without IPNA dues: $150
ASPN membership with IPNA dues: $125 for ASPN membership and $50 for discounted IPNA dues (total cost: $175)

Associate Member: Any person who would otherwise qualify for active membership but is not a resident or citizen of the United States or Canada. An associate member can participate in scientific meetings, receive the newsletter, and participate in ASPN committees, but will not have voting rights and cannot hold an office in the Society. The annual membership fee for this category is $150. Application

Emeritus Member: Any Active member who reaches the age of 70 years or has fully retired may become an emeritus member. Any Active Member who has not reached the age of 70 years and who has become inactive in the clinical or scholarly aspects of pediatric nephrology due to full retirement, health, or other extenuating circumstances may petition the Membership Committee for Emeritus status, and will become an Emeritus Member upon the recommendation of the Membership Committee and approval by the Council. An emeritus member can participate in scientific meetings, receive the newsletter, and participate in ASPN committees, but will not have voting rights and cannot hold an office in the Society. Applications to emeritus status coming from those without prior ASPN membership will be considered individually by the Membership Committee and will be subject to a $100.00 application fee. There is no annual charge associated with this category of membership. Email info@aspneph.org for more details.

Affiliate Member: Any person holding an MS, MPH, PharmD, RN, RD, MSW degree, or other professional degree who has demonstrated a major and continuing interest in Pediatric Nephrology, and who is a permanent resident of the United States or Canada may apply for affiliate membership. An affiliate member can participate in scientific meetings, receive the newsletter and participate in ASPN committees, but will not have voting rights and cannot hold an office in the Society. The membership fee for this category is $35. Application

Trainee Member: Any person holding the degree of MD or its equivalent, who is enrolled in an accredited pediatric nephrology training program and endorsed by the director of that program is automatically a trainee member in the Society. A trainee member can participate in scientific meetings, receive the newsletter, and participate in ASPN committees, but will not have voting rights and cannot hold office in the Society. Application

The International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA) offers ASPN members a discount on IPNA membership. ASPN members will pay only $50 for an IPNA membership (usually $175), which includes :
Access to the on-line Pediatric Nephrology journal, links to the Pediatric Nephrology textbook and the IPNA newsletter, and member discount to the IPNA Congress.

Qualifications for Membership: Application for any category of membership shall be initiated by the candidate. To enable the membership committee to assess their eligibility, applicants must present evidence fulfilling one or more of the criteria pertinent to the category of membership for which they are applying.

DUES PAYMENT POLICY

Annual dues statements will be sent out in the fall for the following calendar year – January thru December.

Dues must be paid in full by December 31st, after which failure to remit dues will result in lapse of membership and loss of membership privileges.

A member whose membership has lapsed for nonpayment of dues and who seeks reinstatement shall be required to pay dues for the current year in which reinstatement is sought. If membership reinstatement is requested less than one year after lapse of membership, the renewing member will be asked to update his/her information. If reinstatement is requested more than one year after lapse of membership for failure to pay dues, the applicant will be required to complete a new membership application.

Annual Dues statements are sent out via email in the fall - Hard copies can be sent as requested after initial emailing.
Deadline for Annual Dues: December 31 – with no grace period
Statements and Reminders to include the dues payment policy
Dues are pro-rated on a monthly basis for new members

Membership Categories and fees are:

Active (U.S.) $350
Active (Canadian) $150 without paying IPNA dues ~ $125 with IPNA dues payment
Associate $150 ~ residing outside the U.S.
Affiliate $35 ~ those other than physicians or faculty members at institutions of higher learning, who are professionally involved with pediatric kidney disease issues—dieticians, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, etc.
Emeritus $0
Trainee $0

Members must be in good standing in order to submit or sponsor abstracts submitted to the ASPN/PAS annual meeting, to submit individuals for membership, and to review abstracts.

Graduating Fellows Fees:

Newly graduated fellows will be given complimentary active membership for the remainder of the dues year ending December 31. Further, they will receive a 50% discount on regular membership rates during the first year post-training and a 25% discount during their second year post-training.