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| Nearly 230 people had a screening. |
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| CVS/pharmacy provided giveaways and pharmacists were on hand to answer questions. |
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| Kids enjoyed face painting and other activities! |
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| Local radio stations were on hand to provide entertainment. |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tamara Ruggiero, 301-984-6657
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 25, 2008) –- Nearly 230 people were screened for kidney disease on Saturday in West Louisville, a part of the city with a rate of kidney failure more than twice the national average.
The American Kidney Fund partnered with Fresenius Medical Care and Park DuValle Community Health Center to provide the free screening. The screening event capped off a kidney disease awareness campaign that included radio announcements and a news conference. Kentucky has the nation’s 5th highest incidence of kidney failure, and in 2007, the American Kidney Fund provided $1.5 million in direct, treatment-related financial assistance to Kentucky kidney patients, enabling them to maintain their health insurance coverage and to pay for out-of-pocket expenses that insurance does not cover.
“Thanks to the generosity of Fresenius Medical Care and Park DuValle Community Health Center, more than 200 people in West Louisville will know the status of their kidney health,” said LaVarne A. Burton, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Kidney Fund. “When it comes to kidney disease, early detection can make all the difference.”
Those who participated in the screening received blood and urine tests to check how well their kidneys are working. Participants will receive their test results in approximately 10 days.
The American Kidney Fund will follow up with each participant to explain the test results. For those whose results show high risk for kidney disease, the American Kidney Fund will provide them with information about medical resources in the community and will encourage them to seek follow-up care.
The American Kidney Fund has a longstanding screening program, Minority Intervention and Kidney Education (MIKE), that operates in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., and is sponsored nationally by Amgen. Over the past several years, the American Kidney Fund has screened more than 16,000 people through this program. The screening in Louisville was the organization’s first time providing a screening beyond those four metro areas.
Saturday’s event also included numerous activities for children and an “Ask the Pharmacist” area featuring pharmacists from CVS/pharmacy.
As part of the effort to raise awareness about kidney disease in West Louisville, the American Kidney Fund is distributing 25,000 free “health information wallet cards,” available at the counters of local CVS/pharmacies.
The American Kidney Fund plans to conduct another screening in Louisville in 2009 and is developing plans for a kidney disease action council, enabling community leaders to stay abreast of the issue and to educate the public.
The American Kidney Fund is our nation's #1 source of direct, treatment-related financial assistance to kidney patients, and is a leader in providing health education and outreach to people diagnosed with, or at risk for, kidney disease. For its stewardship of the donated dollar, AKF has earned top ratings from Forbes Magazine, Reader's Digest, Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy. AKF is a member of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance.
Fresenius Medical Care is the world's largest integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure, a condition that affects more than 1.6 million individuals worldwide. Through its network of 2,297 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to 177,059 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the world's leading provider of dialysis products such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME, FME3) and the New York Stock Exchange (FMS, FMS/P). | 
