FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 10, 2019
Washington, D.C. - “AAKP, America’s largest and oldest fully independent kidney patient advocacy organization, enthusiastically endorses President Donald Trump and his health policy team in their bold and bipartisan efforts to fully empower kidney patient consumers and save kidney patient lives through greater care choice and innovations aimed at preventing and better managing kidney diseases. Since the 2016 election, the Trump Administration has actively engaged kidney patients to learn how status quo kidney care, and some related special interests, lack transparency; create barriers to more accessible home care and kidney transplants; and interfere with a patients ability to pursue aspirations including keeping a job, owning a home or starting a family. Today’s announcement on Advancing the American Kidney Health Initiative is smart policy that benefits patients and taxpayers alike and marks the start of what AAKP has termed The Decade of the Kidney - an era that will be remembered for kidney precision medicine, greater access to kidney transplantation and less organ discards, the first artificial implantable kidneys and a departure from the default reliance on burdensome and highly antiquated in-center kidney dialysis care.”
Richard A. Knight
President
23 year kidney patient, 3 year hemo-dialysis patient and successful 13 year transplant recipient
Paul T. Conway
Chair of Policy and Global Affairs, immediate past president
38 year kidney patient, near 3 year peritoneal dialysis patient and successful 23 year transplant recipient
American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary as the oldest and largest fully independent kidney patient organization in the United States and the strongest advocates for kidney patient consumer care choice. From 1969-1973, AAKP patients led the effort in the U.S. Congress and with senior White House officials to establish the End Stage Renal Disease Program, which has saved over a million lives through modern dialysis coverage. AAKP announced the start of the Decade of the Kidney in June of 2019 and is currently conducting the largest voter registration drive in history among kidney patients, caregivers and professionals aimed at increasing kidney patient voice in policy decisions as Kidney Voters. AAKP fights for patient care choice, early detection; increased kidney transplantation and pre-emptive transplantation; protection of the patient/physician relationship; promotion of research and innovation; and the elimination of barriers for patient access to available treatment options.
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Follow AAKP on social media at:
Facebook: @kidneypatient
Twitter and Instagram: @kidneypatients
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Diana Clynes Executive Director
813-400-2391
dclynes@aakp.org
