National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
American Kidney Fund Partnership
Nutrition is essential for managing kidney disease, and one VA partnership is helping Veterans do just that
March is National Nutrition Month, and many U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) partnerships and initiatives are focused year-round on providing Veterans information and resources to help them access nutritious food that suits their needs and lifestyles. One example is the VA partnership with American Kidney Fund (AKF), which was established in November 2020. This collaboration adds to existing VA programs and services that support Veterans through early identification of kidney disease and referral for appropriate treatment. VA’s eKidney Clinic is one such resource—there, Veterans can learn about proper kidney nutrition, how and why to pay attention to potassium, protein, and sodium, and much more.
According to AKF, controlling high blood pressure and diabetes through a diet low in salt and fat may help prevent kidney disease from getting worse. “A kidney-friendly diet,” AKF says, “limits certain foods to prevent the minerals in those foods from building up in your body.” AKF has on its website a user-friendly breakdown of information about a kidney-friendly diet, as well as many other educational resources. Another AKF resource is its KidneyKitchen, featuring nutritious recipes, shopping guides, and tips for cooking or dining out while staying kidney friendly.
Kidney-friendly diets and nutrition must take cultural backgrounds into consideration as well—AKF explains that African Americans people are more at risk for kidney failure than any other population, and diabetes is the number-one cause of kidney failure; about one in nine African American adults has diabetes compared to about one in three White adults. Hispanic and Native American people are also at higher risk for diabetes.
Both AKF and VA have resources and support for members of these and any other populations who have been diagnosed with kidney disease. People can find a free “Know Your Kidneys” doctor discussion guide on AKF’s website, and VA makes available information about living with kidney disease and paying for kidney disease treatment on its website as well.
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP, formerly the Office of Community Engagement) manages the VA-AKF partnership. Georgeanna Bady, health systems specialist for HAP, said the education and tools this partnership makes available to Veterans will help bring many people, no matter their background, the resources they need to manage kidney disease.
“This partnership aims to help people understand if they are at an increased risk for kidney disease, and if so, how they might prevent or manage the disease to the best of their ability given their unique lifestyle circumstances,” Ms. Bady says. “Food and cooking are deeply personal and culturally-specific, and we must consider the diversity of the Veterans who are diagnosed with kidney disease and be inclusive of their needs. Together with AKF, VA knows we’ll be able to do that.”
For more information on HAP’s partnership work, please visit: va.gov/healthpartnerships.
For more information on AKF, please visit: kidneyfund.org.
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Posted March 30, 2021
