Dialysis Patient Citizens

Dialysis Patient Citizens is a U.S. non-profit organization based in our nation's capital dedicated to improving dialysis citizens’ quality of life by advocating for favorable public policy.

Dialysis Patient Citizens
Founded2004
FounderDialysis and pre-dialysis patients
FocusWorking to improve dialysis patient quality of life by elevating the voice of patients with policy makers.
Location
  • 1012 14th St NW, Suite 1475
    Washington, DC 20005
Area served
United States
MethodEducation and Advocacy
Members
28,000
Key people
Jack Reynolds
President of the Board
WebsiteOfficial Website

History

Dialysis Patient Citizens was founded in 2004 with the stated goals of advocating for self-care, fostering and strengthening partnerships among patients and caregivers, achieving adequate dialysis-related funding, and ensuring up-to-date, optimal clinical protocols.

Membership

Currently, DPC has 28,000 members. Membership is free and open to dialysis and pre-dialysis patients and their families. Members have the opportunity to take part in guiding the organization’s policies and mission.[1]

Organization

DPC is a patient-led organization. The Board of Directors is made up of patients currently on dialysis or who have been on dialysis, but now have a kidney transplant. Through membership surveys, DPC members can help set the organization’s advocacy and education priorities. Membership can also provide input into the organization’s Board-approved public policies. The national organization is overseen by a Board of Directors, which is currently headed by Jack Reynolds. Board members are elected to two-year terms. DPC’s bylaws require the President, Vice President and a majority of its Board to be current dialysis patients.[2][3]

Goals

The stated long-term goals of DPC are to be an organization that plays an advisory role to the United States Congress, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and dialysis providers and that works to achieve superior education for dialysis and pre-dialysis patients.[4]

Advocacy

In 2018, DPC organized a Capitol Hill Fly-in with over 130 Congressional meetings and worked with our advocates to generate more than 83,000 emails to Congress about protecting patients’ access to care, increasing access to care coordination, and ensuring access to Medigap.[5]

Patient Ambassadors

DPC Patient Ambassadors are volunteers throughout the United States who advocate on kidney care issues. DPC educates Patient Ambassadors on how to advocate for dialysis patients through regular Patient Ambassador calls. DPC has held Patient Ambassador Meetings on a wide range of topics including transplantation, Medicare Part D, Medigap, charitable assistance and health disparities.[6]

State Dialysis Days

DPC State Dialysis Days are held throughout the year in various states. DPC Patient Ambassadors, dialysis patients or family members of dialysis patients, and DPC Staff meet with state legislators at the State Capitols to educate lawmakers about matters of importance to dialysis care. DPC has participated in state advocacy efforts across the country.

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-08-30. Retrieved 2009-09-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-12-31. Retrieved 2009-09-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-12-31. Retrieved 2009-09-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Happy Holidays and DPC's Top 10 Accomplishments of 2018". Dialysispatients.org. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  6. "Patient Ambassadors | Dialysis Patient Citizens". Dialysispatients.org. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.