By Phyllis Hicks, Executive Director, Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania

Across the United States, medical costs are rising and access to consistent care is increasingly fragile for those relying on public or limited insurance. For individuals living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), barriers such as distance to treatment, transportation costs, and a lack of early awareness can turn manageable conditions into life-threatening crises.

Nationwide, roughly one in seven adults may have CKD—and yet nine out of ten don’t know they have it.

In Pennsylvania, only 3.8 % of adults report being told they have kidney disease, suggesting many go undiagnosed and untreated.

Here in Central Pennsylvania, the Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania believes that while medical interventions are essential, education, connection, and community support are equally critical. We focus on what we call the “soft treatments” — the weekly check-in from a peer mentor, the transportation ride so a patient can attend dialysis, and the blood-pressure monitor given to someone who didn’t have one.

Among our programs:

• The Patient & Family Partner Program, a certified mentorship initiative that pairs patients or caregivers with trained volunteers who’ve walked the same path.

• Our Community Outreach & Education offers kidney-health information, collaborative resources, and encouraging support in settings that include rural and urban clinics, dialysis and senior centers, and other community centered locations in our 28 county service area.

• The Patient Emergency Assistance Fund, providing limited emergency funds for food, medicine or transportation when life’s setbacks threaten treatment continuity.

• Our support for children through Camp Kydnie, a safe, fun week long summer  sleep over camp experience for young kidney-disease patients and their siblings that builds resilience and community.

By delivering these services—education, practical support, peer connection—KFCP helps people stay engaged with their care, remain stable longer, and avoid costly crises. We may not perform the transplant or dialyze the patient, but we help support and encourage them to get the transplant, understand the choices they face, and stay in treatment when it matters most.

In today’s shifting healthcare landscape, our mission is clear: reach people before kidney disease becomes an emergency. Awareness isn’t just knowledge—it’s the beginning of prevention. And community care isn’t just support—it’s life-saving. Because in every person we serve, every county we cover, every story we touch—every kidney counts.