American Kidney Fund's Second Patient Access Initiative Summit Will Highlight Health Care Challenges Faced by Kidney Community, Outline Public Policy Solutions

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Nov. 19, 2024) - Today, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) will host its second Patient Access Initiative (PAI) Summit — part of AKF's ongoing work to address health care access issues faced by people with kidney disease — and convene stakeholders committed to improving early diagnosis and intervention in kidney disease.  

Sarah Lee, the CEO of Relavo, is the keynote speaker for today's event. Lee won a KidneyX prize for the Patient Innovator Challenge for creating a device that disinfects tubing for peritoneal dialysis to make it safer for people to do dialysis at home. This device reflects Relavo's mission to enrich the lives of people with kidney failure by making home dialysis safer and more accessible. 

Discussions at the summit will focus on:

• Increasing early screenings and interventions to prevent and treat kidney disease before it progresses into end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or kidney failure.
• The role of caregivers and how kidney disease impacts caregiver and patient mental health.
• What's next in the care, treatment and diagnosis of kidney disease, including rare kidney disease.
• Removing payment barriers to help ensure people with kidney disease can get the health care they need.

The summit will also feature a presentation focused on how employers can drive improvements in kidney health in the workforce. Following the summit, AKF plans to publish a roadmap with public policy solutions and recommendations that address challenges identified during this event. 

"Kidney disease is the fastest growing non-contagious disease in this country, yet many Americans do not have the knowledge and access to health care they need to take charge of their kidney health," said AKF President and CEO LaVarne A. Burton. "Today's Patient Access Initiative Summit is dedicated to filling in these gaps and finding solutions to the challenges kidney patients and caregivers are facing." 

The summit will feature remarks from Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-01), co-chair of the Congressional Kidney Caucus, which educates members of Congress and the public about chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the role that the federal government has in providing care to people living with CKD. In June, DelBene and Rep. Larry Bucshon (IN-08) led a bipartisan group of 44 members of Congress in calling on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to develop a screening recommendation for people at high risk of CKD. 

Approximately 1 in 7 Americans has kidney disease. Millions more are at risk of developing this debilitating condition, which has no cure and oftentimes is not discovered until the later stages, when symptoms become more noticeable and severe. Damage to the kidneys cannot be reversed, but if kidney disease is caught early, steps can be taken to slow its progression. More than 800,000 people in the United States live with kidney failure, the majority of whom must receive dialysis treatments multiple times a week to stay alive.

The AKF Patient Access Initiative Summit is made possible thanks to generous support from Leadership Sponsors CSL Vifor, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Travere Therapeutics and Supporting Sponsors Alexion, Amgen and Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc.