National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
American Kidney Fund Partnership
American Kidney Fund, a potential VHA partner, brings outreach, education, and support to Veterans
The American Kidney Fund (AKF), a nonprofit working on behalf of the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, is exploring ways to help the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) fulfill its mission to bring the best health care solutions to Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.
AKF offers programs for kidney disease prevention, early detection, financial support, disease management, clinician research, innovation and advocacy, and more. Right now, many resources for patients diagnosed with kidney disease and their support networks are available on AKF’s website. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease is estimated to be 34% higher in the Veteran population than in the general population, so many Veterans could find these resources useful.
While VHA is in the process of exploring a partnership with AKF, the nonprofit is currently offering a blog with information, resources, and news about kidney disease for patients and their caregivers, and an emergency fund with the aim of providing grants to some patients diagnosed with kidney disease. AKF is also advocating for federal emergency assistance for dialysis patients and is offering tips for people to take advantage of during the coronavirus pandemic, such as “tips for a kidney-friendly pandemic pantry.”
AKF is also advocating for the Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020—social determinants of health (SDOH) are conditions in the environments where people live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health outcomes and risks. VHA’s Office of Community Engagement (OCE), which is supporting this potential partnership with AKF, is also focused on partnerships that support SDOH and has made the social determinants the theme of its annual VHA Community Partnership Challenge this year.
“The American Kidney Fund and VHA are both focused on education, screenings, and mental and emotional support, which will make this a powerful partnership,” said Ms. Georgeanna Bady, health systems specialist for OCE. “AKF has resources that augment VHA’s and will assist VHA with outreach efforts. This helps Veterans diagnosed with kidney disease. American Kidney Fund is also focused on supporting the SDOH, which are mission-critical for us as we work to help as many Veterans as possible.”
OCE is VHA’s trusted resource and catalyst for growth of public-private partnerships. To learn more about how OCE builds effective partnerships across VHA to support Veterans, visit: www.va.gov/healthpartnerships.
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Posted July 23, 2020
