NKF Introduces New Award for Nephrology Nursing

 
California’s Anne Diroll to receive honor at the 2019 Spring Clinical Meetings
 
New York, NY - May 6, 2019 Each year the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) considers the work of hundreds of specialists in the field of nephrology and selects among them those who most exemplify the relentless efforts of NKF to enhance the lives of patients through action, education and accelerating change.
 
This year, The Council of Nephrology Nurses and Technicians has created a new honor in the name of Carol Mattix, a home dialysis training nurse of the last century who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of kidney patients. The award will be presented at NKF’s 2019 Spring Clinical Meetings in Boston, May 8 through 12.
 
Anne Diroll, RN, CNN, of California, will receive the award for her decades-long commitment to improving the lives of dialysis patients. This honor recognize excellence in clinical care and finding novel ways to improve the lives of patients.
 
“Oxygen isn’t everything, but it is right up there with money,” Diroll said.
 
Anne currently works at Fresenius Kidney Care in Rocklin, CA, as a clinical manager and is a certified nephrology nurse; an anemia manager for 300 patients in four-outpatient clinics, and a research expert and consultant for Human Factors. Previously, she worked in anemia management. She is also a national speaker and author in the field of fluid management.
 
“This first-time award underscores the value of passionate, dedicated nephrology nurses and their efforts to improve the quality of life for patients,” said Dr. Holly Kramer, President of NKF. “I can think of no better example of this than Anne Diroll.”
 
Anne began her career in the 1970s in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, as a primary care and charge nurse in pulmonary and surgical ICU. She moved to the state of Washington soon after where she continued to work as a nurse. In 1995, Anne began to care for patients on dialysis and found her calling, she said.
 
Anne believes and teaches that nephrology nursing is the most holistic nursing in the profession.
 
NKF Spring Clinical Meetings
For the past 27 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to NKF’s Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings are designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams’ skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team.  This year’s Spring Clinical Meetings will be held May 8-12 in Boston, MA.
 
NKF Professional Membership
Healthcare professionals can join NKF to receive access to tools and resources for both patients and professionals, discounts on professional education, and access to a network of thousands of individuals who treat patients with kidney disease.
 
Kidney Disease Facts
In the United States 30 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and most aren’t aware of it.  1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease.  Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and family history.  People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease.  African Americans are 3 times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to develop end stage renal disease (kidney failure).
 
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.