National Kidney Foundation and Missouri Kidney Program to release state-wide strategy to improve primary care management of Chronic Kidney Disease
May 9, 2022, Columbia, Missouri —The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and the Missouri Kidney Program (MoKP) will convene a virtual summit on June 9th from 9:00 to 11:00 AM CDT launching a new roadmap to improve kidney health in Missouri. This roadmap is the culmination of a four-month long learning and action effort with more than 30 key healthcare and public health stakeholders from across the state.
Kidney disease is a significant public health problem that is underrecognized and underdiagnosed. If left undiagnosed until kidney failure, it results in suffering, poor quality of life, and is a significant economic burden (chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end stage renal disease (ESRD) account for nearly 25% of the Medicare budget). An estimated 635,000 adults in Missouri have kidney disease, and 90% are not aware that their kidneys are impaired even though kidney disease is easily diagnosed with two inexpensive tests and is a primary predictor of cardiovascular mortality. There are also early interventions that can slow progression of the disease as well as improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs. While anyone with diabetes or hypertension is at risk for developing kidney disease, communities of color are disproportionately impacted by this disease.
Leveraging the Collective Impact model, the Show Me CKDintercept Stakeholders initiative is engaging many leaders and change-makers throughout the state to identify and implement successful strategies to improve the diagnosis and management of CKD in primary care settings, especially in communities where the burden of kidney disease is felt most acutely.
“The goal of our collaborative work is to ensure that people at risk for chronic kidney disease receive the appropriate testing and early intervention to live long, productive lives. Working together - patients, providers, payers, and public health advocates – can align actions and communications to eliminate gaps in diagnosis and treatment” said Louis Probst, RN, Executive Director of the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition and Midwest Health Initiative.
For more information or to sign up for the event, please contact either Alexandra Garrick or Kathleen Davis at alexandra.garrick@kidney.org (913.262.1551), Kathleen.davis@kidney.org (314.961.2828). For more information about kidney disease, visit kidney.org
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, 37 million adults in the U.S. are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it. 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for kidney disease. Many social, environmental, and behavioral factors, like limited access to good education, available employment opportunities, or healthy food choices, increase the risk for developing kidney disease. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family members with CKD are at elevated risk for CKD. People who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander are disproportionately affected by the social determinants that contribute to kidney disease. As a result, Blacks/African American people are more than 4 times likely than Whites to have kidney failure. Hispanics/Latinos are 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanics to have kidney failure.
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.