Northwest Kidney Council | Kidney health advocacy

Partnership for quality,
safety and access to care

Promoting safety and access to quality care

Founded in 2019, the Northwest Kidney Council is as a coalition supporting patient advocates, health care professionals, care providers and researchers committed to shaping smart policy for individuals battling kidney disease in the Northwest.

Myths vs. Facts: Organ Donation

April is National Donate Life Month, and at the Northwest Kidney Council, it's the perfect time to clear the air. Despite decades of public awareness campaigns, myths about organ donation are still stopping people from registering. And in the kidney community, where 727 people in Oregon and 1,302 people in Washington are waiting for a kidney transplant according to Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), those myths carry real consequences.

Let’s talk about them.

Built-In Bias: How a Clinical Formula Delayed Kidney Transplants

For a long time, one of the most routine tools in kidney medicine contained a quiet built-in error. It wasn't anyone's deliberate intention. But for Black patients with kidney disease, it quietly moved the goalposts — and the cost was measured in years spent off the transplant waiting list. Every transplant center in the country was impacted, including OHSU in Oregon and UW Medicine in Washington.

2026 Legislative Session Recap

As the 2026 legislative sessions wrap up in Olympia and Salem, the Northwest Kidney Council (NWKC) reflects on a session marked by both tangible progress and ongoing challenges across our legislative priorities.

Our Partners

We can't do this work alone. The Northwest Kidney Council is grateful to have so many partners throughout the Pacific Northwest aligned with our mission to advance access to kidney care.

Partnership for quality, safety and access to care