Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA, Waltham, MA), has launched a foundation to create awareness and a national dialog about chronic kidney disease (CKD) and transplantation.
The funding will come from FMCNA employees and medical staff and other individuals, with FMCNA pledging to match up to $1 million of contributions during the first year.
The nonprofit Fresenius Medical Care Foundation will address the social and economic conditions that increase the risk for developing CKD, with a focus on population health, childhood obesity, and transplant and donor awareness. The foundation will aim to engage with nonprofit organizations and with communities that include individuals at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Addressing the health of young people in particular, FNMCA kicked off the launch by assembling 4000 Healthy Eating, Active Lifestyle (HEAL) kits that included sports balls and air pumps for Chicago public school students. The foundation will also donate $50,000 to the YMCA of metropolitan Chicago to support its summer camp program for children who have diabetes and kidney disease.
“When we look outside the walls of our dialysis clinics, we know we must help people at risk for developing kidney disease, and our new foundation is a significant step toward that important, long-term goal,” said Bill Valle, FMCNA CEO and president of the Fresenius Medical Care Foundation.
