The project is continuing with ongoing contacts with the Russian faculty leaders, the trained faculty (3) and the Special Fellows who began postgraduate training in September 2004.

The Project is a model for the international medical community devoted to assisting developing countries. The unique characteristics include:

• Collaboration and trust between the Russian leaders and Western experts;
• Continuity – all the physicians who started in 1998 are still involved and continuing involvement with the 3 trained faculty;
• Two high ranking members of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) visited St.Petersburg in May 2006 and visited with faculty and saw the new unit headed by Dr. Andrey Gurevich.

Dr. Norbert Lamiere who was one of the visitors stated to Dr. Fred Finkelstein of our group that “the unit was the best he had seen in the developing world” – he was impressed with the accomplishments of the project and supportive of team members continuing and participating in activities currently planned for June 2007.

The team held a detailed conference call on July 31, 2006:

• Dr. Finkelstein reported on an international meeting in Vicenza held in May where he spoke with Dr. Lamiere;
• Dr. Cohen reported on the ISN Moscow meeting;

The group considered its next steps:

• Communicate officially with Dr. Lamiere
• Communicate with Dr. Konstantin and Dr. Andrey Gurevich
• Provide a working draft for ourselves and others, as needed, for us to consider before the International Meeting of Nephrology, San Diego – November 2006