Working to educate communities about CKM syndrome, with help from AKF

Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) and kidney disease are closely connected. They are two diseases that make up cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a condition that affects nearly 9 out of 10 U.S. adults and disproportionately impacts underserved populations. In August 2026, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) launched a new grant program — in collaboration with the American Heart Association — called Kidney Health Coach® (KHC) All in This Together: The CKM Connection, to help organizations raise awareness about CKM syndrome, the disparities surrounding it and the relationship between kidney disease and heart disease.

AKF awarded CKM grants to nine organizations in the first year of the program. Here's how those organizations are using their grants to educate their communities.

Community Engagement & Consultation Group, Inc. — Beltsville, Maryland

The Community Engagement & Consultation Group, Inc. (Ce-Cg) is dedicated to advancing health equity and creating sustainable solutions that address the needs of underserved communities. Ce-Cg prioritizes accessibility, transparency and collaboration to ensure resources and services reach people facing healthcare disparities. 

"CKM syndrome disproportionately affects the multicultural, often underserved communities we serve — many of whom face barriers to early detection, culturally relevant education and consistent access to preventive care," said Anita Mwalui, founder and CEO of Ce-Cg. "The Kidney Health Coach model gives us a structured, evidence-based way to extend our existing scope of work — needs assessment, culturally tailored education, and train-the-trainer capacity building — into a critical and often overlooked area of chronic disease prevention. By equipping trusted community members as health coaches, we can meet residents where they are, in their own languages and cultural contexts, and help close the gap between diagnosis and sustained, informed self-management. Partnership with the American Kidney Fund has strengthened Ce-Cg's ability to advance our vision of being a trusted leader in community engagement and improved access to essential resources."

EMBRACE All Latino Voices — Charlotte, North Carolina 

EMBRACE All Latino Voices is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Latino and immigrant communities through health access, social navigation, business development and cultural engagement. The organization serves families across North and South Carolina and is committed to reducing barriers to healthcare access and providing culturally relevant services that empower individuals and families to improve their overall health and wellbeing. 

"EMBRACE All Latino Voices serves multilingual Latino families across Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh and Goose Creek, meeting people in their language — Spanish, Portuguese or English," said Patrick Garcia, founder and executive director of EMBRACE All Latino Voices. "We applied for the Kidney Health Coach CKM grant because heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease travel together, and too many of the families we serve first hear about kidney risk when it's already advanced. The Kidney Health Coach model fits how we already work: trained community members bringing health education to festivals, health fairs and community events people already attend. AKF's training and materials let us add kidney health to the blood pressure and diabetes-risk screenings we offer, building partnership and connection one conversation at a time."

Health Transformers, Inc. — Henrietta, New York

Health Transformers, Inc. is a nonprofit that works to advance health equity through culturally responsive education, prevention and healthcare workforce development. 

"We applied for the American Kidney Fund's Kidney Health Coach CKM grant because cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity are deeply interconnected and disproportionately affect the communities we serve," said Deborah Stamps, founder and CEO of Health Transformers, Inc. This grant allows us to help individuals understand that connection, know their health numbers, recognize risks earlier and take practical steps to protect their heart, kidneys and metabolic health. The American Kidney Fund has strengthened our mission by providing trusted education, training, resources and financial support that expand the reach of our nurse-led community programs. Together, we are equipping community members and future health leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to prevent disease, advocate for their health and make informed decisions."

Geaux Get Healthy at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Geaux Get Healthy is a community wellness initiative that addresses food insecurity and chronic disease prevention through nutrition education, cooking instruction and increased access to healthy foods. By empowering participants with practical skills and healthier lifestyle choices, the program supports long-term improvements in community health and wellness.

"We applied for the KHC grant because a majority of our participants are African American with cardiometabolic syndrome and are at risk for or have chronic kidney disease," said Dr. Tiffany Ardoin, director of Geaux Get Healthy at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady. "The KHC grant has provided additional CKD-specific nutrition education for our community health workers and resources to tie in more education specific to cardiometabolic and kidney disease both in our classes and at outreach events. This promotes prevention through education and allows us to reach out to people in their own communities through trusted sources to improve health on a larger scale. Our participants and community members have been very receptive and excited about this education!"

Montgomery Housing Partnership — Silver Spring, Maryland

Founded in 1989, Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) is a nonprofit affordable housing organization dedicated to preserving and expanding affordable housing while strengthening the communities where residents live. Serving more than 5,000 residents throughout the Silver Spring area, MHP recognizes the connection between housing, health and economic stability. 

