Bressler Accepts Award

Bressler Accepts Award


http://m.hccommunityjournal.com/article_6fce71a0-ead4-11e9-b2e6-2f94e8b4f562.html?mode=jqm


Bressler accepts award

Kent Bressler of Kerrville, a co-founder of the local group and a kidney transplant recipient himself, attended the meeting and accepted the award.



Bonnie Arnold | Posted 21 hours ago

The American Association of Kidney Patients celebrated its 50-year anniversary this fall as the oldest and largest fully independent kidney patient organization in the USA.

The organization held their highest attended National Patient Meeting and awards program in more than 10 years; and Kerrville’s own “Transplant Support Group” which meets at Peterson Regional Medical Center, was among the honorees.

Kent Bressler of Kerrville, a co-founder of the local group and a kidney transplant recipient himself, attended the meeting and accepted the award. He has been an advocate both locally and nationally for kidney transplant matters.

AAKP national awards were presented for extraordinary leadership and excellence in the fight against kidney diseases.

“AAKP National Kidney Patient Support Group of the Year” was given to the Kerrville, Texas, Transplant Support Group, and the award was accepted by Kent Bressler, co-founder of the Kerrville Support Group, and pre-emptive transplant recipient. He also serves on the AAKP Board of Directors, and as an AAKP Ambassador.

Awards are inspired by AAKP founders such as Shep Glazer, a kidney patient and former AAKP Board Member who dialyzed in front of the U.S. Congress 50 years ago to show that dialysis was a life-saving bridge to kidney transplantation and a return to the workforce. His brave act helped facilitate the 1972 Congressional passage, and subsequent signing by former President Richard M. Nixon, of legislation that created the modern Medicare ESRD Coverage Program.

AAKP unveiled “Decade of the Kidney” at its June 20, 2019 National Policy Summit in Washington, D.C.

Interest in Decade of the Kidney has accelerated since both President Donald Trump’s signing of the Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health and AAKP’s accompanying joint statement of support for the Trump Administration’s kidney actions by AAKP leaders, President Richard Knight and Chair of Policy and Global Affairs, Paul T. Conway.

Bressler also attended the ceremony at the nation’s capitol when Trump signed that executive order.

The meeting, entitled “Driving Innovation & Changing the Status Quo,” was held in Washington D.C., Sept. 6-8.

Thousands of patients and medical professionals engaged via live streaming and meeting space hit capacity as hundreds of attendees engaged in-person. More than 30 pharmaceutical, diagnostic and device companies and non-profits exhibited.

Participants were invited to offer recommendations for the AAKP-initiated “Decade of the Kidney,” a 10-year national and international effort starting in 2020 designed to intensify the focus of policy-makers, researchers and the private sector on a broad, patient-focused agenda targeting kidney diseases, new care innovations and an aggressive expansion of patient care choice.

“AAKP’s national strategy to improve patient outcomes, drive innovation and expand patient choice continues to produce solid results due to our non-partisan efforts to engage patients directly with key allies and policymakers at every level. AAKP national awards recognize those who share our principles and long-term mission to defend patient choice and to genuinely respect the intelligence and dignity of all kidney patient consumers,” said Knight, former hemodialysis patient and current kidney transplant recipient. Knight is also a patient engagement leader for the NIH/NIDDK Kidney Precision Medicine Project.