Baxter, NAACP and the Alliance For Home Dialysis Expand Program to Increase Awareness of Kidney Care Among African Americans

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), a global leader in renal care, along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Alliance for Home Dialysis, announced that the Dialysis Health Imperative for Access, Choice, and Equity (ACE) program will be expanded for a third year. This year, the program is expected to reach even more individuals and focus on driving awareness of kidney disease—including risk factors, prevention strategies and home dialysis treatment options—among the African American community. African Americans are three times more likely to develop kidney disease compared to Caucasians.¹

Now in its third year, the Dialysis Health Imperative for ACE program is a collaboration among Baxter, the NAACP and the Alliance for Home Dialysis with the goal of informing individuals within African American communities in the U.S. about access to kidney care and the disproportionate impact kidney disease has on African Americans and other people of color. The program includes a series of town hall events that discuss kidney health and identify the needed resources so patients are more aware of their options earlier in the process. This year’s town hall events are being held in Harlem, New York; Memphis, Tennessee; Pittsburgh; and Riverside, California and will bring together patients, providers and advocates.

“The NAACP is pleased to continue its partnership with Baxter and the Alliance for Home Dialysis to benefit African American health,” said Marjorie Innocent, Ph.D., senior health director at the NAACP. “Knowing about options and having access to needed services to live with kidney failure, including home dialysis, can improve health outcomes and quality of life. At the same time, we must encourage advocacy around better health care, health education and social conditions to stem the pipeline of African Americans who develop chronic kidney disease.”

“To address the many disparities in healthcare, we all must work together to educate at-risk communities and ensure equal access to treatment options, including home dialysis,” said Guillermo Amezcua, senior director in Baxter’s U.S. home dialysis business. “We are thrilled to be expanding our partnership with the NAACP and the Alliance for Home Dialysis, as our work together is driving awareness and making a real impact.”

To learn more about the Dialysis Health Imperative for ACE program and each individual 2019 town hall event, please visit https://www.naacp.org/campaigns/ace-dialysis-health-imperative-access-choice-equity/.

Every day, millions of patients and caregivers rely on Baxter’s leading portfolio of critical care, nutrition, renal, hospital and surgical products. For more than 85 years, we’ve been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers that make it happen. With products, technologies and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxter’s employees worldwide are now building upon the company’s rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations. To learn more, visit www.baxter.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas here.

The Alliance for Home Dialysis is a coalition of kidney dialysis stakeholders, representing patients, clinicians, providers, and industry that works to promote policies that facilitate treatment choice for individuals in need of dialysis, and to address systemic barriers that limit access to the many benefits of home dialysis.

Baxter is a registered trademark of Baxter International Inc.