AAKP Announces Annual Award Winners

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 21 Sep 2007 - 17:00 PDT

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The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 Annual Awards. The awards recognize individuals who have made a significant contribution to the kidney community. Nominations were received from across the country from both renal professionals and renal patients, and were presented during the 34th Annual AAKP Convention held in St. Louis, MO.

These individuals have shown a great desire to improve the lives of all kidney patients. Each day they strive to share their knowledge with patients throughout the country, making them informed leaders of their own healthcare.

Winner of the Samuel J. Orenstein Award: Thomas Peters, MD, FACS, FASN.
AAKP honored Thomas Peters, MD, FACS, FASN, with this award for his outstanding service toward the achievement of AAKP's goals. He displays great leadership within the organization and is always willing to share his wisdom with the AAKP staff, Board of Directors and members of the media. Dr. Peters is a member of the AAKP Board of Directors, the AAKP Medical Advisory Board and the co-medical editor of aakpRENALIFE and Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine.

Winner of the Peter Lundin, MD Award: Richard S. Goldman, MD.
This award honors one of the great AAKP Presidents, who was both a nephrologist and dialysis patient. It recognizes a physician who makes contributions to the care, welfare and well-being of kidney patients over the course of his or her career. Dr. Richard Goldman is a world renowned nephrologist, a fearless patient advocate and a leader in the kidney community. Dr. Goldman is a member of the AAKP Board of Directors and the AAKP Medical Advisory Board.

Winner of the Josephine Berman Award: Jess Arceneaux.
Jess Arceneaux is not only a leader in the AAKP Palm Beach County Chapter, he is also an active member of the AAKP Board of Directors. Jess is a strong advocate of patient education and has organized several fundraisers in his community.

Winner of the Maureen Lundin aakpRENALIFE Award: Stephen Z. Fadem, MD, FACP, FASN.
This award was created to recognize a patient or healthcare professional who contributes to the official magazine of the Association, aakpRENALIFE. This award, named after one of the magazine's first editors, places a special emphasis on those talents. Dr. Fadem has made numerous contributions to AAKP's publications. He is co-medical editor of aakpRENALIFE, Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine and the new At Home With AAKP magazine. Dr. Fadem is Vice President of AAKP Board of Directors and a member of the AAKP Medical Advisory Board. He also serves as AAKP Life Membership Chairperson.

Winner of the Dominick Gentile Memorial Award: ESRD Network 5, The Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition.
Each year, this award is given to recognize an ESRD Network that has a history of beneficial programs for patients, important informational resources and an avenue to report grievances. Network 5 has developed the Kidney End of Life Coalition, to promote effective communication between patients, family members, caregivers, and providers in support of integrated patient-centered-end-of-life care for chronic kidney disease patients. The Network has worked to educate patients and caregivers about end-of-life issues, including a brochure entitled, Advanced Care Planning and a redesigned Web site.

Winner of the President's Award: The Durrett Family
The award is given to a person who embodies all of what AAKP stands for: patient advocate, leadership, friend to the kidney community and strength. The President's Award is chosen by the AAKP President each year. This year the Durrett Family received this prestigious award. Recently, AAKP lost one of its strongest advocates, Ellie Durrett. She was a home hemodialysis patient, President of the AAKP Middle Tennessee Chapter and a member of the AAKP Board of Directors. Ellie was selfless in her work for AAKP and was always the first person to volunteer her services. She was able to do this because of the love and support she received from her family. The Durrett Family always offered joy and strength to Ellie and fellow kidney patients.

For more information on the Annual Awards and the 34th Annual Convention please visit the AAKP Web site, http://www.aakp.org.

AAKP is the voluntary, patient organization, which for more than 35 years, has been dedicated to improving the lives of fellow kidney patients and their families by helping them deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease. The programs offered by AAKP inform and inspire patients and their families to better understand their condition, adjust more readily to their circumstances, and assume more normal, productive lives in their communities.

http://www.aakp.org