NKF Serving the Alleghenies

On Saturday, March 5, 2022, join us as we take a trip through the magical land of Oz! We are excited to announce that our annual Kidney Gift of Life Honors event will be held in-person at Heinz Field! With the safety of our community at the forefront of all we do, the NKF will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in the coming months, and will be following all CDC and local guidelines. Check out our sponsorship opportunities here. Please contact Brandi Lehman at 412.261.4115 x 757 with any questions.

More Information

The First Steps to Transplant

1. Wednesday, December 8th from 1-3 PM in partnership with CAMC Kidney Transplant. Register here
2. Wednesday, January 19th from 9-11 AM in partnership with WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance. Register here.
Do you want to learn more about getting a kidney transplant? Or are you interested in learning more about donating a kidney? Then this webinar is for you!

Finding a Living Donor

1. Wednesday, January 19th from 1-3 PM in partnership with CAMC Kidney Transplant. Register here.
2. Wednesday, January 26th from 1-3 PM in partnership with WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance. Register here.

Need a kidney transplant? Or do you have a family member or friend who needs a kidney? This workshop is for you! While it may be overwhelming to ask someone to consider the donation, we can help. In this interactive workshop, you'll learn the best strategies and the most effective tips for finding a living donor.

This webinar will teach kidney disease patients who are on the waiting list for a transplant and their family and friends how to:

• Find a living kidney donor
• Educate family and friends about living-donor kidney transplantation
• Tell your story through networking sites social media and other channels

For more information contact Holly Turkovic, Senior Community Outreach Manager.

Partners

Sponsors

Thank you to everyone who supported the 2021 Pittsburgh Kidney Walk on November 7, 2021! Together, we raised more than $142,000 in the fight against kidney disease and we could not have done it without all of you! We will still be accepting donations for the Kidney Walk through December 31st, so there's still time to hit our goal of $192,000! Visit our website to make your gift. Contact Molly Doehring at 412.261.4115 x 754 with any questions.

In 2021 we passed the Living Donor Protection Act in the state of Pennsylvania. This bill will ensure that life, long-term care and disability insurers will not discriminate against living organ donors. Thank you to all the volunteers, advocates, living donors and their families who made this happen! We are hopeful to have the same success in West Virginia. Join our network of advocates to make a difference for kidney patients.

Questions? Contact Senior Community Outreach Manager, Holly Turkovic

The 2022 NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic will be held on May 16, 2022 at Fox Chapel Golf Club! More information coming soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions, contact Molly Doehring at 412.261.4115 x 754.

Your Kidneys & You is a presentation on kidneys, risk factors and preventative action steps, with a focus on where to turn for more information. You may request a Your Kidneys & You presentation for your workplace, civic organization, school, club or place of worship by contacting Senior Community Outreach Manager, Holly Turkovic.

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness dramatically alters one's life – you can help.

Challenge your colleagues, civic organization, school, club, place of worship, friends, and/or family to join the fight against kidney disease with a hands-on, team-building volunteer project assembling care packages for dialysis patients in the community where you live and work. For more information, contact Senior Community Outreach Manager, Holly Turkovic.

If our scheduled fundraisers aren’t what you’re looking for, then create your own event to raise funds and hope with Team Kidney. From celebrating transplant anniversaries, honoring a loved one, to bake sales and bowling tournaments, to pushing yourself with a 10K or esports — the fundraising possibilities are endless. Join Team Kidney HERE! Have questions? Contact development manager, Brandi Lehman.

Cinema for a Cause was held on August 12th at Avonworth Community Park, featuring 90’s classic, the Sandlot! Despite it being quite a rainy evening, we were able to raise nearly $31,000 in the fight against kidney disease. For more information about the potential of next year’s event, please get in touch with Brandi Lehman at 412.261.4115 x757.

