Largest Kidney Patient Group Applauds HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Appointments to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the nation's oldest and largest independent and nonpartisan kidney patient advocacy organization, issued statements from its patient leadership today in response to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new appointments to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

AAKP has led the kidney community's call for reforms to the USPSTF, including the adoption of a new screening recommendation for people most at risk for kidney diseases. Kidney disease impacts more than 37 million Americans and their families. Further, interrelated cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic diseases have impacted more than 25% of the adult population and are a leading cause of death. More broadly, an estimated 90% of U.S. adults, or approximately 240 million people, have some degree of interconnected cardiovascular, kidney, or metabolic health conditions according to the American Heart Association. AAKP advocates are helping advance kidney community efforts, coordinated by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) (view report), to expand Congressional appropriations and taxpayer investments in kidney science and research by up to $1.8 billion through the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense.

AAKP President Edward V. Hickey, III, a chronic kidney disease patient, stated, "We applaud Secretary Kennedy for appointing medical professionals who have the diverse range of life experiences and professional credentials necessary to advance patient-centered medicine, especially kidney health. As an organization driven solely by the interests of patients, AAKP has proudly led the fight to reform the USPSTF and to challenge the excuses that have been offered to the kidney community for the Task Force's years of inaction and the harm done to people most vulnerable to kidney disease. We look forward to a renewed era and commitment to chronic disease prevention and the harnessing of all available evidence, including the impact of new therapies that reduce patient burdens." Hickey is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and former senior Congressional aide who has served in appointed roles in two presidential administrations. He serves as Chair of the AAKP Veterans Health Initiative and was recently selected by the Health Resources and Services Administration to serve on the Transitional Nominating Committee for the OPTN Board of Directors.

AAKP Vice President and Chair of Policy and Global Affairs Paul T. Conway, a 49-year kidney patient and 29-year kidney transplant recipient, stated: "We are very pleased Secretary Kennedy listened closely to kidney patients and used his authority to appoint experts familiar with early disease prevention and detection, Native American and rural health, innovations including AI, as well as the management of interrelated chronic heart, kidney, and metabolic diseases. We are optimistic the newly appointed members will refocus the USPSTF on reducing patient and taxpayer burdens associated with preventable disease progression and organ failure through evidence-based research. For the past 20 years, the USPSTF has demonstrated complete incompetence in regard to kidney health and disease prevention. Today marks an opportunity to change that trajectory and to help make America healthier." Conway has served in appointed roles under four presidential administrations and served two terms as the inaugural Chair of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Patient Engagement Advisory Committee. He is a former member of the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Nephrology Specialty Board and has served on multiple technical evaluation panels to craft quality measures for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administered End Stage Renal Disease Program.

On September 14, 2026, AAKP announced the rollout of its 2026 national, non-partisan KidneyVoter™ campaign, "50 States in 50 Days." KidneyVoters™ use their voices, votes, and sophisticated organizing tools and social media to turn out like-minded voters, hold Congress accountable for decisions impacting patient care choice, and encourage oversight of federal agencies responsible for red tape that stymies patient health, continued employment, and survival. AAKP has expanded the program in 2026 to service patient and professional communities impacted by cardio-renal-metabolic syndrome and related health issues. The KidneyVoter™ platform now services heart disease advocates, the diabetes community, and patients suffering from bone and mineral disorders. In 2024, AAKP engaged over 500,000 KidneyVoters™, resulting in a new "micro-constituency" within the American electorate according to election data science and targeting experts. Since 2017, the KidneyVoters™ campaign has been the only non-partisan voter registration campaign serving the highly diverse kidney community.

During the recent Congressional summer recess, AAKP conducted its All Kidney Policy is Local™ national campaign, which connected patients, organ donors, and caregivers to U.S. Congressional leaders in their home district offices and online. The campaign included issues of concern to kidney patients, including USPSTF reform and FDA support for next-generation transplant drugs. Since 2025, the campaign has resulted in over 300 targeted legislative and policy meetings with top Congressional decision-makers. AAKP is committed to American leadership in the discovery of safe, next-generation kidney technologies while counteracting the pacing threat of communist China and its state-orchestrated efforts to dominate biotech, manipulate the drug supply chain, and limit patient choice.

Follow AAKP on social media at @kidneypatient on Facebook, @kidneypatients on X, and @kidneypatients on Instagram, and visit http://www.aakp.org for more information. AAKP patient advocates advance bipartisan kidney policy including: passage of the bipartisan law modernizing the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) (2023); lifetime transplant drug coverage for kidney patients (2020); the historic Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health signed by President Donald Trump (2019); job protections for living organ donors under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) via the U.S. Department of Labor (2018); and Congressional approval of HIV positive organ transplants for HIV positive patients (2013).

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Brendan LaCivita
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SOURCE American Association of Kidney Patients