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On March 3, The American Kidney Fund (AKF) and the Congressional Kidney Caucus teamed up to draw attention to kidney health on Capitol Hill in commemoration of National Kidney Month.

The first “Kidney Health Fair on the Hill,” which was open to the public, took place in the foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building with education about risk factors, free health screenings, kidney-healthy snacks and fun activities.

A brief program featured AKF President and CEO LaVarne Burton; kidney patient-advocate and Annapolis, Md., radio personality Olivia Fox; and Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., co-founder of the Congressional Kidney Caucus, which educates members of Congress and the public about the problem kidney disease poses for society and the federal government's role in providing access to life-sustaining treatment for those Americans with the severest form of chronic kidney disease (CKD), stage 5 CKD.