PKD Alliance

PKD Alliance organizations share in the PKD Foundation's mission:

Promote programs of research, advocacy, education, support and awareness in order to discover treatments and a cure for Polycystic Kidney Disease and improve the lives of all it affects.

Alliances are essential when it comes to presenting common messages, pursuing common goals and advocating policy changes, as they provide an increased bandwidth of support and knowledge when approaching decision makers and solving problems.

As fellow stakeholders in finding treatments and cures for chronic diseases, the PKD Alliance members will play a powerful role in improving the lives of patients.

The PKD Alliance welcomes traditional and nontraditional partners to help educate and advocate for polycystic kidney disease and other serious and rare conditions.

	The Aspen Health Stewardship Project is an initiative by the Aspen Institute to help chart the wisest course for the reform of the U.S. health care system and seeks to refocus the national conversation on health care reform on the root causes of the nation's broken health care system, not just its symptoms. The Aspen Health Stewardship Coalition is helping to further explore and promote the project's bipartisan principles. Addressing the nation's health care system, including the focus on preventative care and having access to more affordable insurance, is essential to any patient's overall well being and health.
	The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is the world's largest biotechnology trade association providing advocacy, business development and communications services for more than 1,100 members worldwide. One of BIO's areas of health care work is in drug discovery and development, a critical component of the PKD Foundation's priorities in finding a treatment and a cure for PKD.
	The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, A CEO-led organization, is a national, multi-year effort designed to help reduce obesity - especially childhood obesity - by 2015. The coalition brings together more than 210 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, trade associations and non-governmental organizations (NGO's), and professional sports organizations. A healthy diet and lifestyle can play an important role in alleviating symptoms of renal failure and may even slow the progression toward renal failure.
	HOSA - Future Health Professionals is a national career and technical student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Association for Career and Technical Education. HOSA is composed of secondary and postsecondary/collegiate students and is the largest student organization that prepares students to enter the health care field. It's important that members of HOSA are aware of PKD and the need for better treatments and a cure because they are the nation's future health care providers.
	The National Association of Hispanic Nurses is a non-profit professional association committed to the promotion of Hispanic nurses by providing equal access to educational, professional, and economic opportunities. NAHN is also dedicated to the improvement of the quality of health and nursing care of Hispanic consumers. This organization provides a platform for critical awareness of PKD by healthcare providers in the Hispanic communities across the nation.
	The NBHA, which has 47 member organizations, is working to improve the overall health and quality of life for Americans by enhancing their bone health. They are working to reduce bone breaks through the 2Million2Many Awareness Campaign, which highlights the fact that two million bone breaks occur in the U.S. every year due to osteoporosis and issues a call to action for people with fractures over the age of 50 to get a test for the condition. NBHA is an alliance member who can assist and advance the PKD Foundation message with their network of eight rare bone disease groups.