As a valuable participant of the healthcare team, patient advocates empower patients with renal failure to move forward with their lives after being diagnosed with kidney disease. They serve as a bridge for better communication with medical staff, which assures a better understanding of patients' concerns, issues, and priorities.

The Network hopes to bolster patients and family engagement at the facility level as they become active partners of the healthcare team. This will be accomplished through the disbursement of marketing and campaign materials, displaying educational materials on a huddle board ("education station" sign and best practice tip sheet), and peer-to-peer counseling.

This initiative will embody a campaign model in which recruitment materials will be distributed to all facilities in the Network, with a concentrated focus on facilities involved in quality improvement activities. Materials are to include both print and digital marketing materials inspiring all patients and to nominate either themselves or other patients within their facility to become a patient ambassador. Once a patient has been recruited, the new recruit will be advised of their roles and responsibilities as peer mentors through detailed training.

 Please visit the following pages to help support patient involvement in:

• Peer Mentoring
• Developing a Life Plan
• Participating in Facility Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Meetings
• Support Groups