"Through our Community Health Worker program, residents are trained to support their peers with needs such as benefits navigation, nutrition education, chronic disease management and food access," said Chris Gillis, vice president of neighborhood revitalization at MHP. "We applied for the American Kidney Fund's Kidney Health Coach grant because it builds directly on that resident-led model. Cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health are closely connected to many of the health challenges our residents face, and this grant gives our Community Health Workers additional knowledge and tools to make that information more accessible and relevant within our communities. Through AKF's training, our Community Health Workers are now equipped as Kidney Health Coaches and can incorporate CKM education into the trusted relationships they already have with residents. AKF has strengthened our ability to bring practical health education directly to residents and has given our Community Health Workers skills they can continue using well beyond the grant period."

Shepherd's Clinic — Baltimore, Maryland

Shepherd's Clinic is a nonprofit health center that was founded in 1991 to provide free primary care, behavioral health services, wellness programming and medication assistance to uninsured adults in Baltimore. The organization has served community members who face barriers to healthcare access, offering comprehensive and compassionate care designed to improve long-term health outcomes. 

"Shepherd's Clinic applied for the KHC Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Grant because a significant portion of our patient population and the Baltimore community may be at risk for CKM syndrome," said Emma Riesett, community health worker, and Nancy Fenton, director of development at Shepherd's Clinic. "Some of the key risk factors for CKM syndrome include diabetes, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity — chronic conditions which affect many of the patients we serve. In fact, 68% of our patients have been diagnosed with one or more of these conditions. It is our goal to increase awareness and understanding of CKM syndrome among our staff, volunteers and patients. By providing education and resources, we aim to better help patients understand their risk factors and take steps to prevent the development and progression of CKM syndrome and kidney disease." 

Black Nurses Rock Greater Charlotte — Charlotte, North Carolina 

Black Nurses Rock Greater Charlotte (BNRGC) is a chapter of the Black Nurses Rock Foundation, Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health outcomes in underserved communities, promoting health equity, supporting nursing education and increasing diversity within the nursing profession. 

"We applied for the American Kidney Fund Kidney Health Coach grant because kidney health education is a natural extension of the chronic disease education we already provide in our communities," said Deborah Crawford, president of BNRGC. "This grant has given us valuable resources to help community members better understand how conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes affect their kidneys and overall health. Our partnership with the American Kidney Fund helps us fulfill our mission by expanding our ability to provide meaningful education and empowering those we serve to make informed decisions about their health."

Black Nurses of Southern Maryland — Prince George's, Charles, St. Mary's, Calvert and Anne Arundel counties 

Black Nurses of Southern Maryland (BNSMD) is a nonprofit professional nursing organization and affiliate chapter of the National Black Nurses Association. The organization is dedicated to improving health outcomes throughout southern Maryland by increasing access to trusted health information and community-based resources.

"We applied for the Kidney Health Coach grant because the connection between cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health represents an important opportunity to help people understand their risk earlier, take preventive action and have informed conversations with their healthcare providers about kidney testing and overall health," said Latonia Ford, first vice president and membership chair of BNSMD "Through this grant, we are strengthening the capacity of our nurses, nursing students and community partners to serve as trained Kidney Health Coaches while expanding education through health fairs, community programs, faith-based partnerships and year-round outreach. The American Kidney Fund has been instrumental in advancing this work by providing evidence-based education, training and resources that allow BNSMD to extend our mission, reach more at-risk individuals and equip our community with knowledge that can support earlier detection and better health outcomes."

Boat People SOS Atlanta — Norcross, Georgia

Boat People SOS (BPSOS) Atlanta is a nonprofit community-based organization and affiliate of the national Boat People SOS network. Since 2002, the organization has empowered immigrant, refugee and underserved communities through healthcare, social services, education and advocacy. Through its charitable clinic and outreach initiatives, BPSOS Atlanta provides preventive care, chronic disease management, medication assistance and health education to uninsured and low-income individuals throughout metropolitan Atlanta.

With the CKM grant, the organization plans to: 

• Integrate Kidney Health Coach CKM education into clinic services, community workshops, health fairs and outreach initiatives
• Deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate education on kidney, cardiovascular and metabolic health
• Increase awareness of CKM risk factors, prevention strategies and chronic disease management
• Connect participants to healthcare screenings, community resources and follow-up care services to support early detection and improved health outcomes

The KHC CKM grant is made possible with support from the American Heart Association.

Resources:

Become a Kidney Health Coach

Kidney Health Coach and Health Equity