| 1950 |
|
First Meeting of the Committee for Nephrosis Research held in Tuckahoe, NY, later to be named the National Kidney Foundation
|
| 1954 |
|
First successful kidney transplant
|
| 1964 |
|
National Kidney Foundation is officially named. The invention of the Teflon shunt marks the beginning of dialysis treatment
|
| 1968 |
|
First 13 NKF research Fellowships are awarded
|
| 1972 |
|
End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) benefit within Medicare is established, providing federal government financing for nearly all Americans with kidney failure, the only federally funded chronic disease care program to date
|
| 1973-1976 |
|
Professional Councils for Nephrology Social Workers, Dieticians, Nurses and Technicians formed
|
| 1981 |
|
American Journal of Kidney Disease, NKF's first scientific publication, launched
|
| 1983 |
|
Powerful new anti-rejection medications enable thousands more to benefit from kidney transplantation therapy
|
| 1984 |
|
National Transplant Act passes in Congress. NKF establishes the Research Endowment Fund. Total support through this program for medical research for kidney and related diseases reached $80 million in 2009.
|
| 1990 |
|
U.S. Transplant Games started in Indiana. The Transplant Games have been held every two years since, with thousands of participants from throughout the country attending
|
| 1992 |
|
First Spring Clinical Professional Conference held. This conference has been held every year since, with over 2,500 attendees from throughout the world.
|
| 1995 |
|
Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) launches to establish clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of kidney disease in the US. In 2002, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) clinical practice guidelines effort launched
|
| 1997 |
|
Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) launched to provide early detection kidney disease screening for millions of at-risk Americans. The 140,000th individual was screened in 2009.
|
| 2003-2005 |
|
Kidney Learning System, which provides comprehensive kidney disease learning tools, and People Like Us patient empowerment programs launched
|
| 2005 |
|
First World Kidney Day celebrated. Now an annual public awareness effort held the second Thursday of March, kidney organizations in more than 60 countries are involved
|
| 2006 |
|
NKF awarded CDC grant to conduct a Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) programming
|
| 2007 |
|
Take Action Network, and advocacy building and training program launched
|
| 2009 |
|
The NKF's groundbreaking END THE WAIT! initiative is launched to spur the kidney community to action to end the wait for a kidney transplant in the U.S.
|
