AAKP announces awards at annual meeting

The American Association of Kidney Patients announced recipients of its 2018 awards during the National Patient Meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida earlier this month.

According to a press release, the awards encompass three major categories. Legacy Awards have been extended to organizations and individuals for several decades. Patient Engagement and Advocacy Awards were created during the past several years through AAKP’s Center for Patient Engagement and Advocacy as a means of recognizing the increased influence patients have on national policymakers and health care deliberations. The third category – Public Service and Congressional Awards – recognize federal policymakers and association representatives who make a transformative impact on kidney policy and care through the course of their careers.

“Our national strategy to positively impact patient outcomes, drive innovation and protect patient choice in treatment options has been successful due to the unwavering support of America’s finest influencers in kidney health policy and care. AAKP national awards recognize individuals who are personally committed to substantive patient engagement and the fundamental right of patients to make a choice on what treatment best aligns to their individual aspirations,” said Paul T. Conway, president of AAKP and a kidney transplant recipient.

The winners included the following:

Legacy Awards

President’s Award

Tod Ibrahim, executive director of American Society of Nephrology

Samuel J. Orenstein Award

Samh Abul-Ezz, MD (posthumous)

Peter Lundin, MD, Award

Joyce Jackson, president and CEO of Northwest Kidney Centers

Lifetime Academic and Professional Achievement Award

Stephen Fadem, MD, FASN, FACP, chairperson of AAKP medical advisory board and AAKP historian

Dominick Gentile, MD, Memorial Award

Quality Insights Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition

Kidney Patient Support Group of the Year

All Kidney Patients Support Group

Patient Engagement and Advocacy Awards

National Social Media Education and Advocacy Award

William Murray, AAKP national board member and ambassador (posthumous)

National Patient Engagement and Advocacy Award

Patrick Gee, PhD, AAKP national ambassador

Brian Hess, AAKP national board member

Public Service and Congressional Awards

National Public Service Award

Elena Balovlenkov, MS, RN, CHN, at CMS

Robert Star, MD, the NIH section chief, renal diagnostics and therapeutics unit, kidney diseases branch

Congressional Advocacy Award

Peggy Tighe, principal at Powers Law Firm and representative of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons

Rachel Meyer, director of policy and government affairs at the American Society of Nephrology

Reference:

aakp.org/press-release/awardees-named-largest-u-s-kidney-patient-organization/