Dr Dimitrios Oreopoulos was a major force in the development of peritoneal dialysis, through his contributions in research, development of methodologies and techniques, and even founding the publication PD Bulletin, which led to Peritoneal Dialysis International, our Society journal. The ISPD honours him by recognising the lifetime PD achievements of one of its members (in terms of delivering care to patients, research, teaching and /or advocacy) with the Dimitrios Oreopoulos Award every two years, at our Congress.

Prof. Edwina E. Brown explains a few of the reasons why Prof Fred Finkelstein deserves the Oreopoulos award in 2020.

Fredric Finkelstein is Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale University Medical School. He has been one of the key proponents of patient-centred care, the importance of considering patient reported outcomes and how to do this. His research work has highlighted the psychosocial problems experienced by many people with end-stage kidney disease and that these need to be addressed by dialysis programmes.

His greatest contribution to peritoneal dialysis has been the development of PD in lower income countries. He has worked extensively in low resource countries and was instrumental in setting up the Saving Young Lives Program enabling PD for AKI (currently the deputy-chair); was chair of the Peritoneal Dialysis Committee, International Society of Nephrology 2006-2009, co-chair of the dialysis committee of the ISN, chair of CME programs for ISN (2009-17), co-chair of the North American Chapter of ISPD 2008-11, chair of the international liaison committee of the ISPD 2006-19 and is currently on the steering committee of the ISN ESKD initiative, which is promoting PD as the most cost-effective way of increasing access to dialysis in low resource countries.

He has been involved in many international guidelines, most recently in the development of the 2020 ISPD clinical recommendations for prescribing high quality goal-oriented PD. The PD community in its broadest sense – people with ESKD and the PD healthcare team – have benefited immensely from Fred’s extraordinary amount of energy and devotion. 

Prof Fred Finkelstein joins the list of Oreopoulos awardees:

• 2018    Simon Davies (ISPD Congress Vancouver)
• 2016    Peter Blake (ISPD Congress Melbourne)
• 2014    Georgi Abraham (ISPD Congress Madrid)

Have you registered for the ISPD-EuroPD Joint Congress next May 1-5 in Glasgow (UK) yet? Register here.