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July 11, 2024
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Dialysis Patient Citizens announces kidney training course for community health workers

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Key takeaways:

  • The aim of the program is to help health workers educate communities about kidney disease.
  • Key partners include Illinois Public Health Association and the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois.

Dialysis Patient Citizens has announced a novel kidney disease training curriculum for community health workers, according to a press release.

“Community health workers are an untapped resource in the fight against kidney disease,” Andrew Conkling, president of the board of directors for Dialysis Patient Citizens, said in the release. “[Dialysis Patient Citizens] DPC believes providing this workforce with training in kidney failure can dramatically reduce and slow the progression of kidney disease.”

Black female doctor talking to woman during medical appointment in hospital.
The aim of the program is to help health workers educate communities about kidney disease. Image: Adobe Stock.

The aim of the program is to help health care professionals educate their communities about the management of kidney disease and help people at risk for kidney failure.

The nonprofit advocacy organization for patients on dialysis and their families led a 14-person task force from the Illinois Kidney Care Alliance to create job descriptions for community health workers, specific training objectives and a curriculum outline.

Key partners also include the Illinois Public Health Association; the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois; University of Illinois Aging and Diversity Laboratory; the National Kidney Foundation; Baxter Black K.A.R.E; and the HAP Foundation, the release noted.

The curriculum includes six self-paced online modules: Your Kidney and You; Chronic Kidney Disease Awareness; Self-care for Kidney Health; Disparities and Kidney Disease; Diagnosis and Treatment; and Coping with Diagnosis, Trauma and Grief.

“This training will empower individuals to better care for their health, learn about treatment options and provide family members with the knowledge needed to support their loved ones,” Conkling said.

Leaners will attend a 2-hour, in-person training session and must complete all six modules must for full credit. The first training is open between July 22 and Aug. 16. The final session will be at the IPHA Community Health Worker Summit in Springfield, Illinois, on Aug. 21. More information on the program can be found at https://ipha.com/professional-development/community-health-worker-summit.

Reference:

Dialysis Patient Citizens announces first-in-the-nation kidney disease training curriculum for community health workers. https://www.dialysispatients.org/news/dpc-announces-kidney-disease-training-curriculum-for-chws/. Published July 11, 2024. Accessed July 11, 2024.