American Kidney Fund

This week, the American Kidney Fund is attending the National Kidney Foundation’s Spring Clinical Meetings in Long Beach, California. #NKFClinicals #NKFCSM We encourage attendees to stop by our booths and learn more about new AKF education initiatives like Know Your Kidneys, Kidney Health for All™, Kidney Kitchen and more. In addition to our booths, AKF Staff are presenting three posters during the Spring Clinical Meetings. ◾ Lower education levels associated with fewer patient-provider conversations about kidney transplant ◾American Kidney Fund's financial assistance program alleviates financial barrier to kidney transplant among low-income individuals ◾Patient perspective of hyperkalemia management: a focus group study Learn more about the three posters: https://bit.ly/4dC1Npb

SUBMISSIONS CLOSING SOON! Nominate your personal kidney hero today for the 2024 American Kidney Fund Hero of Hope award! The Hero of Hope award is one of the highest honors given to a kidney patient in the United States. Tell us about your kidney hero and how they have made an extraordinary contribution in the kidney community today by submitting your 2024 Hero of Hope nomination: https://bit.ly/3Qrw13Y Submissions will close Sunday, May 19th. The 2024 American Kidney Fund Hero of Hope will be honored at our annual national gala, The Hope Affair, in Washington, D.C. on October 8.

The American Kidney Fund's Kidney Health Coach program is a free, community health education program. After course completion, you will have access to the Kidney Health Coach portal, which includes tools and resources to help you host education sessions. Coaches can find support and share their experiences through the connected community of Kidney Health Coaches doing similar work, and continuing education (CE) credits are available at no-cost to eligible health care professionals. - 👋 Meet one of our long-time Kidney Health Coaches, Magdalene! ❓Q: When did you become a Kidney Health Coach? A: I became a Kidney Health Coach in 2018 while on Home Dialysis. ❓Q: How have you educated others about kidney disease? A: In 2017, I started educating the public about kidney disease through my blog, later linked to Facebook and 1:1 talks with members of my community. In 2018, I started educating people through my Facebook blog and connected pages whenever I had enough energy. ❓Q: If you could give one piece of advice to another Kidney Health Coach, what would you say? A: To a coach I would advise, prepare for your coaching session by learning about your audience and especially relatable areas. a) As adult learners what are they willing or motivated to learn. b) How the AKF resources and your own health beliefs and perspectives relate to them. c) How you can relate with your audience. ❓Q: If you could share one thing to someone about kidney disease, what would you share? A: I would tell anyone with kidney disease what a nephrologist told me, “kidney disease is a chronic illness but it does NOT mean you are terminal. You can live well if you are willing to make some changes and incorporate kidney care into your daily routine.” Thank you, Magdalene, for your dedication to educating your local community about kidney disease risks. Interested in joining Magdalene and becoming a Kidney Health Coach? Visit our website to learn more: https://bit.ly/3tsnSAm

Today, the American Kidney Fund announced a major expansion of its award-winning Know Your Kidneys program, now designed to be a customized experience—helping people know their kidneys, know their cause and know their plan. New resources available include an interactive tool that guides users to enter their lab results and other health information and then provides them with a personalized kidney health report. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3WAvKjj

AKF is proud to recognize Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month during the month of May. #DidYouKnow Asian Americans are at an increased risk for kidney disease, which can be caused by diabetes? In Hawaii and California, Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders get diabetes more often than whites. High blood pressure is the number two cause of kidney failure. It causes about 1 out of 4 cases (25%) in the United States. Almost 1 in 5 (more than 19%) Asian-American and Pacific Islander adults have high blood pressure. Learn more from additional AKF resources this #AANHPIMonth: Kidney Health for All: https://bit.ly/3tFRRZv Race/Ethnicity - Kidney disease risk factors: https://bit.ly/4b1nOMi Diversity in Clinical Trials: https://bit.ly/4b1Db7u Lupus Nephritis: symptoms, treatment and complications: https://bit.ly/4doP8pi IgA Nephropathy: https://bit.ly/3RYwk81

Tell us about your personal kidney hero! Nominations are now open for the 2024 American Kidney Fund Hero of Hope award, and we want to hear from you. Each year AKF receives nominations from across the country — from social workers, nurses, nephrologists, caregivers, family members and friends of patients who have made an immeasurable impact in their community despite the challenges of living with kidney failure. Nominate your kidney hero today and tell us how they have made an extraordinary contribution in the kidney community: https://bit.ly/3Qrw13Y 🏆 The 2024 American Kidney Fund Hero of Hope will be honored at our annual national gala, The Hope Affair, in Washington, D.C. on October 8.

The wait for an organ from a deceased donor can last years. Living donation offers a shorter wait for people on the #transplant waitlist and saves lives. Learn how our Living Donor Report Card urges lawmakers to improve protections for #livingdonors: https://bit.ly/3JzULSr.

To date, the David Atkins Living Donor Assistance Fund has provided more than $55,000 in financial support to 28 donors who underwent transplants at Massachusetts hospitals. Now, the DAF is expanding to support the New York Metro Area! Join us Wednesday, June 5 from 6 pm - 9 pm at Pineapple Club NYC to celebrate the launch of the David Atkins Living Donor Assistance Fund in New York. Donate, purchase tickets, and learn more: https://lnkd.in/g8kY2hMX

💙 AKF’s National Virtual Cystinosis Campers have a special message for program sponsor Amgen this #CystinosisAwarenessDay: THANK YOU! AKF’s National Virtual Cystinosis Camp provides children and teen kidney patients with a monthly opportunity to participate in fun and stress-free activities, as well as share their experiences with other children who are also battling #kidneydisease. 👉 #Cystinosis is a rare genetic condition that occurs in about 1 in 100,000-200,000 children. Too much cystine can damage a body's organs, and over time, cystinosis can lead to permanent #kidneydamage and #kidneyfailure. To learn more about #cystinosis and how it affects your kidneys: https://bit.ly/3xPT2as To learn more about our National Virtual Cystinosis Camp: https://bit.ly/44p3oZX

Didn’t have a chance to join us live for #KidneyActionWeek? All session replays are now available. Highlight: new this year was a day of sessions for #clinicians and other #healthprofessionals to learn about the latest in #renalhealthcare! Rewatch featured sessions for professionals including “Kidney Kitchen Pro: Digital Resource for Dietitians”, “Navigating IgAN: Patient and Professional Perspectives”, and “Let’s Talk to the Experts: A Panel of Health Care Professionals.” Watch now: https://bit.ly/3U3rQwm