working towards a future with earlier diagnosis, slowing progression of the disease and providing stronger support when the time comes for transitioning towards dialysis or transplantation. Patient involvement is imperative to the success of research as it will help researchers to know what is important. Michael McCormick At 18 years of age, I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. My primary disease process is FSGS; I have been on hemodialysis for over 27 years, and on home hemodialysis for the past 15 years. I have had two living-related kidney transplants, from my dad and from a cousin. Both transplants failed immediately on the operating room table with extremely aggressive reoccurrence of FSGS in the transplanted kidney. At this time, I am not on the transplant list, as it is believed that the same outcome will occur as with the first two transplants. I work full time as a Senior Manager at the Toronto Stock Exchange, and I have recently become active with the Kidney Foundation of Canada–Ontario Branch as a Peer Support Counselor. I believe that having access to a network of like-minded, progressive patients who have a keen interest in living a productive life, despite being diagnosed with CKD, is critical. I am part of a roster of several dialysis patients that are available to be matched to new patients and have spoken publicly at York University on risk factors and treatment options for CKD. I am also a standing member of the Ontario Renal Network Patient and Family Advisory Council. I look forward to continuing my involvement in the CKD community. Having access to shared experience is of huge value—be it in person or electronically. It is my sincere hope that the recent shift to a patient-oriented research focus will bring about significant improvements to the overall care delivered to and received by CKD patients. Cathy Woods I am a proud Anishinaabe woman, originally from Northwestern Ontario, and now living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In late 2010, I was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. My family physician first noticed some irregularities in routine medical tests and sent me to a renal specialist. After a referral to a renal specialist and a kidney biopsy, I was diagnosed with Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy. At this point, I was overwhelmed and terrified by the thought that at some point my kidneys were going to fail. I underwent two different drug regimens, each lasting for 10 months. Nausea and fatigue were a daily part of my life. Although I was very tired and extremely ill, I still kept working and focused on eating well and exercising. Some days it took all my energy to just get myself to work. Working kept me busy and so did spending time with my grandchildren. I didn’t know what was happening to my body and I knew that if my kidneys were to fail, I would not be able to do much at that point. When I was asked to attend the Can-SOLVE CKD workshop in June 2015, I was honoured and humbled to be part of this exciting initiative. This initiative has the ability and scope to be able to assist people struggling with chronic kidney disease by looking at testing and optimizing treatments and patient-focused care to improve the outcomes and quality of life for patients and their families. The research program will also identify and support those at the highest risk of developing CKD, including all Indigenous people. What I found most fascinating about my journey is my chance to be part of something that will change the culture and focus of how we deal with those with CKD. It is my chance to give back to my community and to those who assisted me in dealing with my disease. I believe that the Can- SOLVE CKD network research projects can change the face of CKD for all by involving and including the patients and their caregivers in this process. Note. Additional patient profiles are available at https://cansolveckd.ca/patient-partners/patient-stories. Levin et al 11 CSN and the Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC). Committee Chairs are nominated by the respective committees and appointed by the Executive Committee. The CanSOLVE CKD International Research Advisory Committee (CIRAC) provides advisory support to the network, and the Core Operations Team provides the infrastructure support to keep the network functioning on a day-to-day basis. Tracking the Impact of Can-SOLVE CKD Network activities will be tracked and reported according to a performance measurement framework with a series of process and outcome measures. For example, performance-management research-to-impact frameworks are described by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and Alberta Innovates Health Solutions.42,43 Examples of these measures include number of patient partners engaged; experiences of patients engaged in research teams; percentage of partners trained in patient-oriented research; numbers of Indigenous people screened, triaged, and treated; number of living donor and preemptive kidney transplants; and uptake of home therapies as measures of informed decision making and an appropriately resourced health care system. The network will also begin to track patient experiences formally and regularly as part of routine care. Conclusion The Can-SOLVE CKD Network will provide the infrastructure necessary to drive patient-oriented research and implement evidence into clinical practice. By linking patients,