NephCure Celebrates National Kidney Month with Bingo Challenge March 1, 2023 by Des Lalonde NephCure is proud to celebrate National Kidney Month each March, and we’re excited to present something extra special this year. Our goal is to continue raising awareness of rare kidney disease, empowering patients and families in their journey, and working toward finding better treatments — and one day, a cure. How To Get Involved Let the games begin! NephCure has created the Kidney Month Bingo Challenge — a bingo card full of activities for you and your family throughout the month. Complete various activities and mark them off on your card as you go to collect ‘bingo’! You’ll need to complete five activities in a row, column, or diagonal to win. Download the bingo card and see our full Kidney Month Bingo Challenge activity list here. These activities aim to inspire you along your journey, empower you to share your story living with rare kidney disease, and encourage you to step outside of your norms and take action in the community. Submit your card with at least one complete bingo row by Friday, March 31 to receive a NephCure prize! Make sure to fill out this form when you are finished with your Kidney Month Bingo Challenge. All Kidney Month Bingo Challenge activities and instructions can be found here. Use #NephCureKidneyMonth March 1 – 31 We invite you to participate in the activities we have set throughout the entire month of March, and to join us on social media in the #NephCureKidneyMonth campaign. As you complete your Kidney Month bingo card activities, you’ll notice some require you to post online. When you do so, make sure you use the hashtag #NephcureKidneyMonth so we can see what you’ve done! The campaign is intended to spread awareness of NephCure’s services and programs for rare kidney disease patients. Don’t forget when you post your photos to tag @NephCure too! Make sure to follow along on our Facebook and Instagram pages to see more resources and information for our Kidney Month campaign and Bingo game! Quick Kidney Facts Did you know that approximately 1 in 7 U.S. adults are affected by chronic kidney disease? That’s nearly 37 million people! Your kidneys support and regulate many systems in your body, including: Regulating blood pressure and fluid levels. Balancing minerals in the blood stream. Filtering out waste materials and removing waste from blood. Directing the production of red blood cells. Kidney disease, sometimes referred to as renal disease, is the general term for damage that reduces function of the kidney. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs when kidneys are no longer able to clean toxins and waste product from the blood and perform their functions to full capacity. Some symptoms of kidney disease are non–specific, meaning other illnesses can cause them. Sometimes, signs and symptoms may not appear until irreversible damage has occurred. Kidney disease symptoms can include: High blood pressure High cholesterol Foamy or bubbly urine Puffiness around the eyes Fatigue Nausea Loss of appetite Trouble sleeping Frequent urge to urinate Blood in the urine Feeling faint or dizzy Swelling in the ankles and feet Pressure when you urinate Thank you to our sponsors for making NephCure’s Kidney Month possible.
NephCure’s Patient Navigation Services: Meet Montrez Lucas, LCSW February 10, 2023 by Des Lalonde We are very proud to introduce the NephCure Patient Navigation Program, a key component in helping the rare kidney disease (RKD) community get the answers and care they need, and Montrez Lucas, LCSW, is leading the way. Montrez Lucas, Associate Director of Patient Navigation Montrez, NephCure’s Associate Director of Patient Navigation, is a licensed social worker who helps patients, caregivers, and care partners navigate through healthcare services and systems. Before coming to NephCure, Montrez led a team of social workers at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. In his role, Montrez offers a resources, guidance, and hope to our community. By offering practical support as well as building helpful and lasting relationships, he ensures RKD patients and families have help navigating the uncertain rare kidney disease journey. Learn more about our Patient Navigation Program in this Q&A with Montrez. What is patient navigation? ML: Patient navigation is used to help patients and care partners navigate through healthcare services and identify problems they may face. These services offer helpful resources they may not have immediate access to, reduce health disparities in the community, and empower patients to receive the care they deserve, while receiving support from someone they can trust. How does this program serve caregivers and partners? ML: The program serves caregivers and partners by giving them access to resources to pass along to their loved ones and providing lasting support in a timely manner to assure they can continue to provide the best care to the patient. It is my duty to keep care partners up to date on how to best serve patients and guiding them to better patient care. The patient journey is important, but care partners serve an important role in every patient’s life. Why are patient relationships important to you? ML: I build relationships with patients and families to help guide them and solve the problems they are facing. Each patient is just as important as the next, which is why supporting them through the process of navigating healthcare systems and their general issues is vital. Building relationships with patients provides them the support they need to promote positive health behaviors and establishes trust. Patients and caregivers deserve to have a great relationship with someone they can rely on to give them the best resources, bring them closer to their goals, and resolve the issues they have. How can these navigation services help patients and families? ML: Navigating through the disease journey can be stressful, especially when conquering it alone. Patients should use these resources if they find themselves needing support. We will be able to provide patients with necessary resources for their journey, and connect them with the right tools, including informative events, webinars, support groups, and more. They’ll also receive assistance in healthcare access, school support services, medication assistance programs, and access to experts that can put them on the right track. The goal is to get to the patient before it’s too late. Learn more about NephCure’s Patient Navigation Program and connect with Montrez here.