screening, early detection, and education related to chronic kidney disease

The mission of the Coastal Bend Kidney Foundation, Inc. (CBKF) to facilitate programs, services and educational opportunities designed specifically to serve the needs of kidney disease patients in our community to include the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Live Oak, Bee, Refugio, Aransas, San Patricio, Kleberg, Brooks and Kenedy.

For forty-seven years, the Coastal Bend Kidney Foundation has provided programs and services vital to kidney disease patients and their families throughout South Texas. CBKF is served by a board of directors, which includes representation from renal patients, health professionals, and corporate and community leaders. Our activities are managed on a daily basis by the Executive Director and a contracted support staff.

In recent years, the rate at which kidney disease has grown in South Texas is exponential. In an effort to address the needs of area kidney patients, the CBKF programming includes a nutritional supplement program, the pediatric nephrology program, and an organ transplantation/donation program. This year, we have added our newest community outreach program to provide screening, early detection, and education related to chronic kidney disease to high risk populations throughout the region.

Partnering with Texas A&M Health Science Center, Nueces County Medical Society, and other area health fairs, CBKF will provide screening/education to 1,200 at-risk individuals in 2016. CBKF requests a grant of $5,000 to help underwrite our newest community outreach program to provide screening, early detection, and education related to chronic kidney disease (CKD) to high risk populations. CKD is the presence of kidney damage or reduced kidney function for a period of at least 3 months. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the point where the kidneys can no longer function in a manner that sustains life, requiring dialysis or transplant. CKD often has no symptoms until very advanced. Testing is even more important for populations that are at higher risk for kidney disease. Hispanic are 1.5x more likely than whites to have CKD. The number of new CKD cases continues to escalate, yet many remain unaware that they are at risk. Fewer than 20% of Medicare patients with diabetes are screened for CKD.

CBKF is addressing points raised by the CKD Task Force Strategic Plan, 2012-2013. CKD affects all of society. According to the US Renal Data System 2006, annual expenditures are $49B and $34B respectively for CKD and ESRD. Texas has the 2nd highest prevalence of CKD in the nation and the incidence of ESRD in Texas exceeds the national rate.

There is a huge need for screening and early detection for CKD. At the 50th Annual NCMS Health Fair on August 1, 2015, we screened 217 people. After a compilation of the records, we identified 10.6% of those screened showed some CKD. (1 patient with Stage 4 case, 3 patients with Stage 3b, and 19 patients with Stage 3A). The people we identified have been contacted and referred to the appropriate health care professionals. (Stage 1 with normal, Stage 2 Mild CKD, Stage 3A Moderate CKD, Stage 3B Moderate CKD, Stage 4 Severe CKD, Stage 5 End Stage CKD.