Holidays can be difficult for individuals with CKD. Tune in to gain insight into the patient holiday experience and how professional teams can provide education for patients to ensure the best holiday outcomes. In this reposted holiday episode we spoke with: Dori Muench, LCSW, CCTSW, FNKF Osama El Shamy, MD Jesse Engelken, MPH, RDN, LD,CD Joyce Vergili, EdD, RD, CSR, CDN Malenia Alvarez, kidney patient Nupur Gupta, MD Elizabeth Shanaman, RD, CD, FAND Candria Denzmore, patient advocate

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Getting a kidney transplant before starting dialysis or with little time spent on dialysis is a preferred form of kidney failure treatment. Despite that, preemptive kidney transplants are under-utilized. In today’s episode Daniella Duke, a preemptive transplant recipient, and Bethany Cruz, an Outreach Coordinator discuss this and more.

Bethany Cruz has over a decade of experience in kidney transplant education and is a dedicated outreach coordinator at the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center in Houston, Texas. Specializing in preemptive and living donor kidney transplant education, Bethany is passionate about improving access to living donation for all patients in need of a kidney transplant. Through her work, Bethany strives to raise awareness to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those affected by kidney disease.

Daniella Duke is a chronic kidney disease patient, since childhood. Her disease became more active in her 20s, and she received a living-donor kidney transplant in 2000. In 2021, she received her second kidney transplant from a deceased donor. Both of these transplants were pre-emptive, and Daniella has never been on dialysis. She is grateful for having been the recipient of two kidney transplants and advocates for chronic kidney disease patients to receive the care they need. In addition, Daniella is a physician, specializing in medical and surgical dermatology, has a master’s in public health, and is the proud mother of twins, Andy and Juli. Dr. Duke has navigated both her professional and personal life, blending the experiences, knowledge, and perspectives of both a physician and a chronic kidney disease/transplant patient. She deeply empathizes with the issues, concerns, and medical challenges that kidney disease patients face on a day-to-day basis.

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Voting is a powerful way to influence the policies that impact your life. By participating in elections and advocating for change, you can help shape the future. Dr. Jesse Roach, NKF’s Senior Vice President of Government Relations, and Lauren Drew, NKF's Congressional Relations Director, explain why your vote matters and how to get involved.

Dr. Jesse Roach is a strategist and clinician whose work focuses on improving access to kidney health by removing barriers to care through policy, partnerships, and research. He is currently the Senior Vice President for Government Relations at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), where he leads the NKF’s advocacy efforts. Dr. Roach received his medical degree and completed a residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed a combined fellowship in pediatric and adult nephrology at the University of Michigan Medical School. He resides in Washington, DC.

Lauren Drew is the Director of Congressional Relations at NKF, and formerly worked at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and on Capitol Hill. She's original from New Jersey and an alumna of the George Washington University and the Villanova School of Law.

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