Tampa-Fla., October 23, 2006 – The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), an organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kidney patients and their families, recently elected its 2006-2007 Board of Directors.  New members will serve a two year term.  In keeping with the by-laws of the Association, more than 50 percent of the AAKP Board is comprised of patients.  Board members include chronic kidney disease patients, dialysis patients and transplant recipients.

The new board members include: Renee Bova-Collis, MSW (Virginia); Richard Goldman, MD, CKD patient (New Mexico); Robert B. Miller, MD, FAAP, FCCP (New Mexico); Carolyn G. Price, transplant recipient (Mississippi); Yalemzewd Woredekal, MD, hemodialysis patient (New York). 

The 2006-2007 officers include: Donald Dowe, MSW, LCSW, president, transplant recipient (Minnesota); Brenda Dyson, immediate past president, transplant recipient (Mississippi); Stephen Z. Fadem, MD, FACP, vice president, CKD patient (Texas); Roberta Wager, MS, RN, vice president, transplant recipient (Texas); Amy L. Friedman, MD, secretary, daughter of transplant recipient (Connecticut); Kelly M. Mayo, MS, treasurer (Florida).

The remainder of the Board include:  Jess C. Arceneaux, transplant recipient (Florida); Joseph Cooperstein, transplant recipient (New Jersey); Ellie Durrett, home hemodialysis patient (Tennessee); Alice G. McCall, RN, transplant recipient (Virginia); Laurie Shore, MSW, LCSW (Florida); David O. Stapel, hemodialysis patient (Texas);Sam M. Pederson, transplant recipient (Washington); Joseph D. White, transplant recipient (Maryland); Thomas Peters, MD (Florida).                

AAKP is the voluntary, patient, organization, which for more than 35 years, has been dedicated to improving the lives of fellow kidney patients and their families by helping them deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease. The programs offered by AAKP inform and inspire patients and their families to better understand their condition, adjust more readily to their circumstances, and assume more normal, productive lives in their communities.