Forum Volunteer Highlights 2023

Meet David Henner, DO, Forum President. Dr. Henner is a nephrologist currently serving as the Division Chief of Nephrology and Medical Director of Dialysis at Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Henner completed his nephrology fellowship at New York University (NYU). Prior to that, he graduated from Medical School at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, PA. Dr. Henner also serves on the Medical Review Board of the IPRO ESRD Network of New England (Network 1) and previously served as the Medical Review Board (MRB) Chair, and ESRD Divisional Board Chair for ESRD Network 1. Dr. Henner currently resides in Pittsfield, MA, with his wife Nadine and three children, Alex, Maddie, and Gabe. Dr. Henner enjoys baseball, hockey, and football, craft IPAs, fantasy baseball and football, and the Grateful Dead.

Meet Kam Kalantar-Zadeh, MD, MPH, PhD. Dr. Kalantar is a triple board-certified physician (internist, pediatrician, nephrologist) who studied medicine in Germany before receiving additional MPH and PhD degrees from Berkeley. Dr. Kalantar has authored more than 1,000 publications and has had several NIH-funded research projects on kidney disease and dialysis. He is currently Professor and Chief of Nephrology & Hypertension at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Southern California. Dr. Kalantar is President-Elect of the Forum, a member of the Board of Directors and previous Chair of the Forum’s Medical Advisory Council.

"Volunteerism enables us to dedicate ourselves to helping others in a selfless way and to connect with others.”

Meet Dan Landry, DO, FASN, Chair of the Forum’s Medical Advisory Council. Dr. Landry attended medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. He trained in internal medicine at the Naval Medical Center in Virginia. After serving in the US Navy, he returned to Massachusetts and performed his fellowship training in nephrology at Baystate Medical Center. He currently serves as the Chief of the Division of Nephrology as well as the Director of Acute Inpatient Dialysis and Critical Care Nephrology at Baystate Medical Center. Dr. Landry has been recognized for his excellence in teaching in Baystate’s nephrology fellowship program. Married with a daughter, Dr. Landry enjoys trips to Maine and spending time with his family.

“Volunteering for the Forum has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire medical career. It is an honor to serve alongside some of the most caring and intelligent individuals who share a focused goal of supporting our ESRD networks in order to provide the best care possible to our patients.”

Meet Derek Forfang who has experienced a variety of dialysis treatment modalities, including peritoneal dialysis and in-center hemodialysis. He is currently a kidney transplant recipient. Derek is Co-Chair of the Forum’s Kidney Patient Advisory Council (KPAC) and is a member of the Forum Board of Directors. He chairs HSAG ESRD Network 17’s Patient Advisory Committee as well as their Board of Directors. He serves as Chair of the National Kidney Foundation’s (NKF) Kidney Advocacy Committee (KAC) and Chairs the NKF Public Policy Committee. Derek is a member of the Kidney Health Initiative (KHI) Patient and Family Partnership Council. He is the first recipient of the National Kidney Foundation’s Celeste Castillo Lee Patient Engagement Award.

Meet Dawn Edwards, who has been a kidney patient for over 30 years. She has experienced every modality option, including transplant, and is currently on nocturnal home hemodialysis. Dawn is an active patient advocate, working as such for Fresenius/NxStage and as a Wellness Ambassador for the Rogosin Institute. She is also a certified peer mentor. She is actively involved with the National Kidney Foundation, the American Association of Kidney Patients, and the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, just to name a few. Dawn currently serves as Co-Chair for the Forum’s Kidney Patient Advisory Council (KPAC) and is a member of the Forum Board of Directors. She is a published author of numerous articles which offer the patient perspective on a variety of topics. Dawn is dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with kidney disease by sharing her story and educating others, especially in underserved communities.

“Being involved with the Forum means a great deal to me because I have the opportunity to work with a variety of people at the helm of providing quality care to people with kidney disease. The Forum has representatives from all over the country, all concerned about the care provided to patients. They are so knowledgeable and eager to hear the patient's perspective in everything they do. Not only do they listen, they include us in their work. And, having the opportunity to speak directly to the Division of Kidney Health regularly is the best part. CMS is eager to hear from us at every meeting, and they take our comments seriously. I feel validated and useful serving with the people on the Forum. My input matters, and I know it.”