What if dialysis wasn’t the only option?
We're a group of renal dietitians and healthcare educators changing the discussion around preventative care in modern medicine. Right now there is a golden window of opportunity for preventative care to take center stage within the model of kidney care and help millions of people. Why? People diagnosed with kidney disease often feel like they are on a scary one-way street to dialysis. Many are unaware of the power of nutrition to change their outcomes for the better or feel confused by the nutrition information they receive. With recent initiatives proposed by the federal government, likely imminent changes in payment for dialysis, and a healthcare environment embracing virtual care, there is no other time in history is there a need both for PATIENTS and PAYORS to find a common ground in preventative care. It cannot be understated the power of nutrition for preserving kidney function, lessening the enormous cost of dialysis for payors, and drastically improving people's quality of life. People with kidney disease deserve to have access to clear, science-based nutrition therapy to preserve their kidney function and ultimately save their lives.
Our Solution: Our nonprofit’s sole purpose is to advocate for nutrition as crucial and fundamental intervention for kidney disease and help people find hope with a plan. One of the ways we are doing this is by launching an innovative virtual nutrition therapy system and program to help thousands of people preserve kidney function and delay dialysis.
Who we are: Five renal dietitians and a standout PhD health educator with a world class advisory committee. We're united in our goal to revolutionize kidney healthcare by preserving kidney function and delaying dialysis with nutrition as a primary treatment."
The need: The crucial next steps in showing the power of preventative care in kidney disease is to do a large pilot of our comprehensive nutrition plan. We've taken our years and years of experience and spent over a year and easily over 1000 hours collaborating on making a program that makes nutrition for kidney disease doable and delicious to give people the health results they seek. Our 16 week program gives every participant a dedicated renal dietitian who can encourage them, help them work through barriers, and help them apply every necessary step for success. $160,000 will allow us to give our program to the first large group of participants. This funding also allows us to further the process of meeting with leaders in healthcare to advocate a change in the standard of care for kidney disease.
How you can help: Our Kidney Nutrition Program is comprehensive, research-based, and delivered by experts. It costs our organization $1,500 to provide sixteen weeks of top-quality education and expert support to those suffering with chronic kidney disease. These sixteen weeks of training can in-turn give back months and years of healthy living.
With a gift of $1,500, you will be giving a participant more more precious moments and memories with loved ones. By sponsoring the entire experience and life-transformation of a program participant, you are giving him/her the gift of hope.
With a gift of $500, you are ensuring that a participant has six weeks of their program fully-funded. You know that meaningful change does not happen overnight, and you can help someone along their journey to improved health.
With a gift of $100, you are giving a program participant another week of access to essential information and coaching; another week to see what has been working, what hasn't been working, and the opportunity to improve.
With a gift of $21, you will be providing a participant with the promise of tomorrow and the challenge to seize it. This gift guarantees that a participant will have one more day to learn, grow, and make positive life change.
The BIG problem of kidney disease in America (and why you should care):
Currently, chronic kidney disease (CKD) impacts 37 million people, and about 90% of those with CKD are not aware that they have it. As such, CKD is an under-reported health crisis and is the 9th leading cause of death in our nation (National Kidney Foundation, 2019).
The current treatment for kidney disease usually revolves around medication, transplant, and/or dialysis. Patients typically need dialysis when they develop end-stage kidney failure. At this point, the kidneys do not get better, and dialysis is needed for the rest of the patient's life. When dialysis becomes a necessary means for survival, trends indicate that patients have the highest risk of dying within the first two months of receiving treatment (Nephrol, 2015).
An impactful, yet grossly underutilized treatment that tends to be overlooked for kidney disease is nutrition therapy. It seems so simple and so obvious and yet it is not a top priority in our current medical system. One study from the Institute of Medicine showed that medical nutrition therapy with a registered dietitian nutritionist slows the progression of CKD, delaying or preventing kidney failure (2000). However, only 12% of patients with CKD receive medical nutrition therapy before they reach dialysis (Slinin Y, Guo H, et al., 2011). That’s right, an overwhelming 88% of patients do not have access to the life-saving power of nutrition therapy though most know it is important.
A recent survey by a team of medical experts showed that 90% of respondents with kidney disease were aware that dietary changes could reduce health complications caused by CKD, and 83% were willing to adjust their eating habits (Jimenez EY, Kelley K, et al., 2020). The huge disconnect between very few patients receiving access to a dietitian and so many patients wanting access is stunning. Patients deserve to have access to quality nutrition therapy with registered dietitians trained in CKD because it gives them a chance at preserving kidney function and living more life free of dialysis.
Due to the global outbreak, people with CKD have a higher risk of developing further health complications if they are exposed to COVID-19. This pandemic is giving us more reasons to focus our attention and resources on people with severe underlying medical conditions. We must figure out the best ways to help this population access health solutions through virtual programming, especially during a time when medical resources and support are limited. 
More about our solution:
RenAlign is a nonprofit startup that advocates for nutrition as a first-line treatment for people with kidney disease. Our team of expert renal dietitians and one incredible health education expert are dedicated to working with nephrologists and medical professionals to slow the progression of CKD. As part of our advocacy efforts, we are offering a transformative online program that gives access to renal nutrition therapy. The program aims to:
- Preserve kidney function
- Prevent complications
- Dispel confusion
- Optimize nutrition
- Tackle fear with science-based emotional strategies
Many patients feel like they have a lack of knowledge and a lack of support to make dietary changes. Also, many patients are filled with underlying fear and anxiety, which prohibit them from making the necessary changes to their health. Because of this,our program is designed to give patients instant access to renal dietitians who serve as support people and walk them through dietary and mindset changes within 12 weeks to achieve long-term success. Our unique combo approach of personalized counseling, virtual classes, and community help meet these needs to give people the confidence in their health journey.
Because of COVID-19, we have to rely on technology to build a connected and informed community now more than ever. This pandemic is changing the public perception of how virtual medical services and support can benefit patients. Our program was designed to leverage the power of virtual healthcare prior to COVID-19. Now more than ever, we see that having an option of virtual nutrition care is important. A virtual platform is our way of ensuring that we can impact more people and share our solutions and knowledge regardless of geographical barriers or extenuating circumstances. Overall, we are doubling down on our commitment to ensure that anyone with kidney disease can receive quality, affordable, and specialized renal nutrition therapy that focuses on a whole mind-body approach for a true lifestyle change.
Who we are:
Vishal Bagchi (MBA, RD, LD): Vishal is our key operations expert. He has over 16 years of clinical, research and speaking experience in nephrology and has devoted all of his adult career in the field of kidney failure. Vishal has received numerous awards for his work in nephrology including NKF Susan C. Knapp Award for year 2020. Vishal’s passion in nephrology comes from his grandfather who eventually passed away due to CKD, something that he believes could have been avoided with preventative education. Many healthcare providers believe in treating a number but as Vishal quotes “Treat the patient, not the number,” as such he has made his life goal to educate as many people he can directly or indirectly. Vishal is highly involved in philanthropic work across the United States, India, South America and Ghana where his organization helps local hospitals increase CKD education and access to dialysis to the underserved communities.
Jessianna Saville (MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT): Jessianna is the founder of RenAlign, She is a registered dietitian and renal nutrition specialist. She found a love for nutrition and kidney health as a 20 year old college student working in a dialysis unit and has stayed within this industry the past 16 years. She is passionate about helping the many kidney warriors she sees around her preserve their kidney function. She teaches evidence-based strategies to optimize nutrition for kidney health so people can look forward to their futures without dialysis. Why she started the non-profit, “I believe every person wants to be healthy and every person has the power to change. I started Renalign to advocate for giving every person with kidney disease a chance to preserve their kidney functions if they want to make changes.”
Elizabeth Villalobos (MS, RDN, LD, MBA): Elizabeth is registered dietitian committed to improving lives through nutrition intervention and education. Going on seven years now as practitioner she thrives on solving the most difficult problems and creating organized systems that optimize outcomes. Because of personally witnessing countless people become afflicted with conditions that either did not need to develop and/or worsen because of poor lifestyle and nutrition choices, she feels strongly that access and promotion of health education is of utmost importance for the quality of life of millions. Elizabeth is a renal nutrition guru and a master of organization. She brings to the RenAlign team previous non-profit experience and a vision for helping change the trajectory of kidney disease for millions with the power of nutrition. "The ultimate goal of nutrition, in my mind, is to empower others to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. People have the power to change when they're given small doable choices. "
Shaelene Ashby (PhD): Dr. Ashby is a mind-body health educator and eating psychology specialist. Her passion is to help people, with chronic disease, process stress and use the power of their mind to optimize their health. Because of Dr. Ashby’s thorough understanding of the mind-body connection, she is able to successfully assist others to change health behaviors, build a resilient mindset, and feel more confidence and peace in their lives, as they work through chronic disease. Dr. Ashby has first-hand experience with this, as she has had to learn to navigate her own health challenges. “I understand how it feels to be frustrated and worried about your health. Dealing with a chronic health issue can feel like your life has been turned upside down. My goal is to help people find hope and learn the skills they need to come out stronger and healthier in the end.”
