MISSION AND GOALS

  • Mission
    The mission of the Missouri Kidney Program (MoKP) is to help to meet the educational needs, and to promote the physical and mental well-being of eligible Missouri residents with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
  • Goals
    In order to accomplish this mission, the Missouri Kidney Program is committed to the following goals:
    • To advocate for policies that ensure no Missourian is denied treatment for kidney failure because of inability to pay.
    • To provide financial help to eligible Missourians to defray the in-direct medical expenses related to CKD Stage 5.
      • Benefits range from medications, transportation, and insurance premiums assistance depending on available funding.
    • To provide and support the CKD education of Missourians:
      • To promote public awareness and prevention of CKD.
      • To help select an appropriate treatment for kidney failure and to encourage active participation in their medical care.
      • To provide continuing education seminars to the professional disciplines working with the CKD population.
    • To increase public awareness of the need for organ donation, and to encourage kidney donations for transplantation.
    • To collaborate with other organizations on efforts to prevent kidney disease.
    • To promote efforts to delay or avoid the onset of kidney failure for those who have CKD which will reduce associated cost of care.
    • To foster the exchange of medical, technical and administrative information among programs and professionals who treat people with CKD.

HISTORY AND LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

In March 1968, the Missouri Legislature appropriated $100,000 to the University of Missouri Board of Curators for a state kidney program to assist Missouri's end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population with life-sustaining dialysis. The Missouri Regional Medical Program (MoRMP), a federally funded program administratively attached to the University of Missouri, was chosen by the Missouri Legislature to develop the state renal disease program. The MoRMP agreed to absorb the administrative costs so all state dollars could be targeted for direct patient care.

Five potential sites were visited by members of the MoRMP Regional Advisory Group, and two awards were made to Washington University-St. Louis and Kansas City General Hospital-Kansas City. During FY69, 17 Missouri ESRD patients received state and federal assistance for dialysis at these two facilities.

In 1973, the United States Congress passed Public Law No. 92-603, extending Medicare coverage to ESRD patients after a three-month waiting period. This made treatment available to nearly everyone and has vastly increased the number of ESRD patients receiving therapy. Also, in 1976 the Regional Medical Programs were phased out, making it necessary to identify another organization to administer the program. The Missouri Kidney Program (MoKP) was established and an advisory council was formed to provide oversight as the MoRMP Regional Advisory Group had done in the past.

Since 1977, the Missouri Kidney Program also has sponsored cost-containment research and demonstration projects aimed at increasing the cost-effectiveness of patient care, and in 1983 a state-wide pre-dialysis education program was begun. These unique programs serve as national models for other state kidney programs.

Annual legislative appropriations have continued, and in FY2008 net funding was $3,896,271. The Missouri Kidney Program provided assistance to 2,691 ESRD patients through contracts with 147 participating facilities.


ADVISORY COUNCIL

The Missouri Kidney Program Advisory Council is a multi-disciplinary body appointed by the Dean of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. Council membership includes individuals with appropriate knowledge and experience representing interested agencies and health care disciplines. Every effort is made to provide diverse disciplinary and geographic representation. In addition, one member each of the Missouri House of Representatives and Senate is appointed to the Council.

The Advisory Council meets at least three times per year and performs the following basic functions:

  • Provides general program direction and oversight, including the development of program policies, priorities and initiatives, in collaboration with the Missouri Kidney Program staff. The Dean of the Medical School retains final policy-making authority.
  • Collaborates with the Missouri Kidney Program staff and Dean's Office to develop the annual legislative funding request.
  • Reviews requests from ESRD facilities for annual patient assistance awards subsequent to site visits and/or subcommittee review. Reviews subcommittee funding recommendations and makes final recommendations to the Missouri Kidney Program.
  • Reviews and approves cost-containment research funding proposals subsequent to technical review committee evaluation and recommendations.
  • Assists the Dean with evaluation of program and administrative effectiveness, including recruitment and evaluation of the Missouri Kidney Program director.
  • Assists the Missouri Kidney Program director with legislative advocacy and education efforts.
  • Between Advisory Council meetings the Council's executive committee provides the primary liaison with the Missouri Kidney Program staff, consulting on managerial and policy issues. Current members of the executive committee are Dr. Venkataraman Ramachandran, Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and Dr. Michael Young, a nephrologist in private practice in Jefferson City and James Campbell, PhD of University of Missouri School of Family and Community Medicine.

Advisory Council Members
Venkataraman Ramachandran, MD
Transplant Surgeon
University of Missouri, Columbia 		Cari Fears
Patient Advocate
St. Louis, Missouri
Jim Hafner, MSW
Social Worker
Davita Northland
Kansas City, Missouri 		David Sommerfeld, MD
Nephrologist
Springfield, Missouri
Michael Young, DO
Nephrologist
Jefferson City, Missouri 		Ted Groshong, MD
Pediatric Nephrologist
University of Missouri, Columbia
Ahmed Awad, MD
Nephrologist
University of Missouri, Kansas City 		Chris Kelly
Missouri Representative
MO House of Representatives
Katrina Dinkel, MA
Heartland Kidney Network 12
Kansas City, Missouri 		Karen Turner, MSW, LCSW
DaVita
St. Louis, Missouri
Rachel Covington
Division President
National Kidney Foundation of
St. Louis, Missouri 		Janice Gentile
Consumer Advocate
Centertown, Missouri
JoAnn Zynda, RN, BA, CNN
Nurse Administrator
DaVita
St. Joseph, Missouri 		James Campbell PhD
Family and Community Medicine
University of Missouri, Columbia
Mimi Korth, RD
Renal Dietitian
Metro North Dialysis Center
St.Louis, Missouri 		Tara Walker
Operations Manager
Fresenius Medical Services
Festus, Missouri
Pam Beauford
Administrator
DCI Lee's Summit
Kansas City, Missouri

ADMINISTRATION

The Missouri Kidney Program is administered by a director appointed by the Dean of the University of Missouri School of Medicine, in consultation with the Advisory Council. The director is responsible for hiring and supervising the Missouri Kidney Program staff and for implementing the goals, objectives and policies of the program as authorized by the Missouri Legislature, the Dean, and the Advisory Council. Effective January 1, 2009 the Missouri Kidney Program director is Leanne J. Peace MSW, MHA.