Sarah Levine RD, LD
Ms. Levine has been practicing in renal nutrition since December 2000. She received her B.S. in retail management from Syracuse University in 1992 and a B.S. degree in Dietetics from the University of Maryland in 1998. She completed her Dietetic Internship with the Sodexho-Marriott Mid Atlantic Internship Program. She currently resides in Clarksburg, Maryland with her husband and one year-old twin boys.
Mr. Levine’s clinical practice focuses on renal nutrition. In her present role as a Dietitian for FMCNA Dupont Circle Dialysis Center in Washington D.C., Ms. Levine has extensive clinical interaction with a diverse population of over 120 dialysis patients. Her main responsibilities include analyzing each patient’s prescribed nutrition plan in conjunction with the patient’s on-going and changing medical condition, providing patient counseling based upon monthly laboratory results, and providing recommendations to the attending physicians about nutritional supplements that will assist the patient in improving their nutritional status. She also spends significant time and energy providing nutrition education, not only for her patients, but also for the family members and caregivers of the patients. In addition, Ms. Levine is key member of the medical care plan team at her dialysis unit. The care plan team meets monthly to review the progress and status of each patient from a medical, emotional, and holistic approach. Most recently, she was team captain for her dialysis unit for the Kidney Walk held n Washington, D.C. Her dialysis unit won the award for the dialysis unit that raised the most money for the charitable walk.
Ms. Levine was recently chairperson of the Council of Renal Nutrition for the National Capitol Area. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association, and the Renal Dietitians practice group. Ms. Levine has also participated in a research study evaluating a new phosphate binder.
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Bonnie Martin RD, LDN
Bonnie has been a renal dietitian for over 30 years. Her interest in renal nutrition began during her internship at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in 1975. A year later she was offered the renal position there. She enjoyed taking care of the nutritional needs of the early stage Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients, the hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and transplant patients. Since then she has worked with patients with CKD in various facilities across Massachusetts including assisting dialysis companies open new units.
Currently she finds her work “home” at DaVita Healthcare in Salem, Massachusetts. It is just a few miles from her home in Marblehead where she lives with her seventeen year old son Sam and her partner, Rich. Bonnie served as the Divisional and Area Dietitian for DaVita in Baltimore and New England and currently is a Regional Point Dietitian for clinics north of Boston.
Over the years, Bonnie’s professional affiliations, awards, and activities on a national level have included Chairperson of the Renal Practice Group (RPG), program and faculty member at ADA affiliate Renal Nutrition Symposiums in Los Angeles and Chicago, and Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year (that was awhile ago). On a local level, Bonnie has been a past chair of the Council on Renal Nutrition of New England, and has served on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee of the National Kidney Foundation of Massachusetts, and End-Stage Renal Disease Network, and Medical Review Board. She has several professional publications on the topics of renal nutrition assessment and teaching.
She has been a frequent guest lecturer for professional renal organizations on such topics as Secondary Hyperparathyroidism, Nutritional Management in PKD, Wasting Syndrome in Chronic Renal Failure, Teaching Tools for the Patient with CKD, and How to Better Understand and Cope with Adherence in the CKD Patient Population.
When Bonnie has on her other hat, she can be found at her private practice in Salem, Massachusetts. Here she provides counseling to patients with other medical concerns including CKD stages 1-4, diabetes, and eating disorders.
Working with patients is still her favorite part of her job. She finds that her day is complete when a patient begins to feel that food can still be appealing and interesting on a prescribed renal nutrition plan.
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Mary Wolff, RD, CSR, LD
Mary has been a Renal Dietitian for nearly 20 years; currently she works for DaVita Dialysis Corporation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mary first became involved in renal during her Coordinated Undergraduate Program rotation at the University of Minnesota. This experience had a very positive impact on her career. After graduation, she volunteered to cover a medical leave of absence at the Regional Kidney Disease Program (RKDP) in Minneapolis. She worked there for a short time over the summer without pay but the learning experience and networking opportunities were priceless.
Mary eventually accepted a paid position with Service Master in Kingsville, Texas. After 6 months in Texas, she received a call from RKDP offering her a position as a Renal Dietitian. She jumped at the chance to get back to her true love.
Mary has worked with chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in numerous settings from inpatient acute renal care, peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis and post transplant. She has also worked in outpatient clinics dealing with pre-dialysis nutrition education, mineral metabolism (osteodystrophy and osteoporosis) and nephrolithiasis.
Mary was involved in the development of many of the patient education materials used by RKDP for CKD stages 3 and 4, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, mineral metabolism and nephrolitiasis. Many of these materials are still being used by DaVita (formerly RKDP) dietitians.
Mary has been a clinical instructor for the nutrition program at the University of Minnesota for 4 ½ years. She also functions as a preceptor for the “renal rotations”. She coordinates these rotations so that future Registered Dietitians will have a practical experience in renal nutrition. Both of these positions help her to remain current and up to date in clinical practice.
Mary provides numerous presentations in the Minnesota area on the topic of bone disease management in stage 5 CKD. She also provides the Core nutrition education component to all of the new patient care technicians and nurses hired in Minnesota by DaVita.
Mary is a member of the Renal Practice Group (RPG) and the Council of Renal Nutrition of Minnesota. She served as President from 1990-1991 and again in 1997-1999. Mary has been very dedicated and active in the local National Kidney Foundation (NKF) affiliate serving the Dakotas and Minnesota. She has served on the NKF affiliate Board of Directors and Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Charles Smith, a Nephrologist based at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, asked Mary to Co-Chairman the NKF Gift of Life Celebration and Education Day. Together the two have co-chaired this special yearly event since 1995. In 2006, Mary was awarded the “Distinguished Service” award from the NKF affiliate serving the Dakotas and Minnesota.
Mary’s advice to dietitians wishing to become more active in CKD is to become involved with the local NKF and CRN. On a national and regional level, the RPG has also been a valuable resource for the most up to date changes in CKD. Mary enjoys the opportunity to attend the annual NKF Spring Clinical Meetings for both networking and professional updates. She has found that being active on the local level has afforded her many learning and networking opportunities.
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