Lindsey Zirker (MS, RD, CSR, LD): Lindsey is a seasoned renal dietitian who loves the impact of real food for real results. She also loves diving into the latest research so her clients can receive great outcomes. She excels at taking each piece of research and making it into a practical application for patients. Having had her own health struggles with autoimmune disease, she understands the struggle of health challenges and brings not only a mastermind perspective of renal nutrition science, but a deep level of empathy. Her first job as a dietitian was in dialysis and she has never looked back with wanting to serve the nephrology population. “I love helping people find the balance between choosing foods that heal and foods they can enjoy.”
Clarissa Paimanta (RDN): Clarissa is a registered dietitian and a mastermind at making science come alive into real ways to eat. She has been involved with the RenAlign program since its inception when she took on the hefty task of mapping out curriculum as a dietetic intern. Since then she has tirelessly helped develop curriculum and helped with support and monitoring of all participants in the beta-launch. Nothing is more exciting to her than hearing participants in the program tell about their success. She is excited to be on this journey of helping people preserve kidney function. “To me, nothing is more rewarding than supporting people to change and achieve real results in kidney and overall health outcomes.”
Testimonials from our beta-test of our system:
"When I began this program I was at my lowest. My numbers were out of control and I had no help to make that stop. I heard the words kidney transplant list if it continued, and could see nothing but that and dialysis in my future. My mindset has definitely changed. I was able to learn that those outcomes could be changed, and given the tools to make that happen. I know I sound like a broken record, but I can't thank you enough. I truly feel that you have saved my life." - Marianne, Florida
"I believe this program was an answer to prayer and had changed my life for the better. I have LESS fatigue and improved lab numbers. I feel optimistic about keeping the kidney I have! Thank you." - Terri, Louisiana
"This program provided me with hope. I was attempting to eat right, but this program helped me understand all of the pieces that lead toward good health and wholeness. Please continue this program because there are so many people can gain from it and save their kidney health. Thank you." -Berline, Virginia
FAQ:
1. What resources did your team pull statistics from?
Here is a list of resources we referenced:
- Patient Perspectives on Access to Medical Nutrition Therapy for Non-Dialysis Dependent Chronic Kidney Disease: Link
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Underutilized in CKD: Link
- 37 Million American Adults Now Estimated to Have Chronic Kidney Disease: Link
- Patterns and Predictors of Early Mortality in Incident Hemodialysis Patients: Link
2. How can we learn more about your work?
For more information about our nonprofit, please visit our website at www.RenAlign.com
3. Are you a 501c3 charitable organization?
Currently we have a pending application to become a 501c3 organization through the IRS and should receive approval in the upcoming months.
4. Is my donation tax-deductible?
Our fundraising campaign is created through GoFundMe’s individual account due to our pending 501c3 application approval. Any gifts made to individuals are not tax-deductible as stated by IRS laws and policies. People wishing to make a tax deductible donation, should reach out to us at [email redacted].
5. How do I sign myself or a loved one up to receive your renal nutrition therapy?
Please fill out the short waitlist form here! We will open up the program to as many people as we have funding to do so.
6. Does nutrition therapy replace dialysis?
Dialysis is an important life saving treatment for thousands and thousands of people. Nutrition therapy is very powerful in helping people preserve function and can be used even at very late stages of kidney disease if administered appropriately. However, there comes a time dialysis is necessary in order to preserve life. Anybody with kidney disease should be working closely with a nephrologist to make life-saving decisions regarding the start of dialysis.
7. Why do you include a mindset component to your program?
Better outcomes. Period.
Fear, anxiety, and high levels of stress are very common when dealing with a chronic disease diagnosis that seems to be going nowhere good. Not only do these negative emotions literally impact health, but they also impact the capacity of an individual to make changes. Knowing how to identify and cope with these emotions not only improve the success of dietary changes but also improve health.
8. Why a virtual program?
Kidney patients across the United States struggle to find a renal dietitian to work with. While we can’t put a physical dietitian in every city in America, we can leverage the power of the internet to provide personal support plus incredible information. This isn’t just a virtual program where you show up for a class with a distant instructor. Every participant is matched with their own specialized renal dietitian to walk them through the program and help answer questions or concerns as they arise. People can stay in the comfort of their homes and still receive the information and support they need to succeed with their kidney health goals.
If you cannot donate at this time, please consider sharing our mission across your social media channels so more people with kidney disease can know that there is hope with nutrition and a team working in their behalf!
9. Why NOW in the midst of a pandemic?
Even in the midst of a pandemic time is marching forward and many initiatives are set in place for 2021. We want to refine our programs and systems and be positioned as strong advocates for nutrition care for CKD as payors and kidney care leaders are looking for solution. If we wait, we will miss the window of opportunity to show that our systems work. In addition, kidney disease is not stopping because of the pandemic. People are still confused or scared about ending up on dialysis and needing to know that nutrition is a treatment option.
