It is with sadness I announce the resignation of AAKP’s Executive Director/CEO Kris Robinson. Kris resigned her position Tuesday, September 16, 2008. She had been with the Association for more than 18 years. In her resignation letter, Kris said she felt it was best to leave to pursue other opportunities. Her resignation is a shock to me, the AAKP Board of Directors, the AAKP staff and I’m sure to many in the kidney community.

Kris leaves an outstanding legacy. She was appointed to the Health and Human Services Advisory Board on the Demonstration of a Bundled Case-Mix Adjusted Payment System for ESRD Services, Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation, on the steering committee of the National Institute of Health's National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP). She has previously served as a technical expert on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Panel developing dialysis facility-specific kidney transplant referral clinical performance measures; and the Board of Directors of Florida Medical Quality Assurance, Inc. She also previously served on the United Network of Organ Sharing Communications' committee, among several other national patient health outcomes committees.

Kris’ commitment to AAKP and the renal community is overwhelming. Her service to AAKP will be missed. But she leaves the organization in good standing. The AAKP Board of Directors, the AAKP staff and I have committed ourselves to continuing the valuable service AAKP has been providing to the nation’s kidney patients for nearly 40 years. I am pleased to announce the AAKP Board of Directors has asked me to serve as the Acting Executing Director. I hope to continue a legacy of fierce patient advocacy and patient centered care.

The AAKP staff and I are proud to be part of an organization that helps millions of patients and their family members deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease. We will do our best to build upon the legacy that has been left to us.

Kind regards,

Kim Buettner
Acting Executive Director
American Association of Kidney Patients