The AAKP Medal of Excellence Program recognizes renal healthcare professionals in seven categories: Physician, Transplant Surgeon, Transplant Professional, Nurse, Social Worker, Dietitian and Dialysis Technician. Recipients demonstrate the skills and compassion that reflect AAKP’s mission of providing patients with quality care in order for them to understand their condition, make informed decisions regarding their treatment plan, and align their course of care to achieve their aspirations. Candidates for the award may be nominated by colleagues, patients in their home institutions or through professional affiliations. Candidates may also self-nominate.
AAKP President Richard Knight, a former dialysis patient and current, thirteen-year transplant recipient stated, “AAKP patient members welcome research efforts that inform national care discussions and educate policy-makers on the concerns that dominate patient-thinking. This survey revealed insights that are widely understood among patients, but will be eye-opening to non-patients and officials in posts that impact patient outcomes.”
Participants were invited to offer recommendations for the AAKP initiated Decade of the Kidney™, a ten-year national and international effort starting in 2020 designed to intensify the focus of policy-makers, researchers and the private sector on a broad, patient-focused agenda targeting kidney diseases, new care innovations and an aggressive expansion of patient care choice. AAKP unveiled Decade of the Kidney™ at its June 20, 2019 National Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. Interest in Decade of the Kidney™ has accelerated since both President Donald Trump’s signing of the Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health and AAKP’s accompanying joint statement of support for the Trump Administration’s kidney actions by AAKP leaders, President Richard Knight and Chair of Policy and Global Affairs, Paul T. Conway.
