By Bill Peckham
The Northwest Kidney Centers lives its mission. They promote the optimal health, quality of life and independence of people with kidney disease, through patient care, education and research. I'm very proud of the organization, I've been a volunteer for many years, in many roles and I am excited about my newest position on the Kidney Research Institute's Council. The KRI is, in my view, the answer to the question: "How is the Northwest Kidney Centers implementing its strategy of conducting research to promote the optimal health, quality of life and independence of people with kidney disease?"
Northwest Kidney Centers CEO Joyce Jackson, was recently featured in Washington Healthcare News (PDF link) and she makes the point that research is the only way we're going to improve the experience of renal replacement:
We’re committed to working to change this situation. NKC, in collaboration with UW Medicine, founded the Kidney Research Institute last year. So far it has secured $11 million in public grant funding to conduct clinical research to improve patients’ lives and slow the progression of kidney disease. We’re excited to think that the next generation of people with kidney problems will have a therapy that works better than today’s dialysis or transplantation.
Too little research has been done that is important to people with CKD, the KRI helps change this.
I was involved in founding the KRI (after an intense and edifying process) and let me tell you that "$11 million in public grant funding to conduct clinical research to improve patients’ lives and slow the progression of kidney disease" far exceeded my expectation for the KRI's first year. The KRI is doing what we all hoped it would do. The KRI is putting to work public funding, National Institute of Health money for instance, on improving the lives of people with CKD. And the KRI is doing this very efficiently because it is embedded at the University of Washington, one of the nation's leading research universities. This means the KRI can use the UW's world class research infrastructure e.g. review boards, accounting expertise, rather than reinventing the wheel (and spending a lot of money) as an independent Institute.
The Director of the KRI, Jonathan Himmelfarb, holds the The Joseph W. Eschbach Endowed Chair in Kidney Research (DSEN Eschbach mentions, Wikipedia). It was Eschbach who knew the KRI could do the job, he was a key founder of the Institute, and he would be so excited by the KRI's success. However, with success comes new challenges.
That public funding doesn't cover all the expenses of running a Kidney Research Institute. One of the things I've learned during this process, something that had never occurred to me, is the importance of supporting young investigators. Himmelfarb is good but he can't do this by himself. He needs a strong group of young investigators chipping away too. I've learned that it is hard to break into the business. It is hard to become and continue to work as an investigator.
Young investigators need bridge funding to keep them at work between grants, which I've also learned is a very competitive process. Through donations the KRI can support the next generation, so that the KRI can focus more great minds on the problem. I want as many of these smart people thinking about CKD as possible so my intention is to raise money for the KRI. I want as many people as possible to be working on improving the lives of people with CKD and one day I hope CKD will be far less common.
I want people to know about the need for research. The need for research that matters to those with CKD and I want people to know the solution I've been honored to be a part of. I want people to know about the Kidney Research Institute. DSEN is going all in.
um I'm not entirely sure what "going all in" means in this context but I know we have to grow this KRI. Which means raise money. Any suggestions? Having people give money is the obvious solution, so donate, just indicate it's for research and you'll help grow the KRI. I'm not asking you to do anything I haven't done. It's easy, just do what I did and give until it feels good!
Comments