The National Kidney Foundation, Inc. (NKF) is a voluntary health organization in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, headquartered in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, with over 30 local offices across the country. Its mission is to prevent

kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blo ...

and

urinary tract The urinary system, also known as the urinary tract or renal system, consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and the urethra. The purpose of the urinary system is to eliminate waste from the body, regulate blood volume and blood pressure, c ...

diseases, improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation. NKF is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease in the United States.

Activities

The organization's activities focus on awareness, prevention and treatment. Initiatives include public and professional education, kidney health screenings, research, and patient services. The National Kidney Foundation publishes a number of scientific journals including the ''

American Journal of Kidney Diseases The ''American Journal of Kidney Diseases'' (AJKD) is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering all aspects of nephrology. It is the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation and is published by Elsevier. The journal publishes ...

'', '' Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease'' and the ''

Journal of Renal Nutrition The ''Journal of Renal Nutrition'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed medical journal. It is published by Elsevier on behalf of the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism and the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Founda ...

''. The NKF also publishes the Kidney Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative KDOQI, a comprehensive set of clinical practice guidelines. The NKF has been a vocal advocate for increasing some forms of kidney transplantation, though it opposes organ donations wherein donors are compensated for their donation. Some have accused it of trying to stifle public discussion on this subject. The National Kidney Foundation annually conducts the Spring Clinical Meetings as its premier educational conference. It has over 20 years of experience providing continuing education to the kidney healthcare community. The Spring Clinical Meetings have educated over 55,000 professionals, delivered over 2,500 interactive sessions, and offered over 3,200 hours of continuing education credits. On World Kidney Day, the foundation sponsors KEEP Healthy screenings around the United States. NKF holds hundreds of kidney-health screenings throughout the year to identify individuals who are at risk for chronic kidney disease. The National Kidney Foundation does not, nor have they ever, had a program that provides access to dialysis machines in exchange for pull tabs on

beverage can A drink can (or beverage can) is a metal container designed to hold a fixed portion of liquid such as carbonated soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, fruit juices, teas, herbal teas, energy drinks, etc. Drink cans are made of aluminum (75% ...

s. This rumor has existed since at least the 1970s; however, the foundation itself have denied this, noting that 80 percent of the cost of dialysis in the United States is usually covered by Medicare.

Fundraising

To raise funds for its programs, the National Kidney Foundation organizes a national car-donation program called Kidney Cars, run via Insurance Auto Auctions and their One Car One Difference auto donation program, Kidney Walks in major US cities, and the NKF Golf Classic which culminates in a tournament at Pebble Beach. Danny Mason, late golf coach at

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sy ...

in Lubbock and a transplant recipient, played in three tournaments.

References

External links

National Kidney Foundation website
{{authority control Voluntary health agencies of the United States Non-profit organizations based in New York City Kidney organizations Medical and health organizations based in New York (state)

Activities

Fundraising

See also

References

External links