Tampa, Fla., March 18, 2009 – In recognition of National Kidney Month, the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is honoring Robert W. Schrier, MD, with the 2009 AAKP Medal of Excellence Award. The Medal of Excellence is an AAKP recognition program honoring a renal physician who has achieved outstanding success in caring for kidney disease patients, while also possessing extraordinary skills and devotion in the field of nephrology. Dr. Schrier joins a distinguished group of renal physicians to receive this honor. A panel of renal community peers reviewed numerous nominations of well-deserving, qualified candidates and selected Dr. Schrier as this year’s recipient.

Dr. Schrier will be honored at the Annual Medal of Excellence Award Reception on Sunday, March 22, in Baltimore, at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel. The event is hosted by AAKP in conjunction with the Renal Physicians Association’s (RPA) Annual Meeting.

Dr. Schrier has served the renal community for more than 40 years, now serving as Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. His vast contributions to the renal community include patient-oriented research in acute kidney injury; autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease; hypertension and diabetic nephropathy; renal sodium and water retention in heart failure and cirrhosis. He has published more than 900 scientific articles in these areas of clinical research. This important research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for more than 35 years.

“Dr. Schrier is recognized internationally as a premiere renal scholar and patient advocate,” stated AAKP President Roberta Wager, RN, MSN. “Because of his many contributions to the renal community over four decades, he is very deserving of this prestigious honor.”

Individual tickets to the 2009 Medal of Excellence Award Reception can be purchased by calling AAKP at 800-749-AAKP or on the AAKP Web site. Current sponsors are as followed: Amgen, Inc. (Platinum Sponsor); Abbott Renal Care (Gold Sponsor); AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Silver Sponsor); American Society of Nephrology (Bronze Sponsor); Astellas Pharma, US (Bronze Sponsor); Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (Patron Sponsor); Renal Physicians Association (Patron Sponsor); Watson Nephrology (Silver Sponsor). For more information about the AAKP Medal of Excellence Award, call (800) 749-AAKP or visit the AAKP Web site, www.aakp.org.

Past award recipients include: Todd S. Ing, MD, of the Dept. of Medicine at the Veterans Affairs Hospital (2008); Robert S. Fennell, III, MD, of the University of Florida (2007); H. Keith Johnson, MD, of Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (2006); John H. Sadler, MD, of Independent Dialysis Foundation (2005); Morrell M. Avram, MD, of Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, N.Y. (2004); Belding H. Scribner, MD, of University of Washington School of Medicine & Willem J. Kolff, MD, of University of Utah School of Medicine (2003); George E. Schreiner, MD, of Georgetown University (2002); Garabed Eknoyan, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston & Nathan Levin, MD, of Renal Research Institute, New York (2001); Christopher Blagg, MD, of the Northwest Kidney Center (2000); John Bower, MD, of University of Mississippi Medical Center & Renal Physicians Association (1999); A. Peter Lundin, MD, of State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn (1998); Clive O. Callender, MD, of Howard University Hospital, Washington, D.C. (1997); and Eli A. Friedman, MD, of State University of New York, Health Science Center, Brooklyn (1996).

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AAKP is the voluntary, patient organization, which for 40 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.