Washington D.C. Area Tops the Nation in Prevalence of Kidney Disease and Kidney Failure; Mourning (a Former D.C. Resident) and Kidney Community Urges Congress to Support Reforms
NBA champion and kidney transplant recipient Alonzo Mourning met with members of DC’s kidney care community and patients, family members and caregivers while touring the DaVita Eighth Street dialysis facility today to urge Congress to support key healthcare reforms that can improve patients’ access and choice in receiving quality kidney care.
Chronic kidney disease and kidney failure are rising health problems across the country and especially here in the District of Columbia, disproportionately impacting minority communities. Each year, more than 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and require dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to survive. The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area leads the nation in the prevalence of kidney disease with more than 700,000 people affected, nearly 6,000 patients on dialysis, and more than 1,600 waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant.
Today, approximately 527,000 patients in the United States are living with kidney failure. Elderly and disabled patients nationwide depend on the Medicare ESRD benefit to get the care they need to survive. This benefit is a critical safety net for America’s most vulnerable chronically ill patients, particularly minority communities such as African Americans, Hispanic and Asian patients who make up more than half of the ESRD patient population.
Mourning, a member of the 2006 NBA Championship-winning Miami Heat, seven-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, was diagnosed with Focal Glomerulosclerosis in 2000, a degenerative kidney disease. After receiving a kidney transplant in 2003, he returned to the NBA for five more seasons, retiring in 2008. Mourning, a graduate of Georgetown University, is now a passionate advocate for America’s kidney patients on the need to support chronic kidney disease (CKD) education, prevention and care.
Alonzo’s visit to the dialysis facility followed meetings on Capitol Hill with legislators and representatives from the kidney community, including patient advocates, dialysis professionals, care providers and manufacturers to outline the community’s legislative priorities. Alonzo lent his support to efforts on Capitol Hill to improve patients’ access to quality health care, eliminate inequalities for dialysis patients, and create innovative programs to enhance patient care.
Health care reform efforts supported by the kidney community include increased kidney disease screenings, nutritional and educational consultations for maximizing care, greater patient choice in maintaining their private insurance coverage and extended coverage of immunosuppressive medications for patients recovering from transplantation.
Tony Englert, Government Relations Director of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and Divisional President of NKF serving the National Capital Area, joined Mourning at DaVita’s Eight Street Facility to underscore the importance of education and access in the prevention of kidney failure. Englert detailed the risk factors for kidney disease including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity and encouraged anyone who may be at risk to get tested. He also discussed NKF programs that aim to detect kidney disease early enough to delay or even prevent progression in kidney failure.
Last year Congress enacted a new CKD education initiative that will help people better understand kidney disease and its impact, what can cause it, and available treatments.
“This was an important action that will go a long way.” Mourning said. “But, we still have work to do, and I will continue to work with DaVita, the entire kidney community, our lawmakers and others to make sure that patients are getting access to the care they need, when they need it.”
Contacts:
DaVita
Leigh Ann Bradley, 703-548-0019