Hundreds of patients and renal professionals took a pledge to be an essential piece of their healthcare at AAKP’s 33^rd Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla. Tropical storm Ernesto threatened to put a damper on the festivities, but it couldn’t stop the more than 400 participants from soaking up a flood of information provided by exhibitors, guest speakers and AAKP. AAKP’s Annual Convention is the largest convention of its kind, dedicated to providing patients with the most up-to-date information on kidney disease and treatment options. It also provides patients and their caregivers an opportunity to interact with other patients who are dealing with kidney disease as well as a variety of renal professionals.

New this year, AAKP hosted a First Time Attendee’s Luncheon on Thursday, Aug. 31. Those in attendance had the opportunity to talk with AAKP Board Members and staff about how to make the most of the Convention weekend. The luncheon also gave patients an opportunity to form friendships with others who had never attended an AAKP Convention.

Later that evening, AAKP opened the exhibit hall for the Board and Chapter Reception , another first for the National Convention. The extensive exhibit hall featured more than 30 kidney-related companies. AAKP provided Lunch with the Experts sessions on Friday, Sept. 1 and Saturday, Sept. 2. Guest speakers led lively discussions on topics ranging from “Medicare Part D” to “Home Dialysis – Is It For Me?” The Lunch with the Experts sessions allowed one-on-one interactions for patients to discuss their concerns with renal professionals and fellow patients.

On Friday, celebrity chef Katie Lee Joel, treated Convention attendees to spiced zucchini pineapple bread and strawberry pie, during a cooking demonstration sponsored by Shire Pharmaceuticals. Through the cooking demonstration and educational program, Joel, nephrologist William Finn and registered dietitian, Cathi J. Martin, explained to people on dialysis and their caregivers, that they can still enjoy delicious foods, even on a modified diet. Joel also autographed Shire Pharmaceuticals’ latest edition of Kidney Friendly Comfort Foods and posed for pictures with Convention attendees.

Joel knows a lot about food. Most recently, she was the first season host of Bravo’s hit show, “Top Chef,” a reality competition series for the culinary arts. In July 2005, she co-created the Web site www.oliveandpeach.com with partner Aleishall Girard. The site focuses on food and aims to provoke readers to think more deeply about the origins of the food they eat. “It seeks to heighten awareness about the importance of conscious consumption,” says Joel. She lives in the New York area with her husband, musician Billy Joel.

Friday would not have been complete without the official Welcoming Ceremonies and CKD Awards Presentation . Attendees danced the night away in their tackiest outfits for the “tacky tourist” costume contest. Two of our tackiest attendees walked away with the top prize, tickets to Sea World Orlando.

During the evening’s celebration, AAKP honored Mary Heisick with the AAKP Spirit of Service Award. The AAKP Spirit of Service Award honors a kidney patient who raises awareness about chronic kidney disease (CKD) in his or her community. Heisick is a transplant recipient. She’s served on the AAKP Board of Directors for the last 10 years and is the Immediate Past President of the AAKP Harbor- South Bay-Orange Chapter. She’s also a licensed renal social worker and has written a number of articles for AAKP publications.

AAKP also honored Stephen Fadem, MD, FACP , with the AAKP Visionary Award. The AAKP Visionary Award pays tribute to a physician for outstanding performance in CKD education. Dr. Fadem is also a member of the AAKP Board of Directors and AAKP Medical Advisory Board. He’s a member of the National

Kidney Foundation cyber-Nephrology, he’s active in the Forum of ESRD Networks and is on the International Society of Nephrology Informatics Commission. The AAKP Medical Advisory Board recently appointed Dr. Fadem as the Medical Editor for the AAKP Web site, www.aakp.org . He is also one of two Medical Editors for Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine and aakpRENALIFE . Dr. Fadem was also honored at The Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony with the Samuel J. Orenstein Award. This award goes to an AAKP member who consistently offers extraordinary service and commitment toward the achievement of AAKP’s goals and mission. The Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony is the highlight of the Annual Convention.

AAKP honored Amy L. Friedman, MD with the Peter Lundin, MD, Memorial Award. Dr. Friedman, an associate professor at the Yale University School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery, is the secretary of the AAKP Board of Directors and serves on the AAKP Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Friedman works tirelessly to educate and encourage kidney patients about their disease and treatment options. The Maureen Lundin aakpRENALIFE Award was awarded to Thomas Peters, MD , a transplant surgeon, for his contributions to AAKP publications. Dr. Peters is Medical Editor of Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine and aakpRENALIFE .

ESRD Network 8, The ESRD Network of Texas and ESRD Network 13 were presented the Dominick Gentile Memorial Award. The award goes to an ESRD

Network with a history of providing patients with beneficial programs, important informational resources and an avenue to report grievance. These outstanding

Networks were chosen not only for their continued work in improving patient quality of care, but also for their extraordinary service during and after Hurricane Katrina. AAKP Immediate Past President Brenda Dyson recognized Mary Heisick with the AAKP President’s Award. The award is given to a volunteer who has dedicated themselves to making AAKP a better organization.

Finally, the AAKP staff recognized Stephanie Lee with the NOVA Award. The award is given to an volunteer who has played an important role throughout the year in the everyday activities of the organization. The AAKP staff chose Lee for her commitment and responsiveness to the needs of the National Office.

Look for more details about the 2007 AAKP Annual Convention in the next issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine . We hope to see you and your family members in St. Louis at the Adam’s Mark St. Louis Aug. 31- Sept. 2. More information on next year’s Convention can be found on the Web site at www.aakp.org .

This article originally appeared in the December 2006 addition of Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine.