Here at AAKP, we’re excitedly preparing for the upcoming 35th Annual Convention. Thirty-five years! Wow! It makes me so proud to know AAKP has been working to serve the interests, needs and welfare of kidney patients and their families for almost four decades. The organization has been instrumental in bringing kidney disease education to the masses, the passing of several bills and laws relating to kidney disease treatment options, therapy payment and quality of care issues facing the renal community. I am so honored to be working on behalf of kidney patients throughout the country and excited about what the future holds for this one-of-a-kind organization.
This year’s Convention is sure to bet the best yet! It takes place Aug. 28 – Aug. 31, in our nation’s Capitol, Washington, D.C., at the Grand Hyatt Washington. The Annual Convention offers something for everyone, from the educational sessions to the exciting social events to the vast Exhibit Hall to the always popular Lunch with the Experts tables. We’ve also added sessions on Thursday so attendees can learn more about legislative issues they face as kidney patients, how to contact their Congressional members and what Medicare means for them.
During Convention we will also unveil the winners of the AAKP Says I Can! campaign. These remarkable individuals prove kidney patients can and do lead productive lives. The winners include Wilfred T. Dow, a 78 year-old hemodialysis patient; Betsy Calloway, a 28 year-old kidney transplant recipient; and Mary Sheppard, a peritoneal dialysis (PD) patient. These inspirational kidney patients will be on hand during Convention to talk about how they overcame kidney disease and maintain their normal lives.
AAKP Says I Can! winners will also be featured on posters in dialysis units, transplant centers and doctors’ offices throughout the country. Posters of these inspiring patients are available free of charge. Please order copies of the posters by calling AAKP at (800) 749-AAKP and encourage your doctor or dialysis unit to display them.
We’re also extremely proud of our new Patient Outreach program. AAKP created this new program to recognize the value of local support groups. We are providing patients a centralized location to find support groups in their communities on our Web site and in our magazines.
The AAKP Web site contains a section devoted to publicizing information about support group activities throughout the U.S., including statewide locations, contact information for support group leaders and dates, times and locations of meetings. The site also features a section containing helpful hints to assist support groups in their activities, such as how to recruit volunteers, meeting ideas and much more. For those individuals interested in forming an independent support group, a "Support Group Guidebook" is also available.
Existing support groups meeting at least once a month in a designated location such as a hospital, dialysis unit, church or library are listed on the AAKP Web site in addition to being featured in AAKP's magazines. Existing renal related support groups are invited to contact AAKP and provide information about group meetings for posting on the AAKP Web site. AAKP provides free educational materials to independent support groups to distribute at their local meetings.
For more information about support groups or how to start your own support group, please contact Jolene Bussiere, Special Projects Coordinator, at jbussiere@aakp.org or (800) 749-AAKP.
See you at Convention!
Kris Robinson
Executive Director/CEO
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