NRAA Statement in Response to HHS Secretary Azar Kidney Care Remarks

For Immediate Release

On March 4, 2019, HHS Secretary Alex Azar delivered remarks at the Kidney Patient Summit in Washington, D.C. The National Renal Administrators Association provides the following response:

“As dialysis professionals, who are the front lines of witnessing the impact of chronic kidney disease on our patients, we were inspired to hear Secretary Alex Azar’s comments on the work and focus of his office and this administration.   We agree with him that the focus must shift to Kidney Health instead of Kidney Disease.  The dialysis community often gets the patients too late. With early detection, prevention, and progression strategies positive outcomes can occur with regularity.”

“We agree that more work is needed to support home therapy options and technologies– specifically changes to reimbursement models.  Expanded early intervention and disease education efforts, we agree, are a piece of the puzzle.   On behalf of our patients, we applaud the efforts being made to improve organ utilization and would suggest that the Transplant Programs must be included as a part of the CKD process.  As an organization representing over 270 independent dialysis facilities across the U.S., we look forward to providing a voice for the independent community and working with Secretary Azar to reduce regulatory burdens and improve care for all kidney disease patients.”

Julie Williams, President of the National Renal Administrators Association, is an administrator at Branson Dialysis with over 35 years in the kidney care industry.

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NRAA is a voluntary organization representing dialysis providers throughout the United States. Since 1973, the diverse membership is primarily comprised of small dialysis organizations and medium-sized dialysis organizations, as well as for-profit and non-profit providers serving patients in urban, rural and suburban areas in both freestanding and hospital-based facilities. NRAA is the leading resource and voice for the independent and community-based dialysis providers. For more information, visit www.nraa.org