KEOP Participates in Chapel Hill Community Health Fair
4/4/2009
Kidney Center Team Competes in Carolina Challenge
3/28/2009
Kidney Kare 5K in Photos
3/21/2009
Kidney Center Celebrates Brewster Gift
3/10/2009
KEOP Visits the NC General Assembly
3/4/2009
KEOP Participates in Chapel Hill Community Health Fair
April 4, 2009
The KEOP conducted a screening close to home this month at a health fair held at the Hargraves Community Center in Chapel Hill on Saturday, April 4. This event was hosted by The NC Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP), a UNC program that promotes increased minority presence in the health professions. HCAP students seek to promote health in underserved communities through community-based outreach.
The community health fair, dubbed “Health on the Block” is an annual event and is free to the public. In addition to free kidney screenings, other health vendors provided blood pressure screenings, HIV testing, wellness checks and educational materials.
The UNC Kidney Center provided materials on kidney disease and screened 40 participants.
| Pictured, from left: Kidney Center Volunteers Caroline Jennette, Dr. Melanie Joy, Terry Carver |
To read a volunteer blog entry and hear perspectives from participants click here.
Kidney Center Team Competes in Carolina Challenge
March 28, 2009
Dialytic Adsorption Technologies Team members, from left: Suzie Hosman, Melanie Joy, Marian McCord, William Finn. Not pictured: Cynthia Denu-Ciocca.
Four members of the UNC Kidney Center and a faculty member of NC State University formed a collaborative, multidisciplinary team to compete in the annual Carolina Challenge Entrepreneurial Competition at the UNC Kenan-Flagler School of Business.
The team, Dialytic Adsorption Technologies progressed through the competition to compete in the Finals on March 28, 2009. The team members included Melanie S. Joy, PharmD (team leader), Marian G. McCord, PhD, William F. Finn, MD, Cynthia Denu-Ciocca, MD, and Suzie Hosman, BS. The group plans to pursue the scientific and business components of the venture.
Kidney Kare 5K in Photos
March 21, 2009
The fourth annual Kidney Kare 5K Run/Walk of 2009 on March 21 was a huge success, with more than 350 runners and walkers participating. Many thanks to the volunteers who came out to help, and to our fundraisers and sponsors who helped support our cause. All proceeds benefit the UNC Kidney Center's Kidney Education Outreach Programand the Kidney Patient Emergency Assistance Fund.
Check out the photos below. Hope to see you next year at the 5th annual race!
 |
Kidney Center Celebrates Brewster Gift
March 10, 2009
 |
| Dr. Ron Falk, Marisa McLeod, Carmen Conry at the celebration luncheon on March 10 |
A celebration took place on March 10 to recognize the family of Shirley Gilman, who bequeathed $4.7 million of her estate to the UNC Kidney Center’s Transplant Program.
 |
Dr. William Roper |
 |
Gary Park |
Mrs. Gilman’s nieces Carmencita Conry and Marisa McLeod came to UNC for a kidney transplant in 1991, which was a success. As a result of their transplant experience, Carmen, as the transplant recipient, and Marisa, as the kidney donor, realized the challenges that patients might face in accessing live donor kidney transplant. At that time, there were few resources and minimal support to help donors and recipients.
During this time, the sisters’ brother Allan passed away, and their Aunt Shirley honored his memory by establishing the Allan Brewster Memorial Fund to support kidney donor expenses. This fund began as a smaller gift which assisted donors and recipients who would otherwise not be able to consider transplant.
When Mrs. Gilman passed away in 2008, she gave $4.7 million of her estate to the Allan Brewster Memorial Fund. Click here to read details about the fund.
Carmen and Marisa visited UNC on Monday, March 9 and Tuesday, March 10, along with Carmen’s daughter Amy and Marisa’s daughter Gaelin. On Monday, Carmen and Marisa recorded a podcast with UNC Transplant Director Dr. Randy Detwiler, in which they spoke about their transplant experience. The podcast is available here.
On Tuesday, the Kidney Center celebrated with a luncheon at the Carolina Club in the Alumni Hall. Dr. Ronald Falk, Director of the Kidney Center, thanked the family and spoke about how the funds will be used to promote kidney transplant and organ donation in North Carolina.
Also speaking were Dr. William Roper, Dean of the School of Medicine, and Gary Park, President of UNC Hospitals.
Click on image to enlarge
 Carmen Conry, Dr. Bill Finn, Marisa McLeod |
 Dr. Bill Roper, Carmen Conry, Marisa McLeod |
 Marisa & Carmen gather with their daughters |
 Brewster celebration |
|
 Dr. Falk speaks |
News reporters from UNC, WCHL, News 14, and NBC-17 came out to the event.
Read WCHL’s story here
Read the blog post on the UNC Health care web site here
Listen to the sisters' podcast here
KEOP Visits the NC General Assembly
In honor of National Kidney Month, the Kidney Education Outreach Program (KEOP) traveled to the North Carolina General Assembly on Wednesday, March 4th to speak with legislators about the burden of kidney disease in our state, to highlight the NC Task Force on Chronic Kidney Disease recommendations, and to showcase the efforts of the KEOP. Since 2006, the KEOP has screened over 1,800 at-risk citizens and is initiating outreach in 3 additional counties in 2009.
Senator Ed Jones (D-4) and Senator Bill Purcell (D-25) spoke about how the KEOP has affected their districts in a positive way by raising CKD awareness and by providing free screenings to at-risk constituents. Legislators and staff members were taken through our screening process and many elected to be screened. In line with the NC CKD Task Force recommendations, legislation has been filed in both houses to support expansion of the KEOP's targeted screening and awareness activities.
Following the screening activities in the Legislative Building the KEOP mobile outreach unit parked at the corner of Lane and Wilmingotn streets to provide the government complex access to free CKD screening. It was a busy day in the capitol and an excellent opportunity to promote community based efforts to increase awareness and early detection of kidney disease in our state!
Click here to listen to the audio from this event. Speaking: Dr. Ron Falk, Senator Ed Jones, Donna Harward, Caroline Jennette.
Click here to view the news coverage of this story on News 14.
Read KEOP volunteer Bradley Layton's blog entry on this event
Senator Ed Jones
Pictured, from left: Donna Harward, Senator Bill Purcell, Dr. Ron Falk
Pictured, from left: Rep.William, Rep. England, Dr. Ron Falk, Rep. Holliman, Sen. Brown
Nurse Lynn McCoy chats with a screening participant