WASHINGTON - November 8, 2022 - (Newswire.com) - As a part of the national expansion of the partnership between The Links, Incorporated and Baxter International Inc., more than 300 resource kits are being given to dialysis patients battling chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the Louisville, Kentucky, area. The distribution is one of the latest efforts of The Links, Incorporated's Black K.A.R.E. (Kidney Awareness, Resources and Education) program that raises kidney health awareness in response to the fact that Black adults in the United States are three times more likely to develop kidney failure than their white counterparts and many are unaware that they have the disease. Baxter has contributed $1.4 million to The Links, Incorporated in a two-year period, expanding from regional to nationwide support and targeting areas where there is a disproportionately high prevalence of CKD in the Black community.
An international non-profit organization comprised of more than 17,000 influential women of African descent, The Links, Incorporated first joined forces with global med tech leader Baxter International Inc. in 2021 to create intervention-based programs focused on the prevention, detection, and management of CKD. In that year, 36 Links chapters reached out to more than 51,000 community members with kidney health awareness and education information. The Black K.A.R.E. toolkit, a resource developed by the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, incorporates patient, clinician, clinical, and systemic factors contributing to the disproportionate disparities Black Americans face in healthcare and provides actionable tips and guidance for improving kidney health and effectively managing kidney disease.
"With the Black K.A.R.E. program, we are able to bring awareness about kidney health to the communities we serve. By highlighting this important issue, we can start the conversation about what each one of us can do to combat this major chronic health disparity that persists in the Black community," said Ethel Isaacs Williams, national president of The Links, Incorporated. "We know that awareness, resources and education will make a difference in reducing kidney disease. The support we receive from Baxter will undoubtedly improve and save lives."
"Baxter, The Links and The National Kidney Foundation are three like-minded organizations with a shared vision and commitment to improve awareness, education and outcomes for kidney health in the United States," said Guillermo Amezcua, general manager of Baxter's U.S. renal business. "Our intention with this program is to make a positive impact for the Black community in the U.S. as we combat under-representation, under-diagnosis and sub-optimal outcomes, specifically in kidney care."
Contact Information:
Kimberly Sweet
National Chair, Communications
601-260-1208
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