Kidney Experts Welcome Public in Little Rock September 10 to 13
PR Newswire
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the nation's oldest and largest fully independent kidney patient advocacy organization, will host its 51st annual National Patient Meeting September 10 – 13, 2026, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Event admission and meals are free to kidney patients, family members/care partners, and living organ donors; pre-registration is encouraged and can be completed online at https://bit.ly/AAKPNPM or by calling (800) 749-2257.
In 2011, AAKP hosted a ground-breaking policy forum at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center that highlighted the direct link between outdated, status quo kidney dialysis care and patient unemployment. This marked the first time a national kidney group had targeted increased medical innovation and policy advocacy specifically as a strategy for ending economic dependency and increasing patient survival.
The 2026 AAKP National Patient Meeting is the premier in-person and online kidney patient and care partner event and a key element of AAKP's Decade of the Kidney™ initiative. More than 30 expert speakers are involved in the 2026 Little Rock program including kidney professionals, healthcare and policy influencers, advocacy skill trainers, innovation leaders from pharmaceutical, device, and diagnostic companies, and nonprofit executives. The meeting follows AAKP's successful All Kidney Policy is Local™ national campaign which connected patients, organ donors, and caregivers to U.S. Congressional leaders in their home district offices and online during the Congressional summer recess. The campaign has resulted in over 300 targeted legislative and policy meetings with top Congressional decision-makers since 2025.
Featured experts from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) include Dr. John M. Arthur, Chief, Nephrology Division; Director, Translational Research Institute; and Director, Junior Faculty Mentored Research Program, Department of Internal Medicine, UAMS; Dr. Brandi P. Wright, Nephrologist, Jefferson Regional Medical Center; Medical Director, Lifepoint Health Systems; Associate Professor, UAMS; Dr. Manisha Singh, Professor; Director, Home Dialysis, UAMS and VA Little Rock; Co-Director Renal Module, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, UAMS, and Joy Cope, MSN, MBA-HC, RN; Nursing Director & Administrator, Solid Organ Transplant Program, UAMS.
Dr. Arthur will speak on Cardio Kidney Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome; Dr. Wright will speak on Cardio Kidney Metabolic (CKM) lab values; Dr. Singh will speak on rare kidney diseases; and Ms. Cope will discuss how kidney patients maintain transplant readiness and eligibility. They are joined by internationally recognized known science leaders and clinicians Dr. Dominic Raj, the Bert B. Brooks Chair in the School of Medicine, Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Genetics and Biostatistics and Epidemiology and Director of the Division of Renal Disease and Hypertension at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (GW SMHS) and Dr. Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, the Drs. Ronald and Katherine Falk Eminent Professor in Nephrology and the Co-Director of the Kidney Center at the University of North Carolina (UNC). Drs. Raj and Roy-Chaudhury will discuss rapidly evolving kidney science and new, transformative kidney care innovations.
The AAKP National Patient Meeting begins Thursday, September 10, with AAKP's Public Policy Forum at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT. This complimentary, in-person event will highlight kidney research and innovation and the impact of federal regulatory and reimbursement decisions. Doors open at 12:00 p.m. CT with lunch provided. Registration is required, please click here to reserve your spot.
The National Patient Meeting continues September 11 – 13 at the Little Rock Marriott. Click here for virtual registration, and here for in-person registration.
Who: The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP)
What: The 51st Annual National Patient Meeting
When: September 10-13, 2026
Where: Public Policy Forum, September 10th from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT at the Clinton Presidential Library (free registration, complimentary lunch provided); National Kidney Patient Meeting, September 11 – 13 at the Little Rock Marriott, Little Rock, Arkansas, and virtually (free registration for virtual and in-person attendees, complimentary meals provided to in-person attendees)
Follow AAKP on social at @kidneypatient on Facebook, @kidneypatients on X, and @kidneypatients on Instagram. Visit http://www.aakp.org for more information on AAKP patient leadership and kidney care.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Brendan LaCivita
National and Medical Media Specialist
blacivita@aakp.org
(813) 906-7740
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SOURCE American Association of Kidney Patients
