NKF Hosts its Annual “People Like Us” Patient Advocacy Day on Capital Hill to Commemorate World Kidney Day! Advocate training and a Congressional Reception were held on March 12, 2008 and on March 13, 2008, World Kidney Day, patients held had meetings with their Representatives on Capital Hill.
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) marked its 3rd annual “World Kidney Day” on March 13th with a Capitol Hill “Fly-in” with NKF “People Like Us” advocates. NKF “People Like Us” patient advocates were selected from key Congressional Districts from around the country to “fly-in” to Washington D.C. The day was part of a nationwide “World Kidney Day” outreach effort led by NKF and The American Society of Nephrology to raise awareness about the importance of the kidneys and support education and understanding of chronic kidney disease detection programs.
On March 12th advocates met for an Advocacy 101 training session, and were able to share ideas, experiences and knowledge about their understanding of advocacy. The purpose of the training is to teach patient advocates how to be effective advocates for themselves and others affected by chronic kidney disease, donation and transplantation. Patient advocate Zach Brooks of California found the training to be “extremely beneficial and informative”.
That evening a Congressional reception was held at Rayburn House Office Building on Capital Hill with Special Guest Randy Thomas of the Washington Redskins. Mr. Thomas addressed the crowd by discussing the impact of chronic kidney disease on the individual and the family. Additionally, Representative Shelly Berkley (NV01) and Representative Mark Kirk (IL10) addressed the reception by pledging their commitment to making lives better. The congressional reception was a success and a joint effort between the National Kidney Foundation and American Society of Nephrology.
March 13th, World Kidney Day, “People Like Us” patient advocates showcased their knowledge and skills when they represented NKF on Capital Hill. 22 patient advocates met with over 90 U.S. House and Senate offices to share their personal stories of living with kidney disease and asked for a $1 million increase ($3million total) to expand the Center for Disease Control, Division of Diabetes Translation detection programs and requested that Congress establish a Medicare pre-dialysis education benefit that would target patients before they qualify for the ESRD. Click here to view facts sheets about these issues http://www.kidney.org/news/pubpol/ckd.cfm.
To become an advocate or learn more about the National Kidney Foundation’s legislative priorities please register for the “People Like Us” Take Action Network. Turn on the power of “People Like Us” by signing up for the “People Like Us” Take Action Network at www.kidney.org/takeaction!
What You Can Do
World Kidney Day News
- Don’t Take Your Kidneys for Granted
- Are You At Risk For The Silent Disease?
- 10 Steps to Kidney Health
- Kidney Disease FAQs
- Rate of Kidney Disease Jumps by 30%
- National Kidney Foundation Issues Call to Action on “World Kidney Day”
- National Kidney Foundation Calls Chronic Kidney Disease Growing Public Health Problem, Offers Six-Step Health Primer
- Black Men Most At Risk of Kidney, Cardiovascular Disease
Kidney Fact Sheets
- The Problem of Kidney and Urologic Disease
- Ten Facts About African Americans and Kidney Disease
- Ten Facts About Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease
- Ten Facts About Diabetes and Kidney Disease in Hispanic Americans
- Ten Facts About High Blood Pressure and Chronic Kidney Disease
The National Kidney Foundation would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of World Kidney Day activities in the United States.
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