Leaders from kidney organizations wrote a letter to White House officials April 8 urging them to prioritize the needs of kidney disease patients by addressing staff shortages and supply chain disruptions at dialysis centers across the country.
The letter to Ashish Jha, MD, the White House's new COVID-19 response coordinator, was headed by the American Nephrology Nurses Association, American Society of Nephrology, National Kidney Foundation and Renal Healthcare Association.
"For the first time in the 50-year history of the Medicare ESRD program, the United States has experienced a decline in the number of patients on dialysis," the letter said. "Unfortunately, the effects of COVID-19 on kidney health may only grow, as increased rates of kidney injury in hospitalized COVID-19 patients have the potential to increase the prevalence of kidney diseases and kidney failure."
Seven specific recommendations were made to policymakers in the letter, which was emailed to Becker's, including the prioritization of dialysis patients and staff for access to novel COVID-19 therapeutics.