Statement from Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and a kidney transplant recipient on the Organ Transplant System Improvement Act Discussion Draft Model
Washington, DC – (December 23, 2025) – “The National Kidney Foundation applauds Senator Wyden's continued leadership in advancing critical reforms to our nation's organ transplant system. With more than 90,000 Americans waiting for kidney transplants and 12 people dying each day before receiving a life-saving transplant, this discussion draft represents an important next step in strengthening accountability, transparency, and patient safety across the U.S. transplant system.
In plain terms, NKF believes every patient deserves a fair shot at a life-saving kidney transplant— and every person registered to be a donor deserves to know they will be treated with safety and dignity and that their gift will be used effectively. We support reforms that shine a light on the system, hold it accountable, and make it safer and more equitable for everyone involved.
We are encouraged by the discussion draft's focus on enhancing patient safety protocols, strengthening oversight mechanisms that are essential for strengthening public trust in the transplant system. The discussion draft builds meaningfully on the momentum from the bipartisan passage of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act, continuing the vital work of modernizing a system that has remained largely unchanged for decades.
As the largest patient-centric organization dedicated to kidney disease awareness, prevention, and treatment, we look forward to conducting a thorough review of the specific provisions and their potential impacts on the patients and families we serve. Any reforms that enhance transparency, improve performance, and help ensure that life-saving organs reach those who need them most effectively align with our goal of a kidney transplant for every patient that wants one.
We remain committed to working constructively with Senator Wyden, other policymakers, and all stakeholders to advance reforms that serve the best interests of people registered to be donors and the patients, and families waiting for the gold-standard therapy that transplantation represents.”
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, CKD remains an under-recognized public health burden that impacts 1 in 7 adults, and 90 percent of those affected are unaware of their condition. Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults are at risk for CKD, but less than 20% are assessed with guideline-recommended testing, eGFR and uACR. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to develop kidney failure. Hispanic and Native American people experience kidney failure at approximately double the rate of White people.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
###
Media Contact:
Paul McGee 716-523-6874
paul.mcgee@kidney.org