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Family Reunion Initiative: Getting the Word Out
NKDEP had a busy summer spreading the word about its Family Reunion Initiative. We are happy to report that interest in the initiative was strong again this year. While the 2007 results are not yet available, below are a few highlights of our efforts:
- An article in The Washington Post cited the Family Reunion Initiative as a prime example of a program that reflects the growing trend of including health in family reunions. The article, "At Reunions, a Turn for the Healthier," points to the Family Reunion Health Guide as a resource for reunion planners. It appeared on the front page of the Health section on August 28.
- To reach African American women who are interested in health and who may be family influencers or reunion planners, NKDEP worked with Blackwomenshealth.com to place Family Reunion Initiative web banners on the site from July to September. The Family Reunion Initiative also was mentioned in the Editor's Letter on the website's homepage and in a July e-newsletter.
- The Family Reunion Initiative was selected as the topic of a poster presentation at the CDC's National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media. The poster focused on the initiative as an innovative social marketing program that addresses health disparities. The conference, held in Atlanta in late August, was attended by public health and communications professionals from government, academia, and the private sector.
NKDEP Symposium Session at the AACC Annual Meeting
NKDEP hosted a 2.5-hour symposium session—Reporting Estimated GFR: Current Recommendations and Alternate Markers for Kidney Function—at the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting in San Diego in July. Three speakers reported on NKDEP's Creatinine Standardization Program, the public health value and limitations of reporting estimated GFR along with serum creatinine determinations, and the appropriate use of alternate markers of kidney function. Presentation slides can be found on the Laboratory Professionals section of the NKDEP website at www.nkdep.nih.gov/labprofessionals/index.htm#publications.
NKDEP would like to thank John Eckfeldt, MD, PhD; Andrew Levey, MD; and Michael Shlipak, MD, MPH for the time they spent preparing for and leading the session.
Following the symposium, NKDEP held its annual in-person Laboratory Working Group Meeting and Manufacturers' Forum. Meeting notes and slides can be found on the NKDEP website at www.nkdep.nih.gov/about/workinggroups/laboratory.htm#meeting.
New Brochure for African Americans Now Available
NKDEP's new brochure, Kidney Disease: What African Americans Need to Know, is now available. It can be ordered from the NKDEP website (www.nkdep.nih.gov/resources/index.htm) or by calling 1-866-4 KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639).
Demand has been high for this public education piece since it came out in early August—30,000 copies were ordered in the first month. The success of the brochure's dissemination to date is due largely to targeted outreach to national organizations, state health departments, and community-based organizations that serve the African American community. If you or your organization are interested in helping promote or disseminate this new resource, please email us at nkdep@info.niddk.nih.gov.
For more information, please refer to the press release about the brochure at www.nkdep.nih.gov/news/index.htm.
NKDEP Promotes Communication Among Federal Agencies Around CKD
To help improve the coordination of Federal responses to CKD across many federal agencies, NKDEP has taken an active role in coordinating NIDDK's Kidney Interagency Coordinating Committee (KICC). In doing so, we have expanded KICC from an annual meeting of agency representatives to an initiative that supports its members throughout the year to share information about their CKD activities and look for opportunities to collaborate.
NKDEP supports communication among KICC members through a quarterly newsletter—KICC News—which highlights new and important CKD-related activities within the Federal government. In addition, NKDEP has started to coordinate annual KICC meetings about CKD, the first of which took place in June 2007. Lastly, NKDEP is developing an online resource that will summarize, and provide contact information for, the various CKD-related activities taking place across Federal agencies. To read more about KICC, please visit the KICC page of the NKDEP website at www.nkdep.nih.gov/about/kicc/index.htm.
NIDDK Website Redesign Continues
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) completed the second phase of its website makeover with the addition of dynamic graphics and an enhanced layout. The new site design better communicates the NIDDK's mission, while ensuring that the quality and fundamental information architecture, including the link to the National Kidney Disease Education Program at www.nkdep.nih.gov, remains stable for longtime users.
The last phase of the three-part redesign project, expected in late 2007, will include the addition of multimedia content and more data-driven tools, such as an automated event calendar and organizational chart to make finding staff contact information easier. Professional and NIDDK web staff will have new, interactive electronic tools to keep content current.
Last September, the NIDDK redesigned the site's research funding section and added information about the grant application process and new "scientific areas" to help researchers find funding and other opportunities. You can view the site at www.niddk.nih.gov.
Partner Spotlight: The National Diabetes Education Program
The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) is a sister program of the NKDEP. The two programs work together to help raise awareness among individuals with diabetes about their risk for kidney disease. Like NKDEP's eUpdates, the NDEP distributes the monthly e-newsletter NDEP News & Notes to share information on its diabetes activities. These monthly updates are designed to keep people informed about NDEP activities and help them identify opportunities to incorporate NDEP's messages, products, and activities into their own programs. Content includes information about new initiatives and programs, upcoming promotions, new materials, and future conferences and events.
To read current and past editions of NDEP News & Notes and to join the subscriber list, please visit http://ndep.nih.gov/new/NewsNotes/NDEPNewsNotes.htm.
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