March 28, 2025
As part of the 2025 Kidney Patient Summit, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) hosted two deep dive educational sessions that brought together experts, patient leaders, and advocates to explore urgent and emerging topics in kidney care. These sessions equipped advocates with the knowledge to share their personal stories on Capitol Hill and become even more powerful voices for change in their communities.
Kidney Disease Screening and Access to Care
The first session focused on upstream strategies to detect and manage kidney disease earlier in its course.
- Dr. Kirk Campbell, President of NKF, opened with an overview of public policies that could improve early kidney disease screening, especially among high-risk
- populations.
- Erin Hertzog, a partner at Manatt Health, discussed challenges and solutions related to patient access to new kidney therapies.
- Kayla Smith, a registered dietitian with Fresenius Medical Care, highlighted the role of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and the benefits of nutrition counseling in slowing disease progression.
Superstar advocate Cari Maxwell guided this engaging conversation.
Tell your congress member to support funding for kidney disease programs.
The Patient Experience in Clinical Trials
The second session, hosted in partnership with ProKidney, spotlighted the importance of incorporating the patient voice in kidney clinical research.
- Curtis Warfield, co-chair of NKF’s Kidney Advocacy Committee (KAC), moderated the panel and emphasized why patient participation in trials matters.
- Fellow KAC co-chair Mary Baliker and advocate Cari Maxwell shared their own experiences as clinical trial participants, offering relatable insights for others who may feel uncertain about taking part in research.
- Dr. Sylvia Rosas, past-president of NKF, added a valuable investigator perspective, helping bridge the gap between patient experience and research design.
- Paula Gutierrez of ProKidney joined the discussion, speaking to the company’s commitment to creating inclusive and patient-informed studies.
We’re incredibly grateful to ProKidney for supporting this session and helping to create a platform where patients could learn more about how clinical trials can be part of their care journey.
