The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois will be on Campus Offering Free Screenings, a Health Fair, Cooking Demonstrations, Giveaways and More
Chicago State University will partner with the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois (NKFI) this March for students to learn about the risks of kidney disease. On Thursday, March 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 4th floor of Gwendolyn Brooks Library, located on the University’s campus, the foundation will provide free screenings through its KidneyMobile® a health fair, cooking demonstrations, giveaways, and more to educate students on the signs and preventions of kidney disease.
One third of every adult is at risk of developing dangerous kidney disease. For this reason, the University wants to provide as many people as they can with important information and resources by bringing in the NKFI to CSU to provide screenings and insights for students.
“Kidney disease is particularly prevalent in the African American community,” said Dr. Leslie Roundtree, Provost, Academic Affairs for CSU. “The University is proud to partner with NKFI to deliver life-saving health screenings and other health and wellness resources to our students and families living in the southside communities that border our campus.”
“We have a public health crisis that needs to be addressed by all Americans,” said Jackie Burgess-Bishop, CEO of NKFI. “We will never give up trying to find ways to reach people, slow or stop the progression of this disease and lessen the burden for patients. Early testing and interventions are the key to do that.”
NKFI aims to make students and the community more aware of the five risk factors for kidney disease including:
Early intervention can make a difference with lifestyle changes and a healthy diet, which can sometimes slow the progression of the disease when caught in the early stages and prevent kidney failure. The first steps to preventing kidney failure is knowing your risk and then getting tested.
Join the conversation on social media by looking for and posting the hashtag #MinuteForYourKidneys especially on March 12, World Kidney Day, where buildings nationwide are turning orange to heighten awareness about the disease and the theme of the day “Prevention to Detection.”
Kidney Disease Facts
In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and most aren’t aware of it. One in three American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and family history. People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are 3 times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely than non- Hispanics to develop end-stage renal disease (kidney failure).
ABOUT THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF ILLINOIS
The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois improves the health and well-being of people at risk for or affected by kidney disease through prevention, education and empowerment. For more information about NKFI, visit http://www.nkfi.org
ABOUT CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1867, Chicago State University (CSU) is a public, comprehensive post-secondary institution that stands distinctively as one of Illinois’s oldest public universities, providing access to higher education for students of diverse backgrounds and educational needs. CSU is a nationally accredited university with five colleges– Health Sciences, Arts and Science, Business, Education, and Pharmacy–offering 31 undergraduate and 25 graduate degree-granting programs. Consistently evolving to reflect state-of-the-art trends in higher education, CSU prepares students for success in the twenty-first century.
ABOUT CHICAGO STATE FOUNDATION
Serving as the university’s chief fund development partner, the mission of Chicago State Foundation (CSF) is to advance the interests and welfare of Chicago State University by building relationships, securing philanthropic support, stewarding assets and otherwise procuring private support on behalf of the University. Working in concert with the President of Chicago State University, CSF helps to identify strategic private support priorities, create suitable fundraising strategies and tactics, and implement and evaluate appropriate development programs designed to advance the interests and welfare of the University. In its role, CSF procures private support on behalf of the University.
