National Kidney Foundation Recognizes Illinois Nephrologist with Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Shubha Ahya to be honored at April's 2021 Spring Clinical Meetings

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Mar 31, 2021, 08:04 ET

NEW YORK, March 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) highlights the work of one of thousands of kidney health professionals for their community service and educational activities in promoting NKF's mission on a local level and presents that person with the Medical Advisory Board Distinguished Service Award.

This year, NKF presents the award to Shubha Ahya, MD, a Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a clinical nephrologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.

National Kidney Foundation (NKF) honors Shubha Ahya, MD, with the Medical Advisory Board Distinguished Service Award for outstanding community service and educational activities promoting NKF’s mission locally. Dr. Ahya is a professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, a clinical nephrologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, and chairperson of the Professional Advisory Board of National Kidney Foundation of Illinois.

"It's an honor to receive this award," Dr. Ahya said. "I have worked with NKF of Illinois for over 15 years and love the comradery of staff and volunteers to care for our kidney patient-caregiver-provider community."

Dr. Ahya is the Chairperson of the Professional Advisory Board of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and helps plan the professional programming including Citywide Grand Rounds and the annual Controversies in Nephrology.

"Dr. Ahya is a leader in community service in Illinois and on the frontline of the National Kidney Foundation," said Dr. Paul Palevsky, President of the National Kidney Foundation. "She is part of the future of NKF and kidney healthcare awareness."

The award will be presented at the virtual NKF Spring Clinical Meetings in April before thousands of healthcare professionals. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the annual event in its 29^th year, will be a live-virtual, five-day seminar designed to educate professional on hundreds of studies and research findings of the last year. It has grown into one of the nation's most meaningful event to create change and improvements for kidney patient outcomes.

"It's an enjoyable way to connect on a national level with friends and colleagues who are like-minded in the mission to improve kidney care," Dr. Ahya said.

Dr. Ahya has volunteered with her local NKF office to screen people for kidney disease and the risk factors that can lead to the disease. She has also traveled to care for patients and teach in India, Bolivia, Rwanda, and Vietnam.

NKF Spring Clinical Meetings
For the past 29 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to NKF's Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings are designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams' skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team. This year's Spring Clinical Meetings will be held virtually April 6-10.

NKF Professional Membership
Healthcare professionals can join NKF to receive access to tools and resources for both patients and professionals, discounts on professional education, and access to a network of thousands of individuals who treat patients with kidney disease.

Kidney Disease Facts
In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don't know they have it. 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. is at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People who are Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are almost 4 times more likely than Whites to have kidney failure. Hispanic or Latino people are 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanic or non-Latino people to have kidney failure.

About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.

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SOURCE National Kidney Foundation