FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 20, 2017
FOR MORE Information:
Deborah Pelaez
Marketing & Communications Manager
813-400-2394
[email protected]
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF KIDNEY PATIENTS ANNOUNCES JENNY KITSEN PATIENT SAFETY AWARD WINNERS FOR GRANT CYCLE 2017-18
TAMPA, FLA – The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is pleased to announce the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and the National Renal Administrators Association (NRAA) as grantees of its 2018 Jenny Kitsen Patient Safety Award.
The Jenny Kitsen Patient Safety Award funds an annual lecture or presentation that will advance patient safety by exploring innovation in health systems management. The award was created in 2014 by the former Network of New England whose Board of Directors established an endowment to continue the patient safety work of the non-profit organization led by Ms. Jenny Kitsen.
Among the organizations eligible to apply for the Jenny Kitsen Patient Safety Award are 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) organizations , public and government agencies, and many other organizations and institutions.
“The Jenny Kitsen Patient Safety Award is a unique national program designed to highlight innovation and advancements in patient safety aimed at improving patient health outcomes and advancing valuable lessons across the kidney community,” stated Paul T. Conway, President of AAKP and Chair of the FDA Patient Engagement Advisory Committee. “Jenny Kitsen has been personally and professionally committed to engaging patients in their own care, especially in terms best practices for safety, and we are honored to have her as a Member of the AAKP National Board.”
“AAKP has been committed to the education of patient safety, and discussing the gaps between the healthcare management systems for the kidney community. This award is about ensuring patient safety is a top priority for all healthcare professionals who care for those living with kidney disease and empowering patients to take an active role in their healthcare journey,” said Diana Clynes, the Programs Director for AAKP. “Every year, AAKP’s Award Selection Committee chooses one or more organizations that are dedicated to promoting patient safety and have created a unique opportunity or platform to deliver their message.” said Clynes.
2018 Grant Recipients
National Kidney Foundation
As part of the 2018 Spring Clinicals, the NKF will host the educational session, “Do no harm! – Avoiding Medication Errors in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.” The session will describe the most common medication errors and their associated negative outcomes in patients with CKD to highlight the need for more aggressive interventions to address these preventable errors. The medication reconciliation, medication reviews and medication therapy management will be defined with an emphasis on the potential impact these interventions have on patient and economic outcomes. The medication reconciliation measure for dialysis patients developed by the Kidney Care Quality Alliance Measure Feasibility and Testing Workgroup will be highlighted along with efforts by CMS to develop a quality measure(s) related to medication reconciliation and management dialysis clinicals will have to achieve to meet their quality goals. Session presenters include: Jeffery Fink, MD, MS (University of Maryland); Marisa Battistella, PharmD (University of Toronto); and Amy Pai, PharmD, BCPS, FASN, FCCP, FNKF (University of Michigan). The session will be hosted on April 12, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. in Austin, TX at the Austin Convention Center.
National Renal Administrators Association
As part of its 2017 Annual Conference, NRAA will host the educational session, “Creating and Maintaining a Culture of Safety.” This session will focus on the importance for clinic leaders to manage processes and lead facility employees to ensure an environment that promotes and achieves patient safety, best practices and optimal patient outcomes. Session presenter, Mary Kay Hamilton, RN, MHI, has more than 20 years’ experience in the dialysis field, both nationally and internationally. The session will be hosted October 19-20, 2017 in Austin, TX at the Hyatt Regency Austin.
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Founded in 1969, AAKP is the largest and oldest independent kidney patient organization in America. Governed by a patient-majority Board of Directors, AAKP conducts national education programs designed to better inform kidney patients and policy-makers about the true impacts of kidney disease. AAKP executes a national advocacy strategy to raise the patient voice before the Executive Branch and the U.S. Congress. Tax-deductible contributions can be made through AAKP’s website, www.aakp.org.
Follow AAKP on social media at: Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/kidneypatient Twitter and Instagram: @kidneypatients
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