NKF Advocates Put a Face on Kidney Health Agenda in August Meetings

This August NKF Voices for Kidney Health advocates from across the country are meeting with their federal representatives, sharing their stories and working to ensure that the issues and policies important to the kidney community continue moving forward in Congress.

In Washington state, Sheryl Hughey celebrated her fifth kidney transplant anniversary by meeting with her congressman, Derek Kilmer, and his staff. Sheryl urged Rep. Kilmer to support our federal Living Donor Protection Act, particularly important to her given her background as a transplant recipient. She also highlighted the importance of our forthcoming home dialysis legislation and urged the congressman as a member of the House Appropriations Committee to work with his colleagues to ensure that federal programs that promote kidney disease awareness, education, and research are properly and robustly funded.

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Jeff Nelson met with staff for kidney policy champion Rep. Ron Kind, whose leadership in the House directly led to passage of a bill last Congress that ensured kidney transplant patients covered by Medicare had the immunosuppressed drug coverage that they needed. Jeff also expressed appreciation for the congressman’s support of the federal LDPA and expressed hope that he’d once again help lead the way once our home dialysis bill is introduced this fall.

In Ohio, Renika Smiley met with staff for Rep. Brad Wenstrup, where she led off by urging them to secure the congressman’s support for the federal LDPA and forthcoming home dialysis legislation. The latter is particularly important to Renika given her father’s experience as a kidney dialysis patient, where he faced challenges finding reliable transportation to and from his treatments. She expressed hope that expanding access to home dialysis would help kidney patients who find themselves in a similar position.

And in Texas, high school student and advocate Kapil Panda carried on his grandmother’s legacy by sharing her kidney patient story and asking staff for Rep. Beth Van Duyne to honor that legacy and every kidney patient that she represents by supporting our congressional agenda.

Thanks as well to the following advocates for holding meetings and contributing to this important grassroots effort:

• Aparna Baxi is meeting with Rep. Don Beyer’s office in the Virginia eighth congressional district
• Tom Cassidy met with Rep. Earl Blumenauer’s office in the Oregon third congressional district
• Glenna Frey, MSN, APRN-CNS met with Rep. Bob Latta’s office in the Ohio fifth congressional district
• Zyaira Goodman met with Rep. Brian Boyle’s office in the Pennsylvania second congressional district
• Danny Greenfield and Candie Gagne met with Rep. Mike Doyle’s office in the Pennsylvania 18^th congressional district
• Dr. Anil Paramesh met with Rep. Steve Scalise’s office in the Louisiana first congressional district
• Glenda Roberts met with Rep. Suzan Delbene’s office in the Washington first congressional district
• Ken Sutha, MD, PhD met with Rep. Anna Eshoo’s office in the California 18^th congressional district
• John Welch is meeting with Rep. Kurt Schrader’s office in the Oregon fifth congressional district
• Hannah Wesselman met with Rep. Jackie Walorski’s office in the Indiana second congressional district

If you would like to meet with your Member of Congress, please reach out to NKF staff and we’ll work to schedule a meeting and prepare you with the most updated information.