The Foundation was ‘born’ in 1953 when a small group of parents of children suffering from nephrosis banded together to form the Nephrosis Foundation. The Foundation committed itself to raising money for medical researchers seeking a cure for pediatric kidney disease.
Eight years later, the Nephrosis Foundation underwent a significant change in direction, reaching out to support adults as well as children afflicted with kidney disease and the organization became The Kidney Disease Foundation of New York.
Through the efforts of the Foundation, kidney disease became the focus of greater public attention and we joined a national campaign, becoming the New York/New Jersey affiliate of the National Kidney Foundation. The NY/NJ affiliate remained true to its goals to provide research and programs that served patients, the at-risk communities and medical professionals in the fight against kidney disease.
In early 2002, the Board of Trustees resolved to discontinue our affiliation with the NKF to become the Kidney & Urology Foundation of America. KUFA has evolved into a pre-eminent health care organization for the renal, urology, and transplant communities.
KUFAs services for kidney, urology and transplant patients and their families continue to grow along with our strong commitment to the organ donor and recipient communities. In recent years, we have expanded our partnerships with academic and medical institutions, presented world-class educational programs for physicians and allied medical professionals, and expanded our scholarship program and pediatric initiatives.
We stand proud of our early accomplishments:
- Establishing the first full dialysis unit in the United States.
- Successfully lobbying the Federal government to provide Medicaid funding for dialysis and transplantation.
- Securing placement of the universal donor card on the back of all drivers’ licenses.
- Establishing the first Pediatric Registry in the United States, a database of clinical information on children with renal and urologic diseases.
The Kidney & Urology Foundation: our dedicated Medical advisory Board, Urology Board and Council on Pediatric Nephrology and Urology (CPNU), committed staff, and volunteers focus on the care and support of the patient, the concerns of those at risk, education for the community and medical professionals, methods of prevention, and improved treatment options in our mission to strive to ensure excellence in patient care.
For an overview of our recent programs and accomplishments, please click here.