Volunteering with the National Kidney Foundation Serving the Alleghenies gives you a chance to be part of the mission to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases. Millions of Americans have some form of kidney or urologic disease. Thousands die each year while waiting for kidney transplants. Hundreds of thousands need life-sustaining dialysis treatments to stay alive. Volunteer your time and/or talent to support NKF initiatives in our local community.

Register here to check out our latest volunteer opportunities or contact Brandi Lehman at 412.261.4115 x757.

The National Kidney Foundation has the most extensive library of kidney health information for individuals, patients, transplant recipients, and living donors, including newsletters, printed brochures, online materials, and virtual workshops. If you are interested in participating in our Patient Education webinars, contact Holly Turkovic, Senior Community Outreach Manager to be added to our invite list.

NKF provides opportunities for collaboration, networking, and career advancement for every member of the kidney patient care team. Tools and resources, based on NKF-published guidelines, are developed for professionals to incorporate into their practices and advance patient care. As part of our professional education opportunities, we also offer Renal Roundtables and Renal Grand Rounds, both in-person and virtually. For more information about professional education or if you interested in learning more about our Medical Advisory Board, contact Holly Turkovic, Senior Community Outreach Manager.

A very special THANK YOU to our 2019-2020 Annual Corporate Partners!

To learn more about how to become an NKF Annual Corporate Partner, please contact our office.

You will make a difference!

By contributing all or a portion of your United Way gift to the National Kidney Foundation Serving the Alleghenies (#170), you will help us provide free, community-based KEEP Healthy kidney health checks designed to detect kidney disease early…when there is still time to slow, or even halt, the progression of this serious public health epidemic.

Maximize the impact of your gift! Check with your employer to see if they offer a matching gift program.

Choose Contributor Choice Code #170 - and know that thousands of kidneys will thank you!

The National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Cars Program enables you to turn in your used car, van, truck, motorcycle or even boat into funding for kidney education, research and organ donation programs. You'll also very likely receive two benefits you won't get from a dealer trade-in (or from a holiday song). You'll get a good feeling and you may even get a tax-deduction! Click here or call (800) 488-KARS!

Transportation Program - Pennsylvania residents who meet eligibility requirements are reimbursed for a portion of the transportation costs associated with traveling to and from dialysis treatment three times a week. This program is run in collaboration with, and within the guidelines of, the Pennsylvania State Renal Disease Program.

Please contact your social worker at your dialysis clinic for an application or click here to download an application.

Peers Lending Support - Peers Lending Support is our free, national telephone-based support program that connects those experiencing CKD (Stage 4, dialysis patients, and transplant recipients) with an NKF-trained mentor who has been through a similar experience. For more information on Peers Lending Support, call toll-free 855.NKF.PEER (855.653.7337) or visit our Peers Lending Support page.

NKF Cares - NKF Cares is our toll-free phone and email patient help line. Trained professionals provide information, support and resources to people affected by CKD (patients, family members) on a wide variety of topics. Call toll-free 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273).

Medical Alert Jewelry - MedIds.com (318) 397-8441 will offer a 15% discount to needy patients if the patient uses the code "NKF2012".

Medic Alert (888-633-4298) will waive the fee if the patient submits a letter from his/her doctor on the doctor's letterhead and proof of monthly income. These documents must be submitted along with the company's application form.

American Medical ID (800-363-5985) will provide the stainless steel version for free with a letter from the doctor on the doctor's letterhead. The original letter has to be mailed to the company; it cannot be a photocopy or a fax.

Additional Resources - More information to help patients can be found at our Patients & Family Resources page.

CME/CE Activities - There are numerous opportunities for continuing education online by clicking CME/CE Activities. The National Kidney Foundation is Accredited with Commendation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

Educational Resources - The National Kidney Foundation delivers professional programs and resources in print, online, through multi-media and in meetings. We offer a vast library of printed publications on a number of different topics. Educational literature and materials can be found also be found online at the NKF Store.

Additional Resources - A variety of resources are designed for renal professionals, including our smartphone applications, Spring Clinical meetings, Living Well DVD series and professional journals. Please visit the Professionals page of our website for more information.