National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
HAP Partnership Impact
The American Kidney Fund supports diversity and inclusion efforts for Veterans
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is estimated to affect one in six Veterans. Mr. Michael Spigler, vice president of Patient Services and Kidney Disease Education at the American Kidney Fund (AKF), shared that the partnership with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) brings awareness and resources to Veterans regarding kidney health.
According to AKF, there are currently approximately 500,000 Veterans diagnosed with CKD, and that number is likely to increase by 30,000 people next year.
“Kidney disease is the fastest growing noncommunicable disease [a disease that is not contagious] in the U.S., yet 90% of Americans, including Veterans, who have kidney disease are unaware they have early stages,” Mr. Spigler said.
Together, VHA and AKF help Veterans with kidney disease with tools like the benefits for Veterans handout and the VHA Kidney Program—which provides kidney-related services to dialysis centers throughout VA medical centers. The partners also educate Veterans about risk factors, causes, complications and treatments for the disease and its associated conditions.
In addition to VHA services—like dialysis care, VA’s eKidneyClinic, and transplant services—the collaboration provides Veterans with support through awareness campaigns and events, nutritional advice through Kidney Kitchen, and a guide to help Veterans talk to their providers about managing kidney disease.
According to Mr. Spigler, nearly 1,000 Veterans have used the resource materials provided by the VHA and AKF. Also, the partnership’s Know Your Kidneys videos have aired more than 1,700 times on the YouTube channel Veteran News Network.
“They [VHA and AKF] share a common goal of supporting Veterans [diagnosed] with kidney disease by helping them live healthier lives through early identification and addressing the challenges Veterans face in managing their kidney health,” Mr. Spigler said.
Early identification means identifying the disease at an early stage with the assistance of health care providers, which can help with the management and treatment process of the disease.
While anyone can get kidney disease, people of color disproportionately are diagnosed with kidney failure, which might require dialysis or a transplant. VHA research found that African American Veterans are at a significantly higher risk of developing CKD (12.7%) compared to Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Veterans—the Veterans with the second greatest risk of developing the disease (10.1%)—and white Veterans (6.9%).
“AKF has been working for decades to combat the disproportionate impact that kidney disease and kidney failure has on populations historically underserved by the health care system,” Mr. Spigler said.
For example, in 2021, more than 60% of AKF’s grant recipients were people of color. Their grants and financial assistance programs may help Veterans with insurance premiums, transportation costs, prescription medications, and other expenses related to care.
Like the AKF, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) advocates for inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (I-DEA) for all. By eliminating barriers and identifying positive opportunities for underserved communities, VA ensures all Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors have equitable treatment and access to quality health care.
To read more about VA’s commitment to I-DEA, visit https://www.va.gov/ORMDI/docs/VA_I-DEA_Action_Plan-SIGNED.pdf.
The VHA National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP) supports diversity and inclusion efforts for Veterans with their partnerships, like AKF. For more information about HAP partnerships, visit https://www.va.gov/HEALTHPARTNERSHIPS/partnerships.asp.
To learn more about the American Kidney Fund, visit https://www.kidneyfund.org/.
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Posted March 29, 2022
