Kidney Disease and the Road to Saving Lives

The CDC estimates that 37 million people in the US are living with Chronic Kidney Disease and as many as nine out of 10 adults with the disease don’t even know they have it. Black and Hispanic populations are disproportionately impacted by CKD and those with CKD are more likely to face severe illness from COVID-19. All this adds a sense of urgency to the work of furthering prevention and treatment options for the millions suffering at the hands of this deadly disease.

While leading researchers have identified several areas where additional exploration will advance our ability to prevent and treat CKD, actually delivering these therapies to patients cannot come soon enough.

What is the status of federal funding in this area and how should these dollars be allocated? What can policymakers do to address this costly, challenging illness? And what preventative measures, disease management improvements, and life-saving treatments are on the horizon?

The Hill will gather policymakers, physicians, and patient advocates for a conversation on the fight against Chronic Kidney Disease and how we can improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options for CKD.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021
1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT

Speakers: 

• Rep. Larry Bucshon, MD, (R-IN), Co-Chair, Congressional Kidney Caucus
• Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Co-Chair, Congressional Kidney Caucus
• Anupam Agarwal, MD, Professor of Medicine, UAB Division of Nephrology; Past President, American Society of Nephrology
• Deidra Crews, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  
• Anne Rohall-Andrade, Director, Federal Policy and Engagement, Mayo Clinic 

Sponsor Perspective: 

• Nichole Jefferson, Kidney transplant patient and advocate, Dallas, TX
• Holly Kramer, MD, MPH, Immediate Past President, NKF; Professor of Public Health Sciences and Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Loyola University
• Jummy Olabanji, Anchor, NBC4 Washington; Board member, National Kidney Foundation Serving the National Capital Area

Moderator: 

• Steve Clemons, Editor-at-Large, The Hill

Join the conversation! Tweet us: @TheHillEvents using #TheHillKidneys

Sponsored Content Message:

Kidney disease is growing in the United States so much so that now 1 in 3 adults are at risk, yet the pace of funding, research, and innovation in therapies is not sufficient to tackle the illness and lags far behind research for other diseases. In fact, many treatment options for those with the most advanced stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) haven’t changed in 40 years. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) will be releasing a research roadmap that, if funded by Congress, would quickly accelerate innovations in treatment and increase understanding of kidney disease. Federal investment is needed now to solve the most vexing challenges in kidney disease, especially in cases made worse by healthcare inequity.