(April 21, 2023, New York, NY) — The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) awarded Tom Duvall, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Director for the Division of Special Populations and Projects at the CMS Innovation Center, with the 2023 Public Service Award. The award was established to honor those who have dedicated their careers to public service and who have helped to shape public policies or government programs that improve outcomes for people with kidney disease. It was presented to Mr. Duvall at the 2023 NKF Spring Clinical Meetings held in Austin, TX, in April.
Duvall works in the Seamless Care Models Group at the CMS Innovation Center. In that role, he oversees multiple payment model tests focused on improving care for beneficiaries with kidney disease and two payment models focused on rural hospitals. He has worked with CMMI for more than nine years and previously worked in Medicaid Policy and Financial Consulting for Mercer Consulting. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his Health Care MBA from Johns Hopkins University.
“It's very exciting to be honored in this way,” Duvall said. “In general, you don't join the federal government to try to get public recognition, but instead to try to improve the world of health policy. There's a lot of great federal employees out there with a lot of passion and who put a lot of energy into making care better for patients with kidney disease throughout many different administrations and we really appreciate the recognition.”
“I also accept this award on behalf of my team, who is less publicly visible than me, but does the implementation and policy work to make these models happen. We’ve had dozens of people over the years work to develop and implement their models and none of it would have happened without all of their contributions,” Duvall said.
Each year, 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. The prestigious awards were presented to the recipients during the annual gathering of clinicians and kidney health professionals at the NKF 2023 Spring Clinical Meetings, which will be held in April 11-15, in Austin, TX.
“At NKF, we are patient-focused in everything we do, which is why the work that Mr. Duvall and his team do at CMS is so critical to our mission,” said NKF President Sylvia Rosas, MD, MSCE. “His work really makes a very practical difference in the lives of so many living with kidney failure. He is very deserving of this award.”
NKF Spring Clinical Meetings
For the past 31 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.
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, more than 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. 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 have kidney failure. Hispanics experience kidney failure at about double the rate of White people.
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.
About the National Kidney Foundation
